Protests reveal generational divide in immigrant communities

By STEPHEN GROVES and MOHAMED IBRAHIM Associated Press
BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. (AP) — The racial injustice protests in Minneapolis have revealed a generational divide in the city’s burgeoning Black immigrant communities. Young people from Somali, Ethiopian and Liberian families have thrust themselves into the demonstrations, but older generations are more likely to stay focused on their livelihoods instead of speaking out. Jaylani Hussein is director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. He says many older immigrants grew up in countries that prohibited speaking out against the government. Younger Black immigrants who were born in America or came at a young age often know firsthand both their parents’ struggles and the nation’s history of racial injustice.