The culture of home

Tasoulla Hadjiyanni knows what it's like to be a stranger in a strange land. When she was a child growing up in Cyprus, her family was forced to flee their home after the Turkish invasion of 1974. "We lost everything we ever owned," she recalled. "It definitely marks you for the rest of your life."

That displacement experience inspired Hadjiyanni, now an assistant professor in interior design at the University of Minnesota, to research the housing needs of the state's growing immigrant populations.

"The Twin Cities has three times the national average of refugees," she said. "I started to study how living in a typical American home can impact refugees' adjustment." Armed with data collected during in-home interviews with immigrants, Hadjiyanni challenged her students to design houses and neighborhoods that meet the needs of immigrant families, while still ensuring resale value. The students' designs for Somali and Mexican immigrants are part of an exhibit that will open next week at the Hennepin History Museum.

Q What is "culturally sensitive" design?

A It's not culturally specific design but design that supports various ways of living. There are very simple, subtle things that can be done; they're important because they impact people's adjustment.

Q What's an example of how a typical American house may not meet the needs of Somali residents?

A Most Somalis are Muslim, so the women have to be veiled in the presence of men [who aren't immediate family members]. In typical new construction, with an open floor plan, if the kitchen is open and men are having male friends over, that means she has to cook while veiled. When the doorbell rings, she has to run and put on a veil. [A culturally sensitive house] would have an area for women that is not visible from where men enter. A Somali family could easily put up a curtain up to isolate that area. You don't have to build a wall or take down a wall. ... In Somali homes, two children often share a bedroom. It's just a matter of making a room big enough to fit two twin beds.

Q What about homes for Mexican families?

A Good ventilation and kitchen space are important, so cooking smells don't overtake the house and people can eat together as a family. Sometimes with affordable housing, people cut corners, but taxpayers pay the price in higher obesity rates, higher crime rates and other ways.

Q Please explain.

A We know the research. If people eat together as a family, they'll have healthier family relationships and eat healthier. Teenage girls are less likely to get pregnant. That's how powerful eating together is. But in many affordable homes, there's no place for the family to eat together. ... People think, "If we put a roof over their head, then they're fine." But putting a roof over someone's head doesn't make it a home. You can still be homeless. Losing your traditions can really impact your well-being.

Q What's the goal of this exhibit?

A We want to raise awareness about cultural differences. Some people think, "They're in the U.S. now; they should be like us." And designing for women to be separated is so politically incorrect here. People feel it's fostering gender discrimination. ... We also want to challenge ideas about affordability. That's a hard leap for many people to make, why this is important and good for all of us. Immigrant groups can increase the economic development of an area, and [good design] can help foster a sense of community. Minneapolis and St. Paul rank low on sense of belonging. It's that "Minnesota Nice/Minnesota Ice" oxymoron. We have to figure out how to engage as neighbors and help people create a sense of home in Minnesota.

Kim Palmer • 612-673-4784