Ethiopian Teens Speak Out

Ethiopian Teens talk about life in the US and how it compares to Ethiopia. Click here to read their comments. I've copied one the statements below:

Michael Firrisa (12th grade – in USA)

I came to America when I was seven years old. I think America is the greatest place to live, it isn't in anyway perfect, but it sure beats other places. America is very different from my birth place, Ethiopia. In the US your rights are respected most of the time and you are treated like a human being. In Ethiopia the government treats you however it pleases, and if you think the police in America are bad you haven't got a clue as to how serious it could be. I remember the first day I arrived in the US; I wanted to go back to Ethiopia immediately. I missed my relatives and friends I left behind. Now, Ethiopia is just a vague memory, there isn't much I miss except my family. I lived here for ten years so I have been accustomed to America, and it has become my home. My parents on the other hand pray for the day when things get better so they can go back. My mom always tells me, "You have lived here most of your life so you stay, but as soon as you get a good job we are going back home." I really couldn't care less about going back, and if I do I can't live there. I have forgotten how to read and write the language, and people poke fun at my "foreign accent" every time I talk. It would be strange for me to readjust all over again. Everyday of my life I thank God that I was given an opportunity to live in America and come at the young age I did. I see many people, not only Ethiopians, who struggle because they came when they were older so they have a lot more difficulty adjusting.

The thing I love about America is that a person can achieve wonders with just a dream and some hard work. I always ask God why I was the one who was given the opportunity to start a new life here, out of all the people who lived around me. I guess I just have to wait and see. I just hope it is something special that benefits me and the nation that has become my home.