Abby Mulcahey 0:01
Um, so what is your name?
Muna Galbayte 0:19
My name is Muna Galbayte.
Abby Mulcahey 0:38
Okay, um, tell me a little bit about where you grew up.
Muna Galbayte 0:45
I grew up in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. It's about half an hour away from Minneapolis. It's
... Show more
Abby Mulcahey 0:01
Um, so what is your name?
Muna Galbayte 0:19
My name is Muna Galbayte.
Abby Mulcahey 0:38
Okay, um, tell me a little bit about where you grew up.
Muna Galbayte 0:45
I grew up in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. It's about half an hour away from Minneapolis. It's
a pretty big suburb. It's a white majority suburb. It was a pretty nice place to grow up if
you're not Somali, but I am. So, it was... there were a lot of stereotypes that people have
about Somali people. And like growing up in a space where we weren't the majority, it
was kind of rough, but I guess I got through it by kind of just assimilating to the max.
And that was essentially my entire time there. Other than, like, the problematic bits, it's a
really nice place to grow up. Once you get to know the people and once you feel like
you're part of the community, and that's eventually when I got to when I got into high
school.
I felt a lot more accepted. And people were a lot cooler about, you know, like, "people
have a different race," you know?
Abby Mulcahey 1:09
What were some of the challenges of growing up there?
Muna Galbayte 1:12
Um, not being white was a big one and also being Muslim. And also having immigrant
parents. You know, it was
interesting that it would be a struggle growing up anywhere. So I'm not sure to call Eden
Prairie out and say it was like a bad place to live. Like, no matter where I would have
lived, I would have faced the same things because no matter how progressive you think
America is, if you fall into those categories, there's going to be a lot more scrutiny. And
there was, I felt like the entire time I was representing the entire country of Somalia, like
every... like I had to be the spokesman for an entire nation for entire like ethnic group
and that really takes a toll on your mental health... feeling like you always have to be
perfect
Or else you're the reason someone's going to be racist. You know? It's just never really a
good feeling. But yeah, being a black Muslim woman whose a daughter of immigrants is
going to be hard anywhere. I know it's hard in Eden Prairie.
Abby Mulcahey 2:18
So tell me a little bit about growing up and just your life.
Muna Galbayte 2:23
Prior to Augsburg?
Abby Mulcahey 2:25
Yeah. Or even in Augsburg. Just your life.
Muna Galbayte 2:31
Okay. Um, well, I grew up in the city of Eden Prairie, as I said before. I grew up with my
parents. I have six siblings, three older half siblings and three younger whole siblings, or
whatever, but we don't really make a difference in culture and you know a sibling's a
sibling. And so I'm the middle child, which is always a fun thing.
Um, yeah, so we grew up... lived
in the same house my entire life, or at least the entire life that I've known. I knew we
lived in Minneapolis for around two years of my life... the first two years of my life? And
then we moved to Eden Prairie.
I went to all of the Eden Prairie schools, and um growing up, it was always a struggle
between like my American identity and my Somali identity. And one of the biggest ways
that I like, saw that I guess, was in my fluency in Somali, like when I was younger, I had
freakin great Somali, you know, like, I would talk to my parents, blah blah blah. Like
they really did push English, obviously, because you know, we're in America, everyone
speaks English. I was born in America. So like, that was kind of my first language but
Somali, like... I just grew up speaking it and around third grade um
teachers just did
not like that. They did not... the school I went to, *can't make out audio*, was notorius
for
just like the way they treated students of color. We actually had this whole thing we had
to segregate... our school was very segregated. So a lot of Somali kids ended up there and
they had to change the district lines in order to fix that, and it was this huge thing and
the superintendent got let go. It was it was crazy. But yeah, there's a very anti
anything non American sentiment there. So um
I didn't end up speaking Somalia as much and we spoke English at home. So I just kind
of slowly lost it. And um
that's, that's what I see. That's like the pinnacle, kind of of my struggle between like, the
two sides of my identity, I guess. Because I'm not just American. I'm Somali American.
Whether I make that distinction, other people will so I just do it myself.
Yeah,
So that's why I'm kind of like my formative years where it was a lot of
shoving kind of like apple pie down my throat like forcing me to assimilate. And I found
that it was easier to do that. So that's kind of what I went with. And, you know, like,
when I talk about things that my family does, like the people like are just like, wow, this
is like, like, I guess we're kind of like the ideal like, it immigrant family or whatever.
