Episode Transcript
Speaker 1 00:00:19 Hello. Welcome back. This is a jury, so I could be here today. I have a co
Speaker 2 00:00:25 Host. Here
Speaker 1 00:00:28 Is Amina. We call her decal. Hello, how are you? You sound great. Thank
Speaker 3 00:00:36 You. I'm doing good. Um, hi, um, we have a special guest tonight. Um, he's a community activist. He's a radio host and I'm sure he guessing you guys are gassing out. Um,
Speaker 4 00:00:52 Oh, what a surprise?
Speaker 1 00:00:57 Well, suddenly you took over the show and I'm the guest. Okay. I'm ready. I am ready. That's that's I'm you know, welcome.
Speaker 3 00:01:06 Yeah. So, um, we know behavior and, um, we know what you do, but tell us about yourself. Tell us about <inaudible>.
Speaker 1 00:01:17 Oh my God. If I tell you a beat about the heat, it's like writing a book. I can't wait. Well, it's a radio people can't see me, but I'm a, you know, 6, 6, 3, uh, kind of like a movie guy, you know, a good looking man. We gotta make it fun for the first hosting show. See, so yes, I am an activist and I do a lot of social services and I connect people with services. Like I was supposed to do one with the radio about a few minutes ago and, uh, I help people find jobs and I organize communities. I do all the crazy things that people use to don't want to do. How
Speaker 3 00:02:01 About, I know that you are a father. Um, tell us about a little bit about your daughters.
Speaker 1 00:02:08 Oh, great. Uh, I was hiding us a single, but anyway, um, yes, I'm a father and I have five kids and, uh, I live with my two daughters and, uh, they are really fun and it's two of them. They actually sound like lawyers sometimes when we are good. Um, you know, sometimes I forget things I promise. And, uh, lately they have developed our new way of drafting of a contract that says date time when we're just to whatever I said, they write it down and turn it into a contract. So living with the lawyers, it's not that easy personally.
Speaker 3 00:02:46 I have known you for a while and I'm sure the community knows you as well, but what draw you, um, to start this kind of chop?
Speaker 1 00:02:56 Isn't a job. It's a passion, actually. It is. I think it's due to my father. Uh, when we were kids, he would take us to really volunteer in building schools, in building community centers, in cleaning up the streets, you know, uh, always, uh, making roads or, or, or walkways accessible for everyone else. So he taught how to care about the next person. So it's a lifelong passion. Uh, he did the same thing. Um, that's what he used to do. So he taught us how to be out of yourself.
Speaker 3 00:03:31 Thank you for your surface. Then you're being nice to me today. I am always appreciated. Yeah. So, um, you automate role model, including any oh my God. Who is your role model? Yeah, Andy is the, is the
Speaker 1 00:03:52 Radio on, so I want to ever want to hear that good. So yes, I have a lot of role models. Um, you know, uh, mostly family members and, um, yeah, most of the family members and, uh, actually my older brothers were role models. My dad was and I treated, my mom was, uh, in terms of somehow my late mom and dad had a passion for neighbors, for people. There were people person and they care about the rest. So I considered them my biggest role models, except except you it's up to you
Speaker 5 00:04:31 Except you. Yeah, something I really respect about bee is, um, no one little thing causes everything to go out of whack for you. You take things. So in stride and you take the bigger picture to heart. So, well, when I started doing community radio, I was very nervous that I'd mess up all the time or if I messed up, people wouldn't want me to come back and, um, that I couldn't really provide anything useful because I'm only human and I make mistakes, but, um, anytime something goes wrong, you're completely calm. You keep going in it, you sit down, you make it happen. And, um, I've seen that happen for you here in, in the community. And I can't even fathom all the times that I haven't seen it that I'm sure you've been doing it.
Speaker 1 00:05:12 Thank you, Annie. Today is a special day. It's called <inaudible>
Speaker 1 00:05:18 Good things about me actually. You know, um, I learned, um, funny lesson. Um, the funny lesson is I like the Simpsons. I watch a lot of cartoons. I laugh, you know, with my kids then, you know, um, even Sesame street, you know, I never looked into capture and go back. So, um, there was this segmented that you look, when you wake up, you look in the mirror and you see this amazing, good looking guy, you know, and sometimes you wake up in the morning and you look in the mirror and you go like, who's this guy. So it depends on the day. So, but you know, it's always good to think that things will work out in the beginning and they do
Speaker 3 00:06:07 All right. This question is from every Berry <inaudible>, um, you know, when people come to new country, they encounter, um, cultural shock. Um, they face like whether it is fun things or her staff. Um, so have you ever been in that situation?
