Turks, Indians, Pakistanis, and various Arab communities have been living in the West for over half a century, yet I don’t observe the same kind of overfamiliarity directed at them that I often notice with Somalis, who’ve only been in the West for about 30 years.
On social media, you will see non-Somalis casually using Somali words, sometimes even forming full sentences, under content specifically geared toward Somalis.
In real life, some feel comfortable shouting things like “warya,” “naya,” or “Abdi” at Somalis they’ve never met. That kind of unsolicited familiarity doesn’t seem to be directed at the other groups mentioned, despite their longer and more established presence. What explains this disproportionate overfamiliarity with Somalis in particular?
Thoughts?
On social media, you will see non-Somalis casually using Somali words, sometimes even forming full sentences, under content specifically geared toward Somalis.
In real life, some feel comfortable shouting things like “warya,” “naya,” or “Abdi” at Somalis they’ve never met. That kind of unsolicited familiarity doesn’t seem to be directed at the other groups mentioned, despite their longer and more established presence. What explains this disproportionate overfamiliarity with Somalis in particular?
Thoughts?