Because like, you know, like, for every fourth of July weekend, we'll go camping. And we
would go to like, *can't make out audio* things and just like, like, we have gotten really
good at assimilating, just because that makes life easier. And that's what we're all about
here. I'm just trying not to make waves and it's fun, but it also... um
it's a struggle at times because... because I wanted to assimilate, I didn't really have much,
many interactions with a lot of other Somali youth which
I really regret especially during my high school years, I had almost all like all of my
friends were white, or
like, just people of color who weren't Somali, because at my high school especially it was
it was really disgusting the way that people would like, treat people who were be like...
who were me. I don't I don't know how to say it another way. Like, I have this really
clear memory of ninth grade. It was during lunch. I was sitting with this girl named
Allison Harris, and Mike something or whatever. And I just remember Allison Harris
because she was a fucking bitch, right? And so we were sitting and this group of Somalia
girls walked in and they're just like talking or whatever. And like, She's like, well, Somali
trolley or something like that. And I was like, I'm Somali, Allison. And she's like, no, like,
you're different. That was like something that I really
Like that was the big thing. But like, I'm like, other Somali people suck, but you know,
like, you're different. Like you're feeling like you're just not like those people. And it's
such an infuriating thing to hear. So we weren't friends after that. Oh, yeah. It was just I
didn't want to be friends with someone who subsequently didn't respect me or respect my
culture.
But the thing is, when I was younger, I kind of leaned into it because it just made life
easier. I was just like, okay, and I'm different or whatever. But what I've come to realize
that but I'm glad that I realized this. I'm not I'm, I'm 100%. Somali. And I'm really proud
to say that and it just, it really breaks my heart knowing, like, how many... how different
my friend who could have been how different my experience could have been, and I'm
really glad that
it's different in college. I've made a lot more Somali friends I feel like a lot. It's just it's
such a nice feeling being connected to your culture, and like
especially living in Cedar-Riverside. You know, it's like, like, I'll go down the street.
There's an African grocery mart. And like, there's so many just like, Somali restaurants
that I can eat. Yeah, I know, some of the restaurants around here are freaking amazing.
And it's just it's so nice to be surrounded by a culture that I had previously felt like that I
wasn't accepted, but it was because I wasn't allowing myself to be accepted into it. But
I've stopped caring really about what the majority of like white Americans think about
me or think about people like me, and that's really helped me out.
You know, like, I don't need to generalize, but the average Minnesotan does not have
very good feelings towards my community. And
that's just how it is, you know, it's, it's sad, but it's also something that I can't fix so I'm
not gonna go out my... like Im' not gonna keep trying
To change people who don't want to be changed, you know, like, there's no point in
trying to make, like, I like, I feel like, for so long, I was like, Okay, I have to be the
perfect person. Just so everyone knows, that there's good Somali people but like, I'm
allowed to be human, I'm allowed to do dumb things. And that isn't a reflection of my
entire community. And that's what I've come to learn. And that's just what I'm waiting
for the rest of the country to learn. There are bad people, every creed, every race every
like, everything. And it's it really sucks because the second like people like, like in high
school, like I guess, like the big thing was like, you know, like, Somali people are so
loud, Somali people are so loud, and it's like the only reason people see those differences
is because of like the really big difference in skin color. The really big difference and like,
the way we talk, like, we're just normal people, we're, you know, we're like everyone
else, but we look different. And that's the biggest that's what I've learned is that I'm not
going to keep trying to like, make up for something that I shouldn't have to feel bad
about.
You know, so yeah, that's like, that was a lot of my high school experience. It was just a
lot of us try to assimilate and then
you know,
not feeling the best after. Because, yeah, like, America's apple pie but look at look at
what cost, you know, like, my Somali is really shitty like I find it really hard still like
now to go up to Somali people and have a big conversation, you know talk to them and
it's it's something that I've been working on for a while now and I'm really glad that I
have the opportunity to be surrounded by my culture. It's it's not something I got when I
was growing up.