Speaker 1 00:06:24 Of course, every one must have been one, you know, I've been to different countries, but even here, when I came here, yeah, of course there are animals. The best is sort of Cytel of all the people, uh, new immigrants. And, uh, back in 20 years today, as of today, it's everyone has a story and everyone will tell you what really happened to them. So I was in Virginia and my older brother came from Saudi Arabia and, uh, right. Uh, uh, our apartments across our apartments, we had a MacDonald and, uh, I took him there. So I was late night, late lunch, so late dinner. So I took him there and I asked him, should I order for you knowing that is the first time, first hour in America. And he goes like, no, no, no, no, we have McDonald's in Saudi Arabia. And he goes on that. I said, okay, go ahead and order it. And he goes to the front of the lady who was serving us. And he said, I would love to have a one McDonald's and,
Speaker 4 00:07:29 And the fries, as she kept saying,
Speaker 1 00:07:32 Well, this building's not for sale. So I CA I come from family that really makes a lot of jokes and, um, real, real jokes that happen. So it was like, so that was a real one. Yeah. That's a good one. I had also clients that I worked with and some of them, they told me very interesting story. One when they were new, like anyone, you see immigrant communities where they knew immediately, what they want is a job. So as you know, everybody helps everybody find a job. So all the jobs that were available and it's still continuing to be available for new immigrants who doesn't speak English and doesn't have a skill that's certified in the us, then they go to assembly lines. They go to, um, candy factories, uh, Turkey factories. So they lost on their way to Mankato, Mankato or Duluth. So they lost and they wanted to do this farms.
Speaker 1 00:08:30 And they went to they. So they spotted a group of people in white clothing, in a farm, or who were practicing. And the, the more they get closer, they found out they were practicing with guests and they had hoodies. And they said, oh my God, we have priestess there. Let's ask them, what are we going to go? They were only in the country in two days. And they were looking for a, and they get lost. So the KKK guys, they went to were surprised at being approached by this black guys who spoke funny and they were scared. So we used to chase them. They don't usually come to us. So, so they showed up and they, you know, this guys are innocent. They don't know anything about this and they are rust. So can you imagine them imagine that they really helped them, took them and ask them, follow our car, brought them to a gas station. I said, never come
Speaker 4 00:09:28 Back to them. This guy's going to help you. No way. Yes.
Speaker 1 00:09:33 The guy said he figured it out a year later when he was watching a DPS documentary in order to, uh, he, he went to school, ESL classes and he was speaking English. Now when he was listening to this program and he figured out really what the KKK were, um, because these guys were wearing the same quotes and that's when he went like, oh my God, in a sense helped me. You know? So yeah, there are a lot of funny stories out of the trouble, out of the, you know, looking for a job, looking for a place to stay, moving into a new country. You always encounter things that you really think, you know. And one thing I like about this community is the bright, they're bright. They have, they're very proud. And that bright sometimes puts them in trouble because they think they know everything. Like my brother, I asked him if I can help him order food. And I said, no, no, no. We have this restaurants. Yeah.
Speaker 4 00:10:28 He wanted the whole building with fries. Do you have a culture shock moment to me?
Speaker 1 00:10:35 Oh, this has gotta be funnier
Speaker 3 00:10:37 For LA, but the first one was the snow, the snow. Oh yeah.
Speaker 1 00:10:42 It doesn't look real from outside. Yeah. It doesn't
Speaker 3 00:10:45 Look real. It just started eating this like gift from God. Why don't you just eat? Yeah. Yeah. Um, and then, um, but one thing I liked is like, you know, doing this no Angeles. Yeah. That's what I used to do all the time. Even do. Sometimes when I'm alone, I look around and it's like, no one is there. Then I just do my snow angel.
Speaker 1 00:11:09 Oh, that is nice. Uh, actually my first, no was in Buffalo, New York and my friend, Ross Hammond and his little sister, his brother-in-law took me out. I was staying with them. And um, they took me out to this cemetery in Somalia. You don't go to a cemetery at night. Oh, you don't even walk by. I mean, the victim, you go there, you read Koran, <inaudible> you say good things about the people. But as the sun goes down, you don't want to even send it to your neighbors and hear people Feazell at night. And, um, you know, I'll check out this guy who died 1800 and who he was about history. It's like in the dark cultural shock for me.
