Educating Somali Immigrant and Refugee Students: A Review of Cultural-Historical Issues and Related Psychoeducational Supports

Abstract

Somali immigrants and refugees have entered the United States with increasing frequency due to civil war-induced violence and instability in their native country. The resultant increase of Somali students is of particular relevance to educators and school psychologists because Somali youth possess unique cultural backgrounds. In addition, refugee youth are at an elevated risk for mental health and academic difficulties due to their pre-immigration exposure to traumatic events and lack of formal education. In this article, we provide an overview of Somali history and culture, recent immigrant trends, and the challenges faced by Somali children and youth in the United States. Then, we describe the research on school-based supports for the academic and social-emotional needs of this population, and discuss implications for school psychological services and applied research.

KEYWORDS:

• Somali
• refugees
• immigrants
• mental health
• school psychology

Notes

¹It is important to understand that no two individuals are the same, and any one statement or fact that is true about one person cannot be assumed to be true of another. When we discuss specifics about culture and tradition, we walk the line of overgeneralization and stereotyping, both of which are to be avoided. With that in mind, our discussion about Somali culture and the practices should not be assumed to apply to all Somalis. The purpose of this section is to help educators understand potential cultural historical factors and practices and how they might affect students in the United States. However, knowledge of cultural facts is never a replacement for understanding the individual.