Abby Mulcahey 10:47
How has it been, like growing up with
Somali parents that are like immigrants like because I know like, you know yeah
Muna Galbayte 11:01
My parents immigrated here about
25 years ago. Right? And I like they had lived in Texas before and California, and then
they moved to Minnesota because, you know, I forget if it's the number one or number
two, but Minnesota has like the highest concentration of Somali people outside of
Somalia, right? And that's why they came here because they wanted to be surrounded by
that. And my parents have taught like a really good job of assimilating to American
culture, as I said before,
but it's, it's like, I noticed it in the little things. Like, for the life of the American pop
culture, I just don't get most of the references. And all of my friends will be like, oh, have
you seen this? Or like, a lot of like, the classic Disney movies like I haven't seen them just
because that wasn't like, , like, Why would my immigrant
Somali parents be like, why would that be something that we watch? Like, we're gonna
listen to some Arab music real quick, you know, everybody gets that. You know, like,
that's like, that's what we did. So like, it's like, it's stuff like that or like, I didn't know for
the longest time that most like, a lot of Americans didn't take their shoes off when they
went into their houses. So like when I'd go over to my friend's house, I'd be like, start
with tying my shoes and they'd be like what are you doing? I'm like bro I'm not gonna
track mud into your house and they're like oh that's fine. You know? Like, it's like, it's
stuff like that. It's
just like cultural differences that just show up. And
I don't know, it's, I don't really see them until I see them I guess. And then I'm like, Oh,
that's because like my parents immigrated here like they it's it's just a it's just a different
way of growing up. And it was really nice growing up. Yeah.
Abby Mulcahey 12:55
I'm curious um, what the most like racist account "thingy boppy" you've had?
Muna Galbayte 13:03
Well, yeah, well like
the first time I really had anything like say anything super racist, they yelled the N word,
hard-r at me. And I was in eighth grade and my little sister was in seventh grade. And
we were getting off the bus, right. And we were walking up to our front porch because
we were going to go inside our house. And someone who was driving past just yelled it
at us, like, absolute, like, it was the crate. And I was like, I looked at my look older
brother because he had open the door and I was like, like, did you did you just hear
that? And he was like, looking around, like, trying to like find out who said it, but they
were in their car. So like, that was the first time anyone had ever like,
been so blatantly racist that I like recognized. Oh, that's, that's pure racism. And it was...
there was no reason behind it. And the second time it was
pretty recently, actually, it was after the Trump rally here in Minnesota.
And I had gone to the protest right?
After things were like getting crazier than ever and I was walking down the street and
there was this woman in her full MAGA attire and I was feeling like an asshole. So I said
very loudly to my friend, "imagine being such a piece of shit that you wear your MAGA
attire around like it's nothing." and the woman looked at me and she called me the N
word hard-r. And then she... um, we got into like a verbal altercation. I was calling her,
like, a piece of shit.
Like, I was being really and I understand that I was like, being rude like a like I but I
didn't care because I didn't... She had no regard for literally anyone else. Like, that's like,
I don't care if you're Republican. I understand that. I'll always have like different
viewpoints with people who are more conservative, but I have absolutely no patience for
Trump supporters. Yeah, I think they're vile human beings and I will be disrespectful to
them any way I can. I'm going to be honest. I'm not somebody who gets into physical
altercations, but I will curse someone out if they are
So proud of, you know, their political decisions of the, what they believe in, I will call
them out on it. So we got into an altercation she ended up spitting on my friend
who is also like a black Muslim woman. And then she ran inside of Seven, which is kind
of not important, I guess whatever. But I like to tell people, Seven is like a gay bar
Minneapolis and the owner came out and he started saying the most racist shit I've ever
heard in my life. And there's a video of it somewhere, but he called me a towel head.
And then he um... What should we call it? Was just Yeah, he was like, look at like,
these, whatever, whatever. Like it just the most disgusting things ever. And I was like,
Oh, this is this is comedy to me. Like, look at this. Like this man thinks he's so powerful.
And so just, just there's a lot. There's a lot of racism, a lot of sexism, a lot of it was just
the intersectionality of all things vile.