Speaker 5 00:11:56 What brought you from the east coast to the Midwest?
Speaker 1 00:12:00 You know, that's very interesting question because I, I, I live in Washington D C area for Virginia area. And, um, in 1993, I went to get my sister and my younger brother and their families from Kenya. The process was too long. So I went over there. So I ended up volunteering in the local agents and, uh, I find out that's how I met a lot of people who were coming. Oh, yeah. Find out about Minnesota. And, um, they have no clue who's coming. And, uh, so they don't have interpreters. They won't have social workers. That's bilingual. Oh my God. So that's why it came. Wow. That's so nice of you. Yeah. And my first job was actually helping county medical center. Oh, wow. We've become, uh, uh, I was an interpreter and a cultural creator. Yeah. Were you
Speaker 5 00:12:53 A medical interpreter? Like when people would talk, like what hurts? Yeah.
Speaker 1 00:12:59 Difficult job. Because you know, in, in, in any, in third interesting. And you know, in our culture, um, people are open, so there's no privacy. So they'll talk to you about their life. You know, they just pull up a chair and talk about their private life. So as an interpreter, we had to teach other interpreters about the, that is offhand. You know, you can't talk about people's businesses, your interpre, everything stays in this room. And also the hardest part of being an interpreter still is how to take your emotions and your self out to remove yourself from what you're interpreting. Because some people end up giving you their opinion rather than the doctors or the officer's permission. They might just, it's not easy to separate from you advocating for this person or interpreting. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 5 00:13:57 My, um, yup. My boyfriend actually has a legal interpreter from Spanish to English and he will talk about how, um, he has to help people bring their stories and English in a way that makes sense for their immigration case. But then also he'll get documents from government or from other interpreters. That'll just make absolutely no sense. Like he got a document for like a living guy who's trying to come to the U S that said he was dead.
Speaker 4 00:14:26 He gets all of
Speaker 5 00:14:27 These things that like, don't really make sense. And they're such important. Like some people say, we'll say things about how, like, translating and interpreting are all going to be done by AI in like six months. But there's so much in, um, in people's stories that needs the nuance and the care of having another person there. And that's why that work is so important. And that's why it's so important to have people like you who multi-lingual and who can go around and help people make sure they're being represented as their best selves. Yeah. I,
Speaker 1 00:14:56 You know, I, I love language and, um, I have seen a rise in minute sovereigns, especially white Minnesotans learning, Somali language. So, and they also become stars in the Somali community. Everyone wants them in their wedding. You will see all the signs
Speaker 3 00:15:20 Or, you know, other background, um, singing <inaudible> songs. I'm tick-tock okay. I'll sing that way.
Speaker 5 00:15:27 Well, I guess that's my next challenge now that I, like, I ate the goat, I got
Speaker 4 00:15:31 The, I got the HANA learn a song. Oh, you are on your way. If it got the goat, I got the head nut.
Speaker 1 00:15:41 So, so a lot of people from Minnesota in this, um, mostly I have seen as Caucasian, uh, uh, actually I used to teach Somali. Um, so a lot of interest in there and, um, some guys speak perfectly, so they become stars and celebrities in the community. So if you want to have the best wedding, you have to invite one of those, those funny somebody language, and everybody loves, you know, um, also, uh, um, they also important meetings. Like if the prime minister or somebody comes here, some of them are invited to speak. And one thing they really say to young Somalia Americans is learn your language. And I showed that to my kids and I said, this guy can speak better somebody than you. And he's willing to teach you. Yeah. So it's, it's, it's actually interpreting is a business is a very nice business.
Speaker 1 00:16:36 It's a very nice job that you are not only working, but you're also helping people, but also it comes with it's all when things, uh, I have seen people ending up with the wrong prescription. Oh, because the interpreter was not ready or paying attention, or I've seen some people who translated letters that we cannot be Somali community cannot even read, uh, or say something maybe opposite. If it says, do not open that door, you might find it saying, keep it open. So it's a, it's a job that needs a hundred percent dedication in order for you to be, you know, um, um, to balance it because translating from English to Somalia, it's easy. But from Somali to English, it's a little bit challenging because we use a lot of firearm. Articulative speech, a lot of literature, a lot of profits or sayings or analogies. So you it's, it's not that easy to translate. Yeah. Yup. I have funny stories.
