Ethiopian Jews Imitate U.S. Blacks

Just sharing an article that I found that talks about Ethiopian teens and their search for identity in Israel. The draw strength from African American culture.

The Article:

JERUSALEM (AP) -- Batya Tadela, a 16-year-old Ethiopian immigrant to Israel, used to be hurt and insulted when people called her ``kushi,'' a Hebrew word commonly used to refer to blacks. But now, like many young Ethiopian immigrants weathering tough times, Tadela has found an unlikely source of solace, pride and identity -- America's black culture. The fact that most of these Ethiopian teens have never visited the United States or even met a black American doesn't prevent them from embracing rap music and hip-hop fashion, along with sometimes misguided stereotypes gleaned from MTV, movies and news reports.

``It's a form of protest,'' Ethiopian lawmaker Addisu Masala said of teens who identify with American blacks. ``When a child feels that he's not wanted here, he looks for an alternative identity.'' Younger Ethiopians see in black American culture a vibrant energy and a chance for success against the odds. ``When I see American movies that show a lot of blacks succeeding, it makes me feel good,'' said Shmuel Batla, a 22-year-old cook. ``If he can succeed, so can I.''

The full article.

Ethiopia the First Choice for Adoption

I've read several post recently from families that chose Ethiopia after they had pursued adoptions in other countries. I'm just curious how many families chose Ethiopia as their first choice.

more at twiigs.com...

Let us all know what other countries that you considered.

Looking for Amharic Speakers

Sometimes I just stumble on some interesting stuff. Here is a list that shows where Amharic is spoken around the country.

Check it out.

Blessings Abound

Here are two of my favorite Clark Sister songs. It's easy to think about what we don't have and maybe the wait seems longer than it should be, but I'm reminded to think of how blessed I am, how much I have, and how only by the grace am I even fortunate enough to wait.

Blessed and Highly Favored



Never let a day go by and not realize that we are blessed. Don't take it for granted that we are here today. Just know that we are blessed and highly favored. [My favorite part] Think about it for a moment. It could have been me, it should have been me, it would have been for me if it wasn't for the blood... But grace and mercy, mercy kept me...

Livin' A Blessed Life



I'm livin' a blessed life... I can speak to mountains,they will be moved. I can speak to dreams, they will come true. I can tell my troubles to get away. God gave me the power to make my day. I'm no longer walking on sinking sand, I'm just steady resting in my father's hand. I'm blessed when I come and when I go. Every day I'm living in the overflow.

Taxi Cab Confessions No.2

A very nice cabbie picked me up for my ride to the airport. When he learned that I was headed home on a flight to Chicago, he told me that he was considering moving here. He had never been to Chicago but had a friend that was encouraging his move. He had lived in New York, Boston, and was considering Florida.

Cab Driver: Boston can be a very prejudiced place, but I don't think it is so much prejudice about color. I drive a taxi and I can tell you that the most prejudiced people are men and women. Men, when no woman is listening say terrible things about women and women say the worst thing about men. I think that is who is prejudice.

I guess that summed it all up. I instantly fell in love with him. He was someone that I'd like to have over for dinner or talk to on the phone.

Cab Driver: People say that people in New York are crazy. Crazy is better than prejudice. At least they are educated. I think all people should become educated that will lead to less prejudice.

My driver told me that he was 62 and had three children. His 25 year old daughter is in law school and the 29 year old graduated from the university. The 27 year old son works in satellite communications in London. I told him that I was sure he was very proud of them.

Cab Driver: I am proud of my girls. My son not so much. He can do anything he wants, go where he wants, make a lot of money however he wants. But, in my country of Pakistan it is more difficult for women who want to educate themselves. My girls still live there and they've done well. For their education, I am proud!

He told me that the girls lived in the US for only a short time, hated it and returned to a place that they knew would be more difficult for them. I wrote this because, it is also the thing that stood out for me about the children in Ethiopia. I know many adoptive parents point to the tragedy of AIDS and malnutrition as reasons for choosing Ethiopia. For me it was when I read that 60-80% of the children would never go to school. That statistic was highest for girls.

Like my cabbies, I think that education is key. I just couldn't imagine a child growing up where an education was not guaranteed.

The Ethiopian Adoption Dilemma

I read this article by Mohammed Adow. It is a couple of years old but I still think that it is relevant and a good read for parents adopting from Ethiopia. Here are some excerpts or you can read the complete article.

Aids impact

Apart from abandoned children, there is also a steady increase in the number of Ethiopian children becoming orphans because of Aids.

Strict watch

But Hadush Halifom of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs says that though adopting from Ethiopia may be easy, the government keeps a strict watch on orphanages that keep children for adoption. Ethiopia's adopted children rarely have the chance to return to their birthplace.

Racism

In a country where she looked different from most other people, Hannah says that it became too common for her to answer all kinds of questions about her looks - such as how she washes her hair. She adds it was not always easy to tell her adoptive parents about the trouble she was getting. "Somehow white people have a mentality of black people that they are poor, can't think and that the only thing they know is dancing and singing," says Hannah. And how does Hannah view adoption in general? "I am not saying adoption is bad or should be stopped, but it should not be as easy as it is today," she says

Identity

Hannah's biggest concern is that there are no guidelines for black children being adopted by white families. She says that it is a psychological disaster for the child if the family doesn't talk about the colour of their adopted child's skin. "It is because of the neglect of the issue of identity that you see many adopted children going down the drain despite getting the best food in the world," she concludes.

Taxi Cab Confessions No.1

I just came off a week of business travel and had several interesting taxi rides -- interesting in a good way. There were a couple that made me laugh out loud.


Cab Driver: (As we made it to the first corner) What about the politics? I know you must know and understand what is going on in America and the politics and I hope that you know about this man Obama!

This driver was from Somalia and has been living in the US for six years. He told me that he lived in Kenya as a refugee for 11 years before coming to this country. We had a fun conversation about "the politics" and then ran through the normal particulars. I mentioned that I had no children but was adopting from Ethiopia. "Adopting" was a word that he did not understand. So he told me a story.

Cab Driver: Do you know what happens with children there in Ethiopia? My friend was traveling through the country, he boarded a plane and it was filled with Ethiopian children and white parents. They went there to buy the babies. You are not buying these children are you? Can you really buy children in Ethiopia?

He took an extra long time at the stop sign so that he could turn around and ask me the question. I assured him that I was not and that I had gone through a long process to prove myself worthy of adoption. I rattled through the list about fingerprints, the FBI, paperwork, and immigration. He shouted, "You will be their sponsor!" It seemed like that made more sense to him so I told him that he was exactly right.

Cab Driver: That is how someone should come to this country. My parents sponsored me and now you will sponsor these children. I think this is wonderful thing. Blacks in America have done so much, they've come so far, they are very smart and filled with education. This children will live with you and you can make them strong like the black people in America! This will be a better country for them if we vote for Obama. He will do more to make this country better for all the people.

He seemed very happy with his statements and kept smiling and nodding. At this point I was sure that we had circled the area a couple of times, I think it was maybe to extend the ride. Then he asked me if the children would live with me forever. I told him that they would.

Cab Driver: You are a good lady and I can tell that you are educated. You will make a wonderful home for them of this I am sure. I must say that people here in America have been so generous they are always willing to help their people. I am glad that you will do this thing.

When I got out of the cab he told me to be good to the children and to "remember the politics".