From “Average” to the “Biggest Greatest Thing That Ever Happened”

Minnesota Track - Photo Credit

Name: Hassan Mead
Age: 24
Occupation: Professional Runner for Nike
Home: Somalia - Oregon

The desire for a better life is one of many immigrants’ dream. Hassan Mead, in 1999, this opportunity was given to him and his family to leave their native land of Somalia to come to America in search of this dream. He was only 6 years of age when he first set foot on American soil. Not knowing what this move meant, Hassan faced many problems, one being most important was the language barriers. However, he never gave up hope and strived his best. Back in high school, he developed a passion for running. Change was in store for him, even before he knew it. He continued his running career at the University of Minnesota where he became the most renowned distance runner in the program's history. Best of all, he is now sponsored by Nike to do what he loves most and that is to run. Hassan Mead, once an immigrant and now, he’s living the American Dream.

American Dream - Fairy tale Stories

First day in America, three days, I remember flying in Atlanta Georgia. We were going from one plane to the next one and I was coming from where it was really warm.We had like little button up t-shirts, shirtsleeve then we getting off this plane, and I'm pretty sure there was this snow storm happening you know? I was maybe 60 pounds getting tossed around going from one plane to the next one. I mean overall it’s kind of like the American dream. The whole idea was to pursue the American dream. I guess higher education, better life, and you know, do something with ourselves. I just remember as a kid you only hear like fairytale stories. My family from a farmers background growing up as a kid so it was different. 
 It sounds kind of funny but the amount of food that was available would've been the biggest shock definitely. It could be like anytime of day, and you can almost eat as many meals as you wanted cause its like unlimited.Where we come from was a place that was limited sources of food. You ate at 10 am and you ate at like 6 pm, like your body got used to this two meal a day. You’re lucky if you get the in between snacks. But here, food was endless. (Back in Somalia) I had always imagine like just going to like the nicest neighborhood, and you know the richest areas just nothing but the grass kept perfect, cars just lined up. That American lifestyle that I was kinda assuming, or kind what I had in my head. But ahh when I came here and I saw like there was more than just the Caucasians that live in America, it was like more multiracial in terms of culture wise. It was a culture change.

Have a Better Life - Wasn't Guaranteed

I didn’t have any threat to my life so like I didn’t ran or like that. I would say my journey to America was “average!” Not a fancy word but it was just average that took time. Somali is not the most stable government, at least in the last 20 some years. That kind of caused quite a bit of corruption, whether it was education and all that so my dad having that background being a teacher, he figured the US would be a better place for us to go and get a higher degree, have a better lifestyle. We were fortunate enough because my dad came here before us. I immigrated 99, December 99 and my dad came in 96, through a refugee camp out of Kenya. I still remember the whole process for a whole year that’s to get the paperwork done my dad sent us a visa saying apply.
(He told me) I can’t let our family get left behind so we tried for a visa at the American embassy. I'm from Somalia and its southeast like Ethiopia right around the borderline. We ended up having to go from there, (Somalia) to Djibouti to get the whole paperwork done. If there were just some flaw that they came up with or found, then that’s that and they say we can't go. Like I remember them telling my mom your brother doesn't look like you, we need to do blood tests and well we don’t have money, but if you pay for it I’ll go a hospital and get the blood test done you know? Just the stuff could easily delay us. Everyday we basically have an appointment with people that might or might not show up, so you kind of came and went by, so even though we were on a visa, it wasn’t guaranteed.

Map of Dibouti & Somalia - Photo Credit

Hey Finish Your Sentence - What Are You Talking Bout?

Being a young child coming from a different country, which at that point was like a whole different world almost. I remember, in California the whole thing about going to school is if English is your secondary language. There’s a big Hispanic population so they have esl class. Esl class is you know they take the kids that English is not their primary language, and instead of going to your English class period you go to this other class. On my first class I remember looking at my schedule and I end up getting switched into that other class, and this class had 7, 8 Hispanic kids. 

