 The earliest ethnic Somali immigrants to the United States were sailors who arrived in the 1920s, mainly from British Somaliland.Eventually acquiring American citizenship, they actively participated in the Somali independence movement and served as key liaisons whenever Somali political figures visited the UN headquarters.For their substantial contributions to Somali society, these early Somali expatriates were rewarded with medals by the Somali government and some were also issued land back home.