DOCSLIB.ORG

Association of Eritrean Americans

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Association of Eritrean Americans Association of Eritrean Americans July 30, 2019 RE: Open Letter to Tiffany Haddish Dear Ms. Tiffany Haddish: The Eritrean-American community has been following your career with great pride! To see one of our own shining in Hollywood after overcoming unmentionable obstacles gives us hope and countless life lessons. Eritrea is a young country and the positive image you show of it is admirable. However, the fact that we celebrate our country, our culture and our diverse community doesn’t mean we should support a brutal dictator, Isaias Afwerki, who has been in power for 28 years. During his reign, he has imprisoned thousands of citizens including journalists, students, artists, politicians, religious leaders, the youth and the elderly. All Eritreans who voice their concerns about the human rights abuses in the country or who ask about the thousands of Eritreans in prison for over 20 years to have their day in court is thrown into prison indefinitely and never to be heard from again. Consequently, Eritrea is now the only African country without a constitution, a parliament, or a private press. Eritrea is the only country that has experienced mass exodus due to indefinite conscription of youth into national service, also known as “national slavery.” According to Global Slavery Index, there are 451,000 Eritreans living in Eritrea under modern slavery. An estimated 10,000 people remain unjustly imprisoned, and the government continues to enforce coercive conscription policies. The full list of abuses is so horrific (including widespread and systematic enslavement and sexual abuse of girls as young as 17 years old) that a UN Commission of Inquiry, which documented the testimonies of hundreds of Eritreans, accused senior government officials at the highest level of committing crimes against humanity. These reasons are why we are appalled by recent reports that you will be attending an event for the few supporters of the Eritrean dictator in the San Francisco Bay Area from August 9 – 11th. These supporters go by the name of PFDJ. They are members of the same group the UN has accused of committing crimes against humanity in Eritrea. We can only assume that you are not aware of the brutal nature of the Eritrean government. As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” Now that you are aware of the horrors the government inflicts on the people, we urge you not to gather with those who terrorize the Eritrean people and to cancel your attendance. Because you are in a position of power, you have likely gotten the red carpet treatment when you visit Eritrea. The few PFDJ supporters who live in the West also get similar preferential treatment when they visit Eritrea. However, for the majority, life in Eritrea is cruel; particularly for youth who are subject to indefinite national service and young women who receive no protection from the frequent reports of rape and sexual harassment perpetrated by people in positions of power. Ms. Haddish, recently you made a moral decision to cancel your show in Georgia over the state’s abortion law saying “I need to stand with women… I cannot in good faith perform there.” The sexual abuse and enslavement of young girls and women in Eritrea under military officials are well documented. We, Eritreans, urge you to take a similar stand to protect the lives of women and young girls in Eritrea. We urge you to understand and support your people and not be swayed by the deliberate disinformation spread by the dictator. As fellow Eritrean-Americans, we stand ready and willing to provide any information you need that will help you reach an informed decision. We understand the need to connect with your homeland and roots. However, we firmly believe that this cannot be done by cheering for a government that enslaves, disappears, and exiles its citizens. Thank you and we look forward to working with you. Association of Eritrean Americans Free Ciham Bayto Yiakl North America (35 US & Canadian cities) One Day Seyoum Eritreans Community for Justice – DC Metro Area Reclaim Eritrea EritreaDigest.com ERISAT – Independent Satellite TV Network of Eritrean Women Bay Area Eritreans for Democratic Change Eritrean National Council for Democratic Eritrean Sinit Study Group (ESSG) Change - North America .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • UN/US Sanctions on Eritrea: Latest Chapter in a Long History of Injustice
