"CHILD OF AN IMMIGRANT AND A REFUGEE"

Olen jo pitkään halunnut kirjoittaa uskonnon, kulttuurin sekä etnisen taustan yhdistymisestä omaan sekä minunlaisten nuorten naisten elämään. Ennen kuin siihen ryhdyn, halusin kuitenkin herätellä teidän lukijoiden ajatuksia tähän kaikkeen. Kirjoittamista pohdiskellessani, muistin erään hyvin lahjakkaan perheystäväni kirjoittaneen runon englanniksi. Tämä runo kuvaa monen meidän elämää ja pieniä osia niistä peloista, joita nuorena käy läpi. Kirjoittajan luvalla julkaisen tämän runon.

English: Many have been asking me to write in english, so here we go. For a long time I've wanted to write about how culture, religion and my background have had impact on my daily life. Before I get into these topics I wanted to share a poem with you. This poem was written by a talented family friend of mine.

”One day my dad asked me

If I am still scared of old people?

I answered him by saying

Aabe I am not a child anymore.

And then continued by asking me what am I   scared of now?

I answered him by saying aabe

I am scared of people being scared of me.

Then he changed his position to sit more comfortably and he looked at me.

He said what do you mean?

I said aabo u see my skin

It can be kinda scary

To some people

because of prejudice and stereotypes.

There's a reason I don't sit next to a white child on the bus

I am afraid of what they have or haven't been taught or what they have or  haven't seen

the lack of diversity.

That's what i have seen

In my primary days

I used to beg my  hooyo everyday to change my school

Because the kids at school wouldn't talk to me

And the teacher would ask me what was wrong with me?

Why wasn't I friends with the finnish kids.

But the truth was they weren't friends with me.

Eight years ago when I was ten

My prayers would consist of tears.

Dear god let me have friends

That would look like me

Friends who  had black skin and crooked teeth

And who were also a hijabis

Or just anyone who would understand and talk to me.

And aabe, this hijab on my head

is a whole another story.

 Aabe you see, how the media portrays us to be.

I am a visible muslim

Walking around with a symbol of my religion.

The religion people say is terror

And full of terrorist

Which is simply not true

Because our hi's

Mean may peace be upon you

Aabe I am afraid

Of the little things

Like when I am on plane

So a follow the unspoken rules

Do not stand up too much

Do not speak somali or any foreign language.

Do not do this do not do that.

Do not basically act "suspicious"

Because in these western countries

You do not have power.

Because just a few white guys

Feeling uncomfortable

Could be just the reason you get kicked of the plane.

And this is insane to think about.

And also aabe, I am child of an immigrant and a refugee

Who fleed there country.

This was just a little too much for me when I was younger.

My parents accents thicker then the skin i have created for myself through out these years.

Now the hurtful comments

They don't get to me

they get no reaction from me.”

writer, Amina Mohamed Salad

( aabe = isä, hooyo = äiti )

- Khadra