The following article was written for the People’s Tribune’by Indira Treon-Mutuma, one of our 2026 Summer Interns.
“Nobody wants you here.”
Those were the words directed at a Somali family while they were looking at homes in Shakopee, Minnesota. The confrontation, captured on video and shared widely online, showed the family being questioned about their presence in the neighborhood and sparked conversations about how Somali Minnesotans are perceived in the communities they call home.
While the incident involved one family, the video became part of a larger conversation about belonging and acceptance for Somali Minnesotans. To better understand how these conversions are experienced within Minnesota’s Somali community, I spoke with a Somali Minnesotan who has lived in the state their entire life and requested anonymity. The interviewee shared their experiences growing up in Minnesota and navigating outside perceptions of their community.
Growing up in Minnesota, they said their experience was largely positive but they have noticed moments when people’s perceptions of the Somali community affected how they felt they were viewed.
The interviewee’s experience growing up did not revolve around the headlines that often shaped public conversations about the Somali community. There’s a difference between headlines people see and the lives people actually live.
“Growing up in predominantly white areas, I wasn’t tapped into Somali news. My parents didn’t want to put that negativity into my life because it doesn’t affect me, my family’s not a part of it, and no one I know is a part of it.”
Looking back, they said those moments changed the way they thought about public perception. People often react differently when the person involved belongs to a minority community.
“Its the same thing as white people committing a crime, you see it in the news but people quickly move on,” they said. “But people are going to view it differently when it’s Somali people.”
While they acknowledge that some people may make assumptions about them based on broader perceptions of the Somali community, they said they do not allow those opinions to define their identity or their experience in Minnesota.
The interviewee said that when they encounter people who already hold negative views, they choose to distance themselves from the situations rather than let those opinions affect how they see themselves.
“I do not need to worry about people that don’t have anything to do with me, I just remove myself from it.”
They said growing up around good people helped shape their experience in Minnesota and gave them a strong sense of who they are.
The interviewee also reflected on how the Somali community is often discussed publicly saying that conversations about Somali Minnesotans do not always include the voices of people who are being talked about. They said that if people are going to discuss the community, Somali Minnesotans should have the opportunity to be part of those conversations and share their own experiences and voices. They said conversations about the Somali community should include voices of the people who are living those experiences. By listening to Somali Minnesotans themselves, they believed people would hear more about the sense of community, support, and belonging that often goes unnoticed.
They described the Somali community as one that takes pride in seeing each other succeed. They said people support Somali-owned businesses, show up for community events, and celebrate one another’s accomplishments, they said there is a shared desire to see each other do well.
The words “Nobody wants you here” may have been directed at one Somali family in Shakopee, but they do not define Minnesota’s Somali community. By listening to the voices of Somali Minnesotans themselves, a different story emerges, one of belonging, resilience, and a community that continues to lift each other up while enriching the state they call home.