    600 L St., NW, Suite 200 | Washington, DC 20001 | www.eritrean-smart.org | INFO@ Eritrean-Smart.org UUNN//UUSS SSaannccttiioonnss oonn EErriittrreeaa:: LLaatteesstt CChhaapptteerr iinn aa LLoonngg HHiissttoorryy ooff IInnjjuussttiiccee Eritrean-SMART Campaign Working Paper No. 2 By the E-SMART Research Team December 23, 2010 http://www.eritrean-smart.org Support our Worldwide E-SMART Campaign Eritrean Sanctions Must be Annulled and Repealed Today! Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................. 3 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 4 Part I: A HISTORY OF BETRAYALS ............................................................................................................. 6 Denial of Right to Self‐Determination and Independence ........................................................................... 6 A Sham Federal Arrangement ...................................................................................................................... 7 OAU’s Refusal to Address the Plight of the Eritrean People ........................................................................ 8 U.S. Support of Ethiopia during Eritrea’s War of Independence .................................................................. 8 Efforts to Make Eritreans Settle for Something Short of Independence ....................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Ethnic Groups and Library of Congress Subject Headings
    Ethnic Groups and Library of Congress Subject Headings Jeffre INTRODUCTION tricks for success in doing African studies research3. One of the challenges of studying ethnic Several sections of the article touch on subject head- groups is the abundant and changing terminology as- ings related to African studies. sociated with these groups and their study. This arti- Sanford Berman authored at least two works cle explains the Library of Congress subject headings about Library of Congress subject headings for ethnic (LCSH) that relate to ethnic groups, ethnology, and groups. His contentious 1991 article Things are ethnic diversity and how they are used in libraries. A seldom what they seem: Finding multicultural materi- database that uses a controlled vocabulary, such as als in library catalogs4 describes what he viewed as LCSH, can be invaluable when doing research on LCSH shortcomings at that time that related to ethnic ethnic groups, because it can help searchers conduct groups and to other aspects of multiculturalism. searches that are precise and comprehensive. Interestingly, this article notes an inequity in the use Keyword searching is an ineffective way of of the term God in subject headings. When referring conducting ethnic studies research because so many to the Christian God, there was no qualification by individual ethnic groups are known by so many differ- religion after the term. but for other religions there ent names. Take the Mohawk lndians for example. was. For example the heading God-History of They are also known as the Canienga Indians, the doctrines is a heading for Christian works, and God Caughnawaga Indians, the Kaniakehaka Indians, (Judaism)-History of doctrines for works on Juda- the Mohaqu Indians, the Saint Regis Indians, and ism.
    [Show full text]
  • UCSB Mcnair Scholars Research Journal
    UCSB McNair Scholars Research Journal University of California, Santa Barbara 2020 – Volume 10 Nondiscrimination Policy The University of California, in accordance with applicable Federal and State law and University policy, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender, gender expression, gender identity, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, medical condition (cancer-related or genetic characteristics), genetic information (including family medical history), ancestry, marital status, age, sexual orientation, citizenship, status as a protected veteran or service in the uniformed services. The University also prohibits sexual harassment. This nondiscrimination policy covers admission, access, and treatment in University programs and activities. Inquiries regarding the University’s nondiscrimination policies may be directed to: Ricardo A. Alcaíno Director, Equal Opportunity and Discrimination Prevention Office 3217A Phelps Hall University of California, Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 93106-2060 (805) 893-4505 