Bounded Choices: Somali Women Constructing Difference in Minnesota Housing

Abstract

Coming to Minnesota to escape a devastating war, Somali refugees found themselves living in rental units that had little resemblance to the dwellings they left behind. Interviews with eight Somali women in their Minnesota homes reveal the difficult choices they had to make in order to preserve Somali cultural traditions and practices amidst strong American influences. As a way to construct the Somali sense of difference, women appropriated their living environments by relying on all five senses and various forms of cultural expressions that range from burning unsi to adorning the walls with Somali handicrafts. Unwilling to let go of valued Somali institutions, many had to make bounded choices like cooking while veiled in open kitchens, limiting children's play to accommodate formal impromptu visits, and restraining their social gatherings to the bedrooms to continue the tradition of gender separation. By proposing design solutions to the housing problems revealed through the study, this paper hopes to alert those who work with refugees and other immigrant groups that, with a little extra care, a house can be transformed into a home that fosters a sense of belonging and eases the stresses of adjusting to new life circumstances.