HE ARRIVED IN MINNESOTA as a teenage refugee from Somalia. Today Ibrahim Khalif heads the nonprofit Faribault Youth Empowerment Center. And Thursday evening this well-spoken young man with a sense of humor spoke to nearly 60 people at Buckham Memorial Library. We gathered to learn about Somali history and culture in a “Building Bridges Across Cultures” talk.
I am a firm believer that knowledge, understanding and personal connections do, indeed, build bridges.
Ibrahim presented a whole lot of information with accompanying slides. So, rather than attempt to cover everything, I’ll share some highlights.
The Somalian culture is an oral culture, Ibrahim said. That was not new to me, mostly because I’ve heard complaints through the years of locals fearing the Somali men who gather on street corners in downtown Faribault. I knew these men met outside to chat and share news, much like men everywhere meet for coffee and playing cards. Many Somalis live above businesses in downtown Faribault and street corners are their front porches.
ARRIVING IN FARIBAULT
In the early 2000s, Somalis began arriving in Faribault, many from refugee camps, Ibrahim said. They fled a civil war that started in 1991 with faith-based organizations—Lutheran and Catholic—helping them resettle in America. Ibrahim showed before and after the civil war pictures of Somalia that revealed absolute devastation. He also showed images of crowded refugee camps.
Minnesota is home to the largest population of Somalis, some 25,000, outside of Somalia. Thousands call my community home. Ibrahim shared that they came to Faribault for a quiet life, to be close to family already here (family is deeply-valued), for the education system, affordable housing and jobs not requiring English-speaking skills. He specifically named the local turkey processing plant as a place of employment.
Challenges upon arrival included, as you would expect, language barriers, an educational system unprepared for an influx of Somali students, difficulty making friends, racial discrimination and more, Ibrahim said.
VETTING
While I was taking notes, I starred Ibrahim’s statement that refugees undergo rigorous security vetting and screening by the FBI before they are allowed into America. I found that especially pertinent in these times when Somali refugees have been targeted by the federal government and called “garbage” by the president who wants them out of the U.S. Yes, Somalis are worried, Ibrahim acknowledged. Yet, he sounded upbeat, emphasizing several times how much he loves Faribault.
LEARNING
I appreciated that Ibrahim engaged us via asking us to repeat Somali phrases that will help us connect with our Somali neighbors. I admit, I struggled. But I tried and trying is a start. He encouraged us to love each other, to break the ice even with something as simple as a smile. To build partnerships.
But a hug or a handshake with someone of the opposite sex, unless initiated by the person, is unacceptable in Somali culture. Both my friend Ann and I publicly admitted breaking that cultural rule, unbeknownst to us. I am a hugger.
I am also an appreciator of personal details, like Ibrahim’s memory of drinking water from a dirty creek in Somalia and how much his elderly parents miss goats and cattle.
LAUGHING
I also appreciate Somali food, enjoying a savory sambusa Ibrahim brought in a heaping tray to the event. When an audience member asked about his favorite Somali food, Ibrahim replied, burgers and fries. The crowd erupted in laughter.
It felt good to laugh. In the midst of everything happening in Minnesota with ICE, we need laughter. And we need individuals like Ibrahim, standing strong and helping build bridges across cultures.
© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
That sounds like a fantastic presentation! I wonder if Ibrahim Khalif would be willing to take his “Building Bridges Across Cultures” program around the state? I wonder if our local college would be able to fit him into their “Cultural Events” program? I hope he wasn’t here already and I missed him. I would love to hear him speak. Does he happen to have any of this information online?
Rose, I see contact info on the Faribault Youth Empowerment Center website so you could reach out that way. I’m thinking Ibrahim’s presentation has been only local, but don’t know for certain. There’s a lot of other info he covered, but for the sake of length, I needed to highlight and condense.
Oh, Audrey, I wish I could have been there but, again, my kids in White Bear Lake needed us to come get their dog, as they are heading to Milwaukee to visit friends. I had been planning on attending. My sister, Karen, went, though, and she took notes for me.
These are the things we must do to bridge the chasms between cultures and learn how to befriend one another despite our differences. I so want to understand and befriend everyone I interact with. If we cannot become friends when we so want to, how can we ever expect power-driven politicians to do so. As always, true change is up to the people.
Thanks for always tackling these intense topics. We all need to look at our world with realistic eyes and work toward the common good.
Sheri
Sheri, I always appreciate your thoughtful and compassionate comments. That reflects who you are. And, yes, true change right now seems to be up to the people. Perhaps I’ll see you tomorrow?
Yup, we will be there.
Sheri
Excellent!
it sounds like Ibrahim was the perfect person to give this talk. With his storytelling approach and sense of humor, it probably made him very easy for the audience to connect with him and not they had some things in common with him, not only differences.
such interesting backstories leading to how and why the Somali population is in your town, and his explanation of habits, such as why the men gather on the corners, serve to alleviate fears that people not used to that custom might have without know the reason behind it.
what a wonderful idea all around –
We all learned and benefitted from Ibrahim’s talk about Somali history and culture.
This sounds like it was a very informative event. It’s wonderful it was held in the library where anyone could attend. We all need to learn from each other. Hopefully there will be more events like this… Thanks for sharing the highlights.
I was so happy with the sizable turn-out. I wish everyone in this community could hear this young man speak.
Lovely post, Audrey. ❤
Thank you, Penny. 🙂
Enjoyed this post Audrey.
I grew up in a very liberal household, though our neighborhood was predominantly white. I can remember two black kids, brother and sister in high school, but our paths never crossed. As well, an Asian brother sister, again our paths never crossed. My parents, my brother, myself, though not my sister, Brooklyn born. My brother’s best friend in Brooklyn was a black kid down the street. I stay here in NYC for the tolerance and exposure to diversity. And the food! Yes, we sometimes have problems, but it is fairly uncommon unless it is somehow newsworthy.
How wonderful to live in a diverse and accepting city. Thank you for sharing your personal experiences, Keith.
I think I would have loved this event. I think we can all learn from each other no matter what our background. I grew up in predominately small towns which had little diversity but my parents made sure we had exposure to as much that was different than us as possible. My own children have definitely embraced this which makes me happy.
I’m glad you were exposed to diversity throughout your childhood. Kids don’t see color and differences. They just see other kids. We could learn a lot from children. I’m thankful my grandchildren are growing up in diverse neighborhoods and have friends from many cultural backgrounds.