And that was that was a pretty big account. And also this is just a side story but um, it's
it's something funny that I like to tell my friends, another racist thing, which I found that
about my seat last semester of my senior year, it was in this class was called intro to
social justice, right. And there's this kid who sat behind me his name is Carter Boldenow
now, it's not relevant to the story, but you know, and we were just talking and I was
like, Hey, remember in second grade, because we've gone to the same elementary school
was like, remember, we're talking about like, the little choir concert. I was like, I
remember I stood next to you Carter whenever it doesn't, it was just like a weird number
he had. And he was like, wait, that was you? And I was like, Yeah, like what's up and he
was like, You made my grandpa move to Florida. And I was like, What do you mean I
made your grandpa move to Florida? Um backstory... Carter Boldenow's family's
incredibly racist. Like, one of his cousins has a confederate flag tattooed on his
back.
And he's from Minnesota... part of the Union. So yeah, they're the most rac- like, top
top level. But Carter isn't, he's a really cool guy. And he was like, after that performance,
my grandpa was like, You know what, I'm sick of this shit. There are too many towel
heads in the state. And I was- this is my little thing. I was the towel head that broke the
camel's back. I was the reason a fully grown adult man. Like, I wasn't the only reason
but I was the last straw for him. And I was the reason that his grandpa moved to
Florida. And I only knew this like, my last semester of my senior year. Like, I was
wearing my little hijab, and he was just so upset about it.
Abby Mulcahey 17:47
Well, good thing he's out of Minnesota now.
Muna Galbayte 17:49
Yeah. It's a much better state. Yeah, I think that's a very I think it's very funny. Now
obviously, it's like they're all these like terrible things, but I find the humor in it because
like a fully grown man moved states because of a tiny towel head. Yeah.
Abby Mulcahey 18:08
Do you ever like not feel safe when you go out wearing your hijab?
Muna Galbayte 18:14
Yeah, all the time. Literally like all... Like my biggest fear is that because I'm such a loud
mouth, I'm going to say something to the wrong person and I'm going to get shot.
Because of my like, the thing is, it's not funny, but like, I think it's a little funny. Like, if
someone committed a hate crime against me, they would have so many reasons to like,
I'm black. I'm a Muslim, and I'm a woman. So like, if they tried to figure it out, it's just
that little like intersectionality you know? Um, so yeah, I it's it's really scary and like,
some time to call it a kind of an experiment saying like, oh, like how do I feel about the
hijab like, my parents never were like, I know a lot of people have a really negative
experience with wearing a hijab where their parents kind of forced it on them
but my parents were always like, you know you do you make your own choices but I
know that they would prefer if I wore it because they like, like it's a religion it's a
religious garmet and like, you know, my family's very religious so that's like, why,
but it was just like, you know what college is a time to discover yourself like let me
figure this shit out
and what I've got I just and I like my hair is usually covered anyways because I like wear
bandanas and I wear beanies so like wearing the hijab shouldn't be different but it's so
different and like the thing is, I've noticed it so much like what I'm just wearing my
beanie around like
I don't get dirty looks from strangers like I don't like it's it's so weird. Like there's all this
animosity towards me that I didn't realize until it wasn't there anymore. Like people
smile at me on the streets like like I know like obviously everyone's not a terrible person
but like my experience so far like when I wear the hijab in public
has just been so bad and I didn't even realize it. You know, it's like, I don't know. It's
crazy to me. So yeah, it's like, it's really scary. But I like... I'm still Muslim, you know,
like, I mean I'll wear it, I'll do whatever. But it's it's I don't know how to explain how just
not great it is to feel like you're constantly being like, scrutinized by everyone and
everyone is judging you, and everyone hates you for your religion. It's it's crazy to me.
Yeah, sure. Um, so during my last year of high school, I got really involved in a lot of
violence provention activism. And I ended up working for this nonprofit called protect
Minnesota, and I still work for them. I just do a little less now because college is hard.
Abby Mulcahey 20:34
I also know that you're like a big activist. And then you went to the Women's March,
right? Yeah. And then you even talked there. Do you want to talk a little bit about that?
Muna Galbayte 21:00
And I worked as well, I also worked for *Audio undectable* in action and I was on the
board for March for Our Lives Minnesota. So that was like kind of my whole shabang. I
like I barely went to high school my senior year. It was really fun though. I would give
press press conferences, I would speak at events. I would just be to make a lot it was it
was really fun. And the way that I got connected with the Women's March was like the
march for lives group chat, someone was like, hey, like, so and so I was looking for
someone to like, speak. They're like, like, we'll have like a phone interview. Just call into
this at a certain time or whatever. So I did I called and did my little interview was like a
conference call with everyone trying to get the position that I got it. So it was literally the
craziest shit ever to be like, I was like, oh, like this is like, kind of insane. And I met Ilhan
Omar there, which was like literally like the biggest flex I will ever have.
