Amongst those already living in Barron came their new neighbors, the Somalis. In the early 1990’s, Barron become the new relocation for the refugee. It’s a small and safe community with great resources and job availability. “There are a lot of Somali families here from Minneapolis,” said Marsha Iverson-Smith, WITC Adult Education Instructor for English-Language learners. A big open-spaced room in the library was filled with Somali people and sitting between them was their instructor Smith.
She moved to Barron in the 2000s and now helps Somalis with literacy in college called adult basic education. In the classrooms are tons of books and computers that the Somalis can take use of: English-Somali dictionaries, picture dictionaries, books about health and what to do when your child gets sick and learning about day-to-day activities. Smith also helps Somalis obtain driver licenses and GEDs for themselves. She also is posting new job opportunities for them as well and not just in Barron, Wisconsin but nearby towns such as Turtle Lake. “Turtle Lake is always hiring as well versus the turkey Jennie-O factory,” said Smith.
A former student of Smith’s, Farhiya, informed the instructor that she had passed her citizenship test thanks to her help. Smith responded to Farhiya with great joy, saying, “You are dedicated, and a hard-worker and I am so proud that you passed.” Since the Somalis’ arrival, she simply loves helping them out. “They are smart, hard-working people who care about their families. I love working with them,” said Smith.
Smith works hand-and-hand with the refugee coordinator Nasra (she asked that her last name not be printed), whose office is located right next to Smith’s. As a refugee herself, she came to the United States in the year 1993 through the International Organization Migration program. Her brother was able to help her come from Somalia and she stayed in a few states until she settled in Barron in early 1997. She had a friend here that insisted she come for a great job opportunity.
“As Somalis we help one another, and I was looking for a job and I came for the job and I wasn’t thinking I was going to stay that long. Just to buy a car and stay a couple of years and then move back to Minneapolis,” said Nasra. Getting paid great hourly pay with overtime is exactly what Nasra needed.
She began working at the Barron factory, now called the Jennie-O Turkey Factory, and shortly after was promoted. Once word of mouth got out about the job availability in Barron, many Somali families began to migrate there, creating a language barrier for employees and management. With Nasra being among the first few Somali refugees to arrive to Barron, she became the factory translator for the next five years. She helped Somalis with filing out their employment paperwork, their W2s, and orientation.
The workforce resource center was very impressed with her work at the Jennie-O Turkey factory and decided that they wanted Nasra on their team. She was promoted to working for them and till this day currently works there.
“I help refugees in the community obtain employment and to become self-sufficient,” said Nasra. She helps incoming refugees with registration of classes with Marsha Iverson-Smith, finding employment, housing and those with disability find benefits. They have two programs, the refugee programs and the w2s program. After people reside in Barron for at a least one year, she helps them apply for permanent residence or a green card. For those who have resided for at least five years, she helps them apply for citizenship and pass the American History 100 question test, just like Farhiya did.
It has been more than 20 years that Nasra has been living in Barron and she states that “Barron is my second home, I love it, community is small, a lot of friends in the community and I love my job and my beautiful kids.”
Nasra loves Barron and is glad she made the decision to settle here. Even though Somalia is going through government chaos, civil war and limited resources for their people, she hopes that the government continues to clean the bad people out and becomes the way it used to be.
“We are not a poor country, we have two rivers, many animals, and our government is trying to recover and put the money back into the education system.” She reminds the student journalist that Somalia will always be her first home.