Educational Challenges Facing Somali Youth

I have always wondered how the second generation of the Somali community would fair in their new home here in America. As an educator that deals with Middle School and High School students on a daily basis, I have seen many challenges that is severely hindering students to reach their potential. Those challenges include language barriers, lack of parental support, and peer pressure which may not be unique to them, but its effect is far reaching than their peers. The number of students that graduate from High School on time is getting smaller every year as the new generation of Somali youngsters replaces the older and more hard working generation. This effect is gender selective and prevalent in boys more than girls, as they outperform boys in most cases. I have observed families that have both boys and girls in the school supporting them equally, but girls make into the honor roll where the boys ended up dropping out the school altogether. This issue deserves attention and further research to better meet their needs.