In the hopes of encouraging more politeness and respect, I would like to caution people in Minneapolis from assuming that someone who has dark skin and speaks with a non-American accent in our city is Somali. In Minneapolis we have quite a few immigrants from Ethiopia, and many from West Africa as well. Many of the immigrants themselves cannot tell whether a person is Somali until they hear the person speaking their native language. Just as it is rude to park in the middle of the street and block traffic, it is also rude to make assumptions about a person's national origin. Most of my immigrant students are non-Somali East Africans, and they find it somewhat offensive when many people assume that they are Somali.
-Amy Bergquist Standish 9-8 _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
