Writing POC 101

Somali Characters - @Sumiraa

Hello or Assalam'u Alaikum. My name is Sumira Hashim Sheikh and i'm Somali.
I was born and raised in the USA with all of my siblings. My parents both came to the US during the 90's after the Civil War fell into full spring for better education. My mother is a nurse and my father is a Pharmacist. I am a sophomore in High School currently working my butt off to become a Psychiatrist to bring awareness of mental illness in Somalia.

Somalia is a country that makes the 'Horn' of Africa, located to the east of Africa. (east on fleek amirite?)

I will be showing some mistakes I've seen people make and stereotypes they should avoid when making a Somali character. I'll also give a brief education on Somalia and their people.

1) History.

Somalia is a great African country. We have been here as far back as the Ancient Egyptians (we we're fabled as the land of punt and also had a language that was very similar to Ancient Egyptians thus us communicating very well with each other) We traded with the Chinese, Indians and Arabs for centuries. We we're also a hydraulic empire. Learning how to use our coastline as a source of power. We we're the first to domesticate Camels and showed this practice in North Africa. We are called the Camel Capital of the world having the largest population of Camels in the entire world.

2) Religion

Over 90% of Somali's are Muslim. A large percentage of them Sunni (aye Sunni and representing). Islam is tied very closely with Somali culture.

3) It is Somali not Somalian

Somalian is not a word. Somalia is the country, Somali(s) is the people, and Somali is the language. Got it?

4) Somali women

If I could name the number of times we have been fetishized I'd be throwing bandz after bandz after bandz. Since the Horn of Africa and their people are classified as Caucasoid we are seen as desirable for these European features we have such as slimmer noses, high cheekbones, loose curls, etc. . . Somali women and people come in all shapes and sizes depending on what part of Somalia the character is from. Don't fetishize us or our features.

5) Blunt, Rude, Loud

Somali's are stereotyped as loud people, which some of the time is true (emphasis on some of the time, this case isn't always true). Somalis are typically grown in large households so being loud is a bad habit. However we are not Blunt or Rude or Angry. Somali people are very expressive and proud people which is our Hamartia sometimes I must admit but we are not Blunt, Rude, or Angry. This stereotype should be shut down.

6) "Somalis aren't black" or "Somalis aren't African"

It seems that Somali's are classified as Arab by A LOT of people that it's almost crazy. Somali's are apart of the Arab league and have Arab as one of their national languages but only 10% of Somali people are from Arab descent. That's it. A few Somali people do have an identity crisis and claim to be Arab to distance themselves from their African roots but most of the time they are pure Somali.

7) Lifestyle

Somali people are very, very, very social people and have close-knitted community. We also have bomb ass personalities. I've been told by many of my non-somali friends that they have never met a Somali person who was not funny. Somali's use sarcasm and Humor in daily speech to show wit or knowledge and typically have large household families. The mother is usually the hustler of the family. Somehow she can hold the house down, take charge, and work at her job at the same time. Somali fathers work for the family too but the hustle of momma can't be compared.

8) Culture

Somali cuisine varies from region to region and consists of a a large mixture of diverse culinary influences. It is the product of Somalia's rich tradition of trade and commerce throughout the centuries. Although they all have one thing in common, they are Halal. Somalia also has a rich musical heritage centred on traditional Somali folklore. At first listen, Somali music might be mistaken for the sounds of nearby regions such as Ethiopia, Sudan or the Arabian Peninsula, but it is ultimately recognizable by its own unique tunes and styles. Futbol or Soccer is a very popular sport in Somalia that both Somali girls and boys participate in. Basketball is also a popular sport too.

9) Parents

Parents are highly respected in Somali culture. When the child get's older they usually send ayuuto every month to their parents. Ayuuto is money given to their parents in respect for what they have done for them while growing up. They use this money to buy land and build big ass homes (like mansions big it's that serious) for their Parents back in Somalia. Children sometimes split half of their money and give it to both parents in respect. The child also takes care of their parents when they are old. Despite doing all this for their parents my mother always says, "This will never be enough for what they have sacrificed for me while I was growing up."

10) Guess what? We don't live in mud huts.

Contrary to popular beliefs Somalia has many and different lifestyles. Example, my father was a Somali nomad and my mother was a city girl. We have transports, government, Education, Jobs, etc. . . just like any other western country. Though this "western" lifestyle isn't something we boast about. Somali's love the way their lifestyle is. Small cities that have close communities that's like family. It's a nice and simple way of living that we are contempt with.

more info:

- Somali's are obsessed with tea. Do you hear me? Obsessed. Several batches of tea are made in one day alone.

- Guests are respected when visiting a Somali household. You feed'em till they can't eat anymore but still bring up more food and tea (surprise, tea again.)

- Children typically live with parents until marriage.

- Family is a fundamental part of Somali culture.

- We are afraid of dogs. This is a stereotype but I can confirm that I don't care how small that monster is. If it is within a 10 foot radius of me I will run for my life.

- Education is also a fundamental part of Somali culture. Teachers are highly respected and the parents give gifts or treats to the teacher in respect. Science and Math is highly regarded. Somali parents usually want their children to have a job in the medical field.

- Contrary to Islam Somali girls and Boys talk and make friends with each other. Many Somali girls back at Somalia show their hair.

- Somali females are strong women. Sometimes they are nicknamed Arawelo who was a somali queen who was somewhat of a feminist. Hated men and hung them by their balls and circumcised them. Believed women were more fit to rule then men.
Although I can continue talking about my beautiful county and every single thing about It I think this is the necessary information someone should need while making a Somali character.

Anyways peace and bariis. You may now scroll on to the next chapter to read about another awesome country and it's culture.