Call Me American

Abdi Nor Iftin is born in Somalia “probably in 1985” (7). His culture does not celebrate birthdays, which will be a problem for him in later life. Unlike many people, Abdi will be allowed to choose his date of birth when filling out American paperwork. Based on his mother’s memories of his birth, he will pick a date in June. Abdi’s birth attracts attention from the whole neighborhood and his father celebrates the birth of his second son. Local sheikhs come to bless the baby. Abdi’s mother recovers quickly and returns to the housework with the baby strapped to her back. His father, as is normal in Somalia, is not as involved in raising the children, though he does, perform the circumcisions of Abdi and his brother Hassan. Abdi cries—Hassan did not. Abdi believes that Hassan was always the braver of the two. 

Abdi’s mother Madinah was born to nomadic farmers in the years before Somalia gained its independence from Italy in 1960. Abdi’s grandparents were all nomadic farmers and none of them had even heard of Mogadishu or Somalia. They did not care about borders or nations, only about the rains, their herds, and their families. Madinah met Abdi’s father,