People in our communities do not understand why the Somalis came here. They are here for safety, and some are getting it.

Moving to Lewiston must have been hard for them because nearly all of Lewiston’s longtime residents are white and of different religions.

Some people do not want different races in their community.

In February 2001, some Somali immigrants from within the United States moved to Lewiston from other parts of the country. They moved to Lewiston because of its low-cost housing. In 18 months, 1,000 Somalis had arrived. Mayor Larry Raymond asked the Somalis not to encourage friends and families to move here because it was going to cost Lewiston a lot of money for tutors to teach English as a Second Language. Some people encouraged the change and liked the idea of a growing community.

We can learn so much from the Somalis about their culture and country. The Somalis moved away from their country for safety, which some people are supporting because they want them to stay here.

Even though it is costing schools a lot of money to help these students get settled, we benefit from them being here. We should work to welcome them and understand that they want safety. We should also work toward eliminating racism in our community.

Amanda Bissonette, Auburn