Cover photo: Tony Mastres, Director, UCSB Photographic Services ii UCSB McNair Scholars Research Journal McNair Program Staff Program Director Dr. Beth E. Schneider Assistant Director Dr. Yvette Martinez-Vu Program Coordinator Raquel Ramos Graduate Mentors Iliana Flores Madeline Nolan Writing Specialist Christopher Morales Journal Editors Dr. Beth E. Schneider Christopher Morales Journal Layout/Design Madeline Nolan iii UCSB McNair Scholars Research Journal 2020 – Volume 10 Table of Contents McNair Program Staff iii Table of Contents iv Letter from the Executive Vice Chancellor vii Letter from the Director of Undergraduate Research and North Hall Endowed Chair in the Linguistics of African America ix Letter from the Program Director xi Gabby Grafton 1 The Effects of Demographics on Labor Force Discrimination Mentor: Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • University of Florida Thesis Or Dissertation Formatting
    ENTREPRENEURSHIP AMONG THE ETHIOPIAN AND ERITREAN MIGRANTS: ETHNOGRAPHIC CASE STUDIES IN THE WASHINGTON, D.C. METROPOLITAN AREA By MUSSA SULTAN IDRIS A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2013 1 © 2013 Mussa Sultan Idris 2 To my family for their love and determined care throughout my academic endeavor 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank my dissertation committee chair, Dr. Anita Spring, and my dissertation committee members, Dr. Abdoulaye Kane, Dr. Willie Baber, and Dr. Richard H Davis, Jr., for their mentorship, guidance, and support. I would also like to thank Dr. Leonardo A. Villalón for his support and academic advice. I also would like to thank the Ethiopian and Eritrean migrant communities in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area in general, and my research consultants in particular. This dissertation would not be possible without their willingness to share their life and entrepreneurial stories with me. I would like to express my appreciation to Pauline Kulstad for her support and for getting me in contact with the Russin family, who welcomed me into their home during my fieldwork periods in Washington, D.C. I also would like to extend my thanks to both the Center for African Studies and the Department of Anthropology at the University of Florida for offering me assistantship opportunities to support my graduate studies, and I would also like to thank its faculty and staff for nurturing my academic journey at the University of Florida.
    [Show full text]
  • DIRECTORY of AFRICAN COMMUNITY RESOURCES *This Directory Is Accurate As of October 2001
    DIRECTORY OF AFRICAN COMMUNITY RESOURCES *This directory is accurate as of October 2001. communities, including Nigerians, Ethiopians, COMMUNITY Eritreans, Sudanese, Sierra Leoneans, Ghanaians, RGANIZATIONS Moroccans, Sudanese, Malians, South Africans, O Liberians, and others. The African Congress functions as both a political and social network that seeks to AFRICOM - Coalition of African unite Africans across numerous and diverse Communities – Philadelphia communities. The organization’s objective is to help The mission of AFRICOM - the Coalition of African Africans pursue common interests, build visibility, Communities - Philadelphia is to empower the African enhance connections with local city resources and refugee and immigrant communities by: (a) facilitating government, and provide social support to members family access to health and social services, with and their families, as well as newcomers to the area. special focus on women, children and the youth, (b) The African Congress holds weekly meetings, as well promoting economic development, (c) facilitating as hosts an annual barbeque and picnic. resolution of inter- and intra-group conflicts, (d) advocating on issues of concern to African Dr. Cyprian Anyanwu, Chairman communities, and (e) educating the media and broader Francis Horton, Co-Chairman public on African cultures and experiences. Amare Solomon, Treasurer AFRICOM is expected to proactively seek and develop partnerships with non-profit, public, private, [Pan-African] educational and African-American institutions in the greater Philadelphia area to achieve its mission. An e- African Cultural and Community Center mail group ([email protected]) was The African Cultural Center established in December 2000 to provide an 50th and Springfield Avenue, 2nd Floor information and discussion forum for AFRICOM’s [email protected] general membership.
