Abdikareem Hurreh, left, hugged autism advocate Mahad Dahir on September 2, 2024, at the Maangaar Summit in Bloomington. Credit: Elza Goffaux via Sahan JournalMinnesota autism summit helps Somali parents find supportMahad Dahir couldn't speak a word until the age of four. Now, he's the student body president at Highline College in Washington state, a platform he uses to raise awareness of the stigma surrounding disabilities and mental illness, reports Sahan Journal. Autism spectrum disorder, a developmental disorder that affects 1 in 36 children, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, is marked by classic symptoms, including delayed or impaired language and motor skills, delayed movement skills and cognitive or learning skills, hyperactivity, impulsivity, inattentiveness, epilepsy or seizure disorders and unusual eating and sleeping habits, to name a few. These symptoms can vary widely and severely impact the livelihood of the individual with the diagnosis.

In Minnesota, where in 2020, 1 in 16 Somali preschool children received an autism diagnosis — twice the national average’s estimate — parents, professionals and service providers held the inaugural Maangaar Summit on Monday, making it one of the first autism awareness summits for the Somali community in Minnesota. (Maangaar is a relatively new term and framing used in discourse about autism in the Somali language. It translates to “unique mind.”) 

“To be empowered, we need to empower other parents,” said keynote speaker Hamza Mohamed, an “autism ambassador” from Seattle, speaking to both the cultural barriers that leave families with children who have autism feeling isolated.

Conference participants had a singular goal in mind: to address the challenges faced by families with autistic children within their community.

“We are doing the work that should be handled by the county, cities, and state,” said Anisa Hagi-Mohamed, one of the summit’s organizers and moderators, articulating a reality many Somali parents face.Read more here →Plus: ‘Slow-minded’ becomes ‘unique mind’: Minnesotan Somalis create new terms to define autism and build acceptance (Sahan Journal)

Credit: Luz Media

An eldest daughter's journey from people-pleasing to setting boundariesFor Luz Media, writer Natalia Saláis reflects on her journey as the eldest daughter in a Latina family and how deeply ingrained cultural expectations shaped her into a “chronic people-pleaser.” She shares how the pressure to always say “yes” and avoid conflict took a toll on her mental health. 

"People pleasing wasn’t just about being agreeable; it became a way of life," Saláis writes.As she sought validation and feared disappointing others, she began to feel emotionally drained, often second-guessing her choices and putting her own happiness aside. In her reflection, Saláis also explores the fine line between genuine familial love and emotional manipulation. She explains that in Latino culture, there is often an unspoken code binding families to a legacy of care, sacrifice and duty. While these expectations are rooted in love and tradition, they can sometimes be used as "emotional leverage." 

Saláis' path to healing wasn’t easy, but recognizing her people-pleasing tendencies was a first step. She recommends setting boundaries, seeking therapy and learning to prioritize self-care — without guilt. 

Read more here →

Credit: ShutterstockDoula birth and postpartum services for Black women in NYCIf you're a Black expectant mother in the U.S., you're three times more likely to die during childbirth than your white counterparts. In New York City, the disparity is even more alarming, with Black expectant parents being nine times more likely to die from pregnancy or childbirth complications. Both quantitative and qualitative data point to systemic racism and implicit biases in healthcare as major factors driving the nation’s maternal mortality crisis, highlighting stark contrasts in how Black, immigrant and other women of color are treated during childbirth. Many report feeling unheard by their doctors and uncared for during their hospital stays. 

However, with the support of a doula — a non-medical professional who provides physical care, emotional support and informational services before, during and after pregnancy — these women can experience improved health outcomes and culturally appropriate care. 

“We know doulas and midwives are literally saving lives within our broken system,” Jennie Joseph, a British-trained midwife and founder of Commonsense Childbirth Inc, told Capital B about medical racism’s role in maternal mortality rates.  

Learn more about local and national doula service organizations working to reduce maternal and infant mortality and morbidity in Black and Latinx communities in this resource published by Documented → 

More: Caribbean doulas empower Black women and their maternal health journeys (Documented)

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Anisa Hagi-Mohamed, a Somali mother of three, faces the challenge of navigating autism within her community. With two of her children on the spectrum, Hagi-Mohamed regularly confronts the stigma surrounding autism. She’s part of an advocacy group of parents who are actively involved in creating positive terminology for autism in the Somali language → 

Credit: Elza Goffaux for Sahan Journal