Speaker 5 00:17:42 Could you tell me an example of one? Oh,
Speaker 3 00:17:44 I don't remember the one, but how both of you talk about nice show? Like bring those and fight more translators. Oh, that would be good.
Speaker 4 00:17:57 That would be a nice show. It's a topic I can add
Speaker 3 00:17:59 Here, but I don't know the full story. Oh yeah. But it will be best to invite someone, you know, just tell us what happened and you know, what they come encounter with. I'm
Speaker 1 00:18:10 Sure that's a great show. And, uh, they, they will talk about their challenge. You know, sometimes you have to say it, the law says the ethics law of interpreting says that if any curses the doctor, yeah. Or you got an interpreter, you have to curse it. The doctor, you have to really say, you have to be a seed. You have to be a, say it, you cannot say, oh no, don't say that to the doctor. And I say that as, as it is, you can not influence the outcome. You can not advise the person, the doctor or the provider or the patient edible. That would be a really interesting, but one thing about your boyfriend job is doing the dark legal world is taught completely different from the medical world, the legal world. It's very serious matter as, as the medical, but you're dealing with some people who committed, allegedly committed a crime, or, you know, oh, I'll let you to do something. So if you interpret and you do your best and they are not happy with the outcome, they usually blame you. And they, they, they hold for another hearing because that was a bad interpreter.
Speaker 5 00:19:22 Uh, the office he works in, uh, which I will not reveal on air has like, it's a great office. And there's like a reputation there. Well, though, where they'll send people, one of the lawyers who used to work there also worked at a jewelry counter on the weekends. And people would like found out that she wasn't an immigration lawyer. And they'd like go to the jewelry counter and like, try to really flagrantly ask her for some advice. But like, um, yeah, it's, it's so interesting because like people, they will do their best, but it's sometimes, sometimes America, like, won't want to give someone a second chance if they've made a mistake or someone will be accused of something because there'll be, I don't know, ethnically stereotyped or body type stereotyped or something like that. And be, um, seen as accused. So it's, it's very interesting when all of those factors come together and it's so important that there are good interpreters to give people the best chance possible. Yeah. Well, I
Speaker 1 00:20:15 Have that. That's really great. And um, I know the movie that I watched when I was coming to America first time. Oh, a movie
Speaker 4 00:20:27 Coming to America, <inaudible> the screen. And you're
Speaker 5 00:20:35 Like, they see me. This is a mirror. Someone
Speaker 1 00:20:38 In the buy-to-lets cockpit realized it more than half of the blitz were first time coming
Speaker 4 00:20:44 To America. I was like, this is the first time, you know, have you,
Speaker 3 00:20:51 Have you seen the second one? No. Oh, you need to see it.
Speaker 1 00:20:55 What was the movie you saw when, uh, over the Atlantic?
Speaker 3 00:20:59 We, I don't remember what I eat yesterday.
Speaker 5 00:21:03 What did he meet yesterday? I don't know. How old were you when you came over?
Speaker 3 00:21:13 Like what movie? I saw first time, my first son we've been here for awhile, but it was junk. You
Speaker 1 00:21:22 Sell <inaudible>. Hmm. Well, there's still Washington. Yeah. Some people tell me, I look like him. Right? Mix it up with all the actors, go looking at just, you know,
Speaker 5 00:21:34 You like fly free because this is radio and not television. I'm so happy. It's radio. Thank you.
Speaker 1 00:21:43 So two, if you are confused today, our audience is what we do. And today we are having a fun. We've been doing a series business for the best four years. And on top of that, I and Annie, we're welcoming our new hosts. Um, you know, uh, sometimes we call it that. So welcome again. And, uh, uh, for me, for me, it's good. It's radio. I don't, people watch me, don't see me on the screen, but they missing a lot. They missing out a lot, but I think, I think that you want to be the best in television too. I know that. So, uh, tell me, why do you like to do that? Why do I like, I'll give you a sample, you know, I like to talk well, I'm obviously the few, well, radio is good for you then. Yeah, because I mean,
Speaker 3 00:22:42 Mainly the reason I came is I haven't seen any Somali speaking radio. Yeah. And I was like, maybe I can do something about it. Yeah. But at the same time, I'm not talking to be here.
