Somalis follow jobs to Texas Panhandle AMARILLO, TEXAS (hppr) - Haslett: There's a new family-owned restaurant on Amarillo Boulevard. A typical place in some ways: The rubber placemats look like something your grandmother would put on the children's table at Thanksgiving. A TV in the dining room is showing a sports program.

(fade in sound of Somalis talking)

Haslett: An American flag hangs behind the cash register. But the language spoken here isn't English- or Spanish. It's Somali.

(sound of Somalis talking)

Haslett: The African Safari restaurant serves Amarillo's growing Somali community. I spoke with owner Mohammed Jama and his friend Muse Omar. Over a plate of roast goat and a cup of hot chai, Omar explained to me why they and other Somalis are in Amarillo.

Muse Omar: People, they just want a job. Job, job job, that's the only thing. That's pretty much like American way- everywhere you go in America, people are singing a song of job. Work, work, work. People came to work and they are hard-working people.

Haslett: Hundreds of refugees from Asia and Africa have come to the Texas Panhandle this year. Many work for J-B-S Swift in Cactus or Tyson Fresh Meats in Amarillo. Some come almost directly from their country of origin. Some arrive from other cities in the United States. For help with learning English and finding a job, many look to organizations such as Catholic Family Services. Lori Bigham heads the refugee resettlement program there.

Lori Bigham: The refugees come in with documentation that's been issued by the U-S government. So they're here with legal status. They can apply for a Social Security card as soon as they get here, which is one of the first things we do- cause we want to get them working as soon as possible.

Haslett: Refugees can apply for a Green Card after one year in the United States. After five years, they can apply for citizenship. Bigham emphasized that social work organizations do not determine the United States' refugee asylum policy

Lori Bigham: Our agency receives a lot of criticism for bringing refugees into the community. But in actuality, it's the U-S State Department who's bringing the refugees into the country. And we are just helping them to acclimate as quickly as possible. Making sure that they become self-sufficient- that they have a quicker route to becoming fully integrated into the community and contributing citizens in the community while taking care of their family and that's really our role.

Haslett: The State Department determines which applicants receive refugee status. The Department of Homeland Security must also approve each individual. Refugees then receive a one-year Employment Authorization Document. A job here means money for those left behind in Somalia. Just down the road from the restaurant, an old grocery store now houses a wire service to send money internationally.

(fade in audio of store)

Proprietor Rashid Abelilah calls the service a lifeline. In a country wrecked by almost two decades of civil war, a few dollars can go a long way toward survival.

Rashid Abelilah: As you see, everybody up here, they sending money to their family. It's very important- they depend on those people. For every aspect, their family depend on those people.

Haslett: Abdirahman Guled is one of the Somalis who sends part of his check home. Guled works for Swift in Cactus. In more peaceful times, Guled once administered a prepaatory school for agronomy students.

Abdirahman Guled: In Somalia, I used to be high school principal- agriculture. Now I work (at) Swift.

Haslett: Guled says he's grateful for the chance to build a new life in the United States. Abdelahi agrees. He's gone from driving a cab in Atlanta to owning a small business in Amarillo.

Abdelahi: This country is the land of opportunity. Truly, when I came here, I didn't have a penny. You got to sacrifice for that and work very hard. So I know that from the hard way.

Haslett: This is Mark Haslett, H-P-P-R News.






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