They were just speaking Spanish and I'm like huh you know you coulda just let me stay in English class I woulda picked up a work or two there, but I just sat there like “man really! What am I doing here? Really?” I’ll never forget that though it is hilarious looking back now. I didn’t learn English, I didn’t go to school as a young kid. I just kind of sat in class and watched just everybody else interact, and I could see their lips moving and hear the noise but I had no idea what there were saying you know? But before where I spoke fluently, of course I’m still learning but, I would always kind of take a time and construct the sentence in my head before I said it. My teammates would always be like “ Aye man finish the sentence.” They would always be like so “finish the sentence” and I would be like “what are you talking bout?”  It was really funny!

Whao! - What Are You Doing?

[I’m] Somali fluently with my folks so languages kinda crashed. In Somalia, where I can speak Somali everywhere I want. So the absence of Somali community definitely kinda like allowed me to pick up English way better, but at the same time, kinda forced me to like adapt, (and) learn English quicker.  I moved to California with my uncle. My family stayed in Minnesota. I couldn't handle the winters in Minnesota you know? I was thrown into a environment where the only time I can speak Somali is when my uncle and his wife are at home yeah. That was about five, six o’clock at night, and being with the kids that spoke only English. Twelve plus hours a day and all we did was either watch cartoons, and I watched them. I for sure wasn’t being exposed (to the somali language) as much as I wanted to be cause I was always at those areas. We grew up in a house where speaking English was 99 percent of the time.
My family is very traditional. Being Muslim we celebrate Ramadan that’s a different lifestyle you couldn't change (1). My family is very culture rich when it come to being traditional, so they definitely stick it to you, to know their cultural, even though my dads been here merely 20 years, you wouldn’t think so, he’s very old school in terms of culture.This I mean I have a sister, who definitely had a different transition to the American culture, and not being exposed to what our culture believes in like I did. Like the wardrobe people wore in public was kinda a culture shock. I mean summer comes and the clothes become smaller and shorter. Even if you go to like I don’t know a park, there’s people like tanning or laying around. Our family at first were like “that persons almost naked!” My parents would think like “what are you doing?” As a child I was kinda like Whoa! It was probably for me the most wow moment and probably my parents. Everyday I was just so use to seeing my mom and sister wearing a hijab, it was such a change here in America (2).

Runner's World - Photo Credit

Biggest Greatest Thing - Running

In middle school the first thing I wanted to do was play flag football. But my uncle would tell me I couldn't play because you had to have a C point average. You know you have to have all C’s in class and in 6th grade I'm very out. He say “ you can’t play because you don’t meet the requirement.” It was hard because I barely spoke English and the only class I was good was math. Time went on. Minnesota 8 years ago is where I finished my last year and a half of high school. Then go to college, the University of Minnesota. Running, absolutely got me to where I am. I didn’t run until high school and from then I never stopped.
Whens athletics opens a door that you couldn't, you know. They give you opportunities that you wouldn't have before. I wouldn't be able to go to University of Minnesota, not because I wasn't smart enough, just because I probably would not afford it. I mean its like there, there was just too many obstacles in the way, that would of have to change the routes to get around to get to the University Minnesota. So running, man running come to you, and with running opportunities came to me, I ran. Minnesota came knocking on the door, and the other ones. It was like “hey I have options.” I get to chose where I want to go. I could choose whichever university no matter which it was.
Athletics was probably the biggest greatest thing that ever happened to me in terms of adapting to the lifestyle moving here, and making friendship and all that. Now it seems all worth it because the contract with Nike. I mean I felt everything that happened, happened for a reason. I didn’t come here to pursuit sports, but it kinda lead to something. I wouldn’t change it a bit.

Oregon Track Club - Photo Credit

Footnotes:

(1). Ramadan: A Muslim holiday that is celebrated at a different each year and for one month (30-32 days), all depending on the position of the moon. During this month, they "fast" (do not eat) from sunrise to sunset, in belief that this will teach them from being greedy, obedient and clear their sins.
(2). Hijab: Means "to cover" in Arabic. Women and girls wear it on their head because of Religious act, one being Muslim. A hijab is wore to convey a girls purity.   

STORY FACILITATORS:

Sabrina Nguyen, Charlie Lawrence, Daquein McNeil