Skip links

Kenyan immigrant attacked in US for speaking Swahili

Read < 1 minute
asma
Asma Mohamed Jama, Courtesy of New York Daily

 

A Kenyan immigrant was reportedly brutally attacked in Minnesota for speaking in Swahili while dining with her family at a restaurant.

Asma Mohamed Jama was taken to hospital where she needed 17 stitches for deep cuts on her nose, eyelid and lip after another woman smashed her face with a beer mug because she was not speaking English but Swahili.

According to court documents obtained by the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Burchard-Risch heard Jama speaking a language that wasn’t English while dining with her husband. She then started yelling at the family, even tossing a drink onto Jama and “roundhouse punching” the glass in her face all while he restaurant’s staff tried to escort her out of the establishment.

“I live in America. I can speak English but we prefer to speak our own language,” Jama said. “If it bothers you, I’m sorry,” Jama told WCCO-TV.

According to the New York Daily, Burchard-Risch was charged with third-degree assault.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.