KTTC News
By Matt Rineer
Sunday July 7, 2024
ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – Dozens gathered in SE Rochester to recognize and celebrate an important Independence Day.
July 1, 2024, marks 64 years since the nation of Somalia gained its independence, and on Saturday the Rochester Somali Community Center held a celebration to honor the holiday.
The celebration featured dance performances, music as well as a soccer tournament featuring eight teams from across southeast Minnesota.
The organization says the event is an opportunity to educate the youth on the importance of the holiday.
” So they can remember some of them, they born raised here they know nothing about Somalia,” Rochester Somali Community Center Executive Director Said Ali Hussain said. “First generation will come to the US. The second generation is going to be lost if we cannot give them, you know, pass them to the culture and heritage that we have in the back home. So basically, that’s another belief that they can call their home also here their country, they’re born and raised here in the U.S., they take advantage of everything that they have in the U.S. they take over responsibility to do the things in the U.S. and also, they will have something to bring it back to you know Somalia.”
Somalia officially gained independence on July 1, 1960.