Somalis in Minnesota Oral History Project: Interview with Osman Ahmed.

Titles: Somalis in Minnesota Oral History Project: Interview with Osman Ahmed. (Supplied title)

Description: BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Osman Ahmed was born in Somalia in the 1980s. He left Somalia as a child following the Somali civil war and lived in Nairobi, Kenya for several years. In 2004, he immigrated to the United States at the age of seventeen. After graduating from Eden Prairie High School, Osman earned his bachelor’s degree in political science and international studies at the University of Minnesota. Osman was active in Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party politics. He worked as a political organizer for United States Congressman Keith Ellison during his 2012 campaign and as a regional field director for Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges during her 2013-2014 campaign. At the time of the interview, Osman was a field representative for United States Senator Al Franken. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: family background; childhood in Somalia; impact of the civil war; refugee life in Kenya; police harassment in Kenya; immigration to the United States; initial experiences in the United States; challenges and success in high school; programs for first-generation college students; postsecondary education in Minnesota; origins of his interest in politics; involvement in national and local elections; study abroad in Oman; working for the political campaigns of Keith Ellison, Betsy Hodges, and Al Franken; advising politicians on the Somali community; reflections on his political work; and Somali political engagement in Minnesota.

Dates

• 06/18/2016 (Creation)

Creation

• interviewer: Hirsi, Ibrahim Dahir
• interviewee: Ahmed, O. (Osman)

Identifiers

• Library Call Number: OH 176.9
• Accession Number: AV2017.159.9
• Link to Finding Aid

Notes

• The transcript has been reviewed and edited by the interviewee.

Holding Type: Oral History - Interview

Project

• Oral History - Project, MHS Collection, project: 'Somalis in Minnesota Oral History Project' <OH 176>

Quantity: 1 audio file 23 pages transcript

Format

• Content Category: sound recordings
• Content Category: text

Measurements

• 1:20:14 running time

Subjects