The Somali community in Columbus, Ohio is torn between two worlds: the one it's building in the still-foreign American landscape and the world of its traditional, tribal culture. The Somali community publishes a monthly newspaper with a circulation of 5,000, produces television programming and broadcasts five days a week on its own low power FM station. But, ancient clan loyalties play out in struggles for leadership within the community. Elections to fill the nearly two dozen seats on the Somali Community Association often present the first opportunity for new immigrants to vote. But Somali "allegiance to lineage" plays a significant role in that group as it distributes local funds to meet the needs of a growing population. Tom Borgerding from WOSU reports on how the Somali community is balancing its old world traditions with the demands of local democratic institutions.

Public Radio Collaboration 2003 Features - New and Young Americans

The Somali community in Columbus, Ohio is torn between two worlds: the one it's building in the still-foreign American landscape and the world of its traditional, tribal culture. The Somali community publishes a monthly newspaper with a circulation of 5,000, produces television programming and broadcasts five days a week on its own low power FM station. But, ancient clan loyalties play out in struggles for leadership within the community. Elections to fill the nearly two dozen seats on the Somali Community Association often present the first opportunity for new immigrants to vote. But Somali "allegiance to lineage" plays a significant role in that group as it distributes local funds to meet the needs of a growing population. Tom Borgerding from WOSU reports on how the Somali community is balancing its old world traditions with the demands of local democratic institutions.

Public Radio Collaboration 2003 Features - New and Young Americans