No, the bigger flex is that she's technically related to me. And she knew that from my
last name, My last name is Galbayte. And that is not a very common last name. Like it's
like.. most Muslim last names are like Mohammed, yada yada yada
So it's like, just literally Our family has that last name and she was like, Oh, Galbayte,
like she mentioned one of my uncles and I was like, Yeah, she was like, oh sick, like, I'm
related to him through like, whatever, whatever. And it was like, it was like the craziest
thing I cried right after meeting her and it was just this such like,
ah, and it was it was just a really great thing for me.
And like, I don't know activism work in general is just such a very white space. It I know
that a lot of times that people do use me as like their token minority, which I really hate.
Like my high school did that so hard so hard. Like
I yeah, but yeah, like because activism
is such a white space like, I can't help but feel like I stand out no matter what I do
especially when I'm like, what they really want you to do like when you're talking about
your personal experience this is to like kind of like bare your soul to like all these
strangers. And like sometimes I'm just like for what like, I don't know, because it.. things
that I've worked on, like last year I ended up testifying to Minnesota, whatever whatever
like some committee or like Public Safety Committee. It was
about these two bills, house file 9, house file 8. And they were regarding gun violence
prevention, lower levels of red flag law. And the other one is universal background
checks, universal background checks. And the fact that they got through that first
committee like it passed that it got through the next committee and then it died and the
third committee, like that's what I don't like about but like the activism work, it's because
I've put in so many hours, so much time into it.
Like, I always feel like we're never going to get ahead because of, you know, like, like,
the power that other people have in committees it just it, it, it's it feels so good sometimes
but sometimes I just feel so powerless of like, I'm trying so hard and it feels like nothing
is changing.
But what like the different like the different I also work I did a lot of interning for the
DFL the democratic farmer Labor Party of Minnesota, the democrats here.
And I would just work on individual campaigns or interesting like general stuff. So like,
that's that that's the kind of act like activism, I guess, that I really enjoy. Because you can
immediately see a change. I did a lot of voter engagements interning. So I would like
door knocking I'd be cold calling. I'd be like, doing whatever my boss wanted me to do
kind of and it was like 2000, the 2018 midterms. Nearly
Everyone that we were campaigning for got elected, and that felt so freakin good.
Because I had worked on those campaigns I had worked for these people, and then they
got elected. Like, that's like, the terrax. Like, like, I'm kind of like an instant gratification
kind of person. And I know that isn't how it should be like when it comes to like
activism and stuff, but like, working for campaigns is my jam. And that's like, that's like
my favorite kind of civic work. Or I don't know how to describe it that's my favorite
kind . Because I can see results after I talked to a voter and they tell me they're
considering voting for the person that I call for. That feels really good. You know, like,
it's, it's stuff like that, that I really enjoy. And I'm really happy that I got to do it. Yeah.
Abby Mulcahey 25:48
So I'm curious about like, the dating, um, in Islam and like, how people go about dating.
Muna Galbayte 25:56
Yeah, um, so dating in Islam is a little complicated.
Islam doesn't really like condone
relationships kind of like that aren't leading to marriage. Like if that isn't your goal, like
it's like considered a Haram, like Haram
directly translates to permitted but like, I don't think of it like that. It's Haram like, right?
Um, but like if you're like, like, if you're dating someone you're like, oh, like, I think I
could see myself marrying this person, then like, that's cool. We're just not a whole big
fan of the whole premarital sex thing. And then, yeah, like, it's not that complicated. It's
just a lot of relationships. Like, especially when you're really young, you're not trying to
marry them, which is why you don't see a lot of Muslim people dating when they're
younger.
Oh, I mean, you do.
But it's as long as your intentions are to eventually marry the person or like you're
seriously considering that, then it's like cool, as long as y'all don't have sex.
Abby Mulcahey 27:00
Okay.
All right, Muna. Is there anything else that you would like to add that you didn't get to
share?
Bystander 27:07
No.
Muna Galbayte 27:11
Not really.
Abby Mulcahey 27:13
Okay, thank you for letting me interview you today.
Muna Galbayte 27:19
Thank you for interviewing me.
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