Speaker 1 00:23:00 All, I was really an innocent young man before I came here. So this microphone will change you, but I'm trying my best. Yeah. This microphone. Well, it's okay. If I train his people for free hubs, people have a voice helps communities to have a voice. So I think you, and that there are great people here, starting with Annie here, volunteering to help you to show you the ropes of podcasts and radio, having your voice there. And, uh, I had a lot of producers tool. I, um, I wish I could bring everybody together one day and we have a lunch to thank them. So it's a lot of care and support at KFI. So you're in the right place on the right show.
Speaker 2 00:23:46 Um, yeah.
Speaker 1 00:23:48 And having said that, those nice things, let's go back to business. I,
Speaker 5 00:23:54 When I add a quick thing, um, I'm excited to have you on the show, Amanda, because I'm super excited because when I see you, it's nice. You like, I'm also not a super chatty person usually, but when I get here, you talking about an issue in culture or talking about like a perspective that isn't seen very often, then you get going and then you know what you want to talk about, you know, who you want to talk to. And that's why I'm excited to have you on this show because it's not about
Speaker 3 00:24:23 Small talk. Yeah. So I'm
Speaker 5 00:24:25 Excited because you're going to bring a perspective to the show that, um, will go really nicely with what we do, but it is going to bring something new in.
Speaker 1 00:24:32 So I know him Becca for years. I can't believe she's playing in a center. Like you're the perfect person for radio. So I know you love Somali music. Yeah. You love to play somebody's music and share the music. And I love your taste. So what do you have to do for us?
Speaker 3 00:24:55 I have this young lady had named Ms. Keen JAMA song is called <inaudible>. It means know the love, the love. She's talking to the guy. Yeah, exactly. That really slow. I don't know why. I believe,
Speaker 1 00:25:13 I believe that the guy asked me, I believe she was talking about me, but I believe to work toward a million people think that way
Speaker 3 00:30:10 So the song we just listened the singer, his name is kin JAMA. It's the last song. Um, and she's singing to her, man, I think. Did you understand anything, Annie?
Speaker 5 00:30:23 I mean, I didn't understand any of the words, but I feel like something that I've really enjoyed about being on this show is I've heard more contemporary east African music, especially Somali music. And just like, I feel like I didn't really get exposure to that kind of thing. As a kid, I'm from Duluth, I'm white. And there's like, I didn't know how much, like party music or romantic music or things like that. That is like right now coming out of Somalia and east African communities. And just like, it felt distinctly different than like what I grew up listening to. But it felt like it felt contemporary. It felt real. Even if I like didn't
Speaker 3 00:31:01 Know the words, she's singing her man. Um, I think he's mad at her. Oh. And then she's reminding him that time they had, when she met him, love this kind of thing. Yeah. Yeah. So it was just like, um, don't give up on us kinda. Yeah.
Speaker 5 00:31:20 Like remembering the, what they call
Speaker 3 00:31:22 What they call the honeymoon days. Yeah. The good times. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 5 00:31:26 How did you choose that song for today? Is that something you've been listening to a lot lately? I
Speaker 3 00:31:31 Have some Somali music in my playlist, so I choose by the lyrics. I choose by the music. If I liked the music, then I add to my playlist. Yeah. So this song was top of my list. Uh huh. Yeah. How old is this song? I think maybe year or two. Okay. Now they're all pretty new and they're single lifts in Europe. Oh, interesting. Yeah. And I think she's been here last year. Oh. She had some shows here, like, like in Minneapolis itself. Yeah. Cool. They come here. Yeah. That's so cool. Yeah. Most small singers. I think they live in Europe so they can do shows like here or I think Africa or middle east. So yeah, sometime. Oh, they have some in sealer cultural. Oh cool. Oh, that's so convenient. I hope he can bring some, I think we did like two years ago. That'd be, yeah. He responsible someone and then we had a fun, like the whole area was closed. Everybody was dancing and eating
Speaker 5 00:32:32 And all that sounds so nice. Yeah.
Speaker 1 00:32:35 Today we were having fun without a producer, Annie, our new cohost
Speaker 2 00:32:41 DECA
Speaker 1 00:32:42 DECA is joining us to really give a different flavor to the show and a different opinion on things. And uh, we wish you a beautiful summer. Thank you. And you have a good day. <inaudible>.
