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"Call Me American" tells the story of a Somali boy, son of nomadic pastoralists, who wanted to become American. Except for his love of American movies and pop music, it was far more likely that he would end up in an anonymous grave in his war-torn country. Also, for his uncompromising will and perseverance in pursuing his dream against extraordinary odds.
The arc of a great story does not get much steeper than that of Abdi Nor Iftin. And Iftin's memoirs are at every turn a beautiful story. It is an inspiring and timely reminder of the power of the American dream for millions of people around the world, especially those who are victims of religious, political and tribal terror and destruction.
Iftin is known as American Abdi for many in Mogadishu because he could dance and sing and walk like Michael Jackson at parties and weddings – where food was always plentiful for him and his friends, with a supplement to bring home for his mother and siblings. American films and music also taught him to speak English – which ultimately provided a means of survival in a world that was collapsing around him.
But life had not always been like that. early marriage walking through the bush with their flocks, remembering places near the trees. They walked miles every day in no-man territory. Nobody stopped them or asked who they were, "he wrote. "… in a way, the nomadic life is more like life in America than the way Somalis live in cities." In the bush, Somali men and women work together, speak freely with each other and even play together. "
But the drought came, drying up the land and killing the nomadic herds Rahanweyn and others. Iftin 's parents were forced to east to seek relief in Mogadishu, along with thousands of other environmental refugees. They arrived in Mogadishu as a result of their country's war against Ethiopia, complicated by global interference and significantly worsening the country's problems. Iftin, his older brother Hbadan, and his younger sister Nima were born in the city.
But as terrible as life was in Mogadishu, things always went at worst. A bloody Somali civil war broke out. When the fighting reached the city, the Iftin family fled into the desert. It was a painful trip.
"What the nomads do, is walking," writes Iftin … "And we are starting a march that I will never forget. For years, we called it the death march. "
Abdi Nor Iftin Photo by Michael Lionstar
Encounters with the rebels intensified, with random killings – mostly of men – taken on the road. Iftin kissed his family, telling them that they would be safer without him and that they would disappear in the bush.Although they would still meet over the years, this separation has forever changed the family bond. "I am six years old and I learn that nowhere in the world is safe."
A few days later, his pregnant mother brings the family back to Mogadishu. "With our courageous mother by our side, we will live or die in Mogadishu." When they returned, Iftin's mother gave birth to a baby girl, who quickly died from malnutrition. little brothers dug a grave to bury it, their shovel hit the foot of the body that had it was previously buried there.
Hbadan and Iftin began to attend the madrbada (Muslim school). They were beaten daily by the clerk for all real or imaginary offenses. When they did not attend clbades, the two brothers roamed the streets in search of food and eventually discovered a small makeshift theater that featured American blockbusters. The first film that the brothers saw was "Commando," starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. This and other American films have taken a dream to Iftin for a day to go to America. Arnold Schwarzenegger became his idol, because Schwarzenegger, too, dreamed one day to go to America.
Again, things got worse, even if it did not seem possible. But a chance meeting with American journalist Paul Salopek changed the trajectory of Iftin's life.
Salopek, impressed by Iftin's mastery of English, asked him to provide information on life in the war-torn city. The journalist used Iftin's stories in an article he wrote for Atlantic, which eventually led to the broadcast of Iftin's reports in a public radio show, which, in turn, has attracted the support of American auditors. These American friends have joined forces to try to help him leave Somalia. Iftin came to designate them as "Team Iftin."
Against all odds, Iftin finally made his way to Kenya, where, against even longer odds, he was randomly selected for a green card. Finally, he flew to Boston, where he was greeted by a radio listener and supporter, Sharon McDonnell and his daughter, Natalya, who took him home to Yarmouth
The Story of Iftin reads like a novel. The writing – the memoir was written in conjunction with Max Alexander – is strong. The story has great suspense, strong characterizations, especially of his mother and brother, and skillfully reveals the strong attachment to the family played against his constant desire to seek a better life in America. The book is deeply profound and moving.
Early in Maine, Iftin struggled to find work and a place for himself. For a time, he worked as a construction worker on a roofing team. But he came to understand that his language skills could once again be a powerful badet in his survival. Today, Iftin lives in the Portland area and works as an interpreter for refugees and asylum seekers, providing services at the Maine Medical Center and in the courts.
The full story of his account, "Call Me American," was picked up and published by Alfred A. Knopf. At a Portland book launch at Print: a bookstore in June, Iftin recounted the ups and downs of his journey and his ongoing commitment to his family, who remains in Africa. Towards the end of his conversation with a standing crowd, he noticed that for the people of Somalia, now a failed state, "everything has been destroyed. All we have left are our stories. "
Frank O Smith is a Maine writer whose novel" Dream Singer "was named Best Book of the Year in Literary Literature in 2014 by Shelf Unbound magazine.His novel was also a finalist for the Bellwether Award, created by novelist Barbara Kingsolver "to support a literature on social change." Smith can be contacted through his website:
frankosmithstories. com
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