How would you cope with the wave of anti‑Somali hate being spread right now, especially as a somali who already struggles with depression and body dysmorphia? How do you keep that negativity from feeding into your own self‑image

I’ve struggled with my self‑worth for a long time because of the trauma I’ve experienced, and it’s left me with a distorted, deeply negative view of myself. The rise in Somali hate across America has only made that worse. Everywhere I look, I see people describing us as ‘inbred savages’ or ‘alien-looking,’ and hearing that when I’m already fighting my own self-image feels like pouring gasoline on a fire.

It shows up on every platform I visit, whether it’s left‑leaning spaces or places full of actual extremists. I’ve even encountered it at work. I’m at a Fortune 500 company, and a coworker casually made a comment about ‘Somali criminals.’ I’m the only Somali in my entire sector, and living in Minnesota, where so much of this tension is happening, makes all of it feel even heavier.