    [Show full text]
  • Opinion: Nipsey Hussle's Death Takes a Hero Away from Us by Master Tesfatsion, Washington Post, Adapted by Newsela Staff on 04.11.19 Word Count 708 Level 790L
    Opinion: Nipsey Hussle's death takes a hero away from us By Master Tesfatsion, Washington Post, adapted by Newsela staff on 04.11.19 Word Count 708 Level 790L Rapper Nipsey Hussle attends Craft Syndicate's music collaboration unveiling event at the Opera Atlanta nightclub on December 10, 2018, in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo by: Prince Williams/Getty Images I sat on the plane fighting tears. I looked at my phone as my messages were delivered. I was in complete shock. The rapper Nipsey Hussle had died. He was known as a product of Crenshaw, a neighborhood in South Los Angeles, California. Los Angeles is called L.A. for short. There, he was popular because of his music, his gang connections and his work in the community. L.A. and the hip- hop community are grieving his death. Grieving The Loss Of A Brother Hussle was killed on March 31 in front of his store, the Marathon Clothing. Meanwhile, the Eritrean community is grieving the loss of our brother, too. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 1 That's because the Grammy-nominated rapper also had connections to Eritrea. This small East African country is home to about 5 million people. Hussle's father, Dawit Asghedom, grew up there and would tell his son stories about the country. Hussle's birth name is Ermias Asghedom. Eritrea was annexed by Ethiopia, a much larger country, in 1962. When a country is annexed it is added to another country without its permission. It spent the next 30 years fighting for independence.
    [Show full text]
  • December 11, 2017 Kirstjen Nielsen, Secretary U.S. Department Of
    December 11, 2017 Kirstjen Nielsen, Secretary U.S. Department of Homeland Security 3801 Nebraska Ave. Washington, D.C. 20528 cc: Rex Tillerson, Secretary of State Nikki Haley, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Thomas Homan, Acting Director, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Ron Johnson, Chair, Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Claire McCaskill, Ranking Member, Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Michael McCaul, Chair, House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee Bennie Thompson, Ranking Member, House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee Re: Imminent Removal of 700 Eritreans Dear Secretary Nielsen: We – The America Team for Displaced Eritreans and the other undersigned organizations – write to you urgently on behalf of some 700 Eritreans whose removal from the U.S. the Department of Homeland Security, by way of a September 13, 2017 order, has taken measures to facilitate: https://www.dhs.gov/news/2017/09/13/dhs-announces-implementation-visa-sanctions-four-countries. We believe, and we can cite numerous authorities to confirm, that those removed to Eritrea would likely be tortured or killed by the Eritrean regime: http://eritreanrefugees.org/wp- content/uploads/2017/10/PUNISHMENT-UPON-REFOULEMENT-TO-ERITREA-4-17-17.pdf. We also believe that any such removal not only would be egregiously inhumane, but would violate the United Nations Convention Against Torture and the United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees to which the U.S. is party. We thus urge you to suspend all Eritrean removals until such time as the country is safe for the individuals to be returned there.
    [Show full text]
  • Cultural Guide
    Meeting the Diverse Healthcare Needs of Our Patients and Our Members Cultural Guide MEETING THE DIVERSE HEALTHCARE NEEDS OF OUR PATIENTS CULTURAL GUIDE Table of Contents Diversity and Inclusion Learning: At-A-Glance 1 U.S. Population Growth: Quick Facts 2 Healthcare Disparities: At-A-Glance 3 U.S. Refugees: Quick Facts 4 Afghan Americans: At-A-Glance 5 Bosnian Muslim Americans: At-A-Glance 6 Burmese Americans: At-A-Glance 7 Burundian Americans: At-A-Glance 8 Cambodian Americans: At-A-Glance 9 Chinese Americans: At-A-Glance 10 Croatian Americans: At-A-Glance 11 Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Americans: At-a-Glance 12 Eritrean Americans: At-A-Glance 13 Ethiopian Americans: At-A-Glance 14 Filipino Americans: At-A-Glance 15 Hmong Americans: At-A-Glance 16 Indian/South Asian Americans: At-A-Glance 17 Iraqi Americans: At-A-Glance 18 Japanese Americans: At-A-Glance 19 Korean Americans: At-A-Glance 20 Latin Americans: At-A-Glance 21 Mexican Americans: At-A-Glance 22 Native Americans and Alaska Natives: At-A-Glance 23 Russian Americans: At-A-Glance 24 Samoan and Tongan Americans: At-A-Glance 25 Serbian Americans: At-A-Glance 26 Somali Americans: At-A-Glance 27 Sri Lankan Americans: At-A-Glance 28 Sudanese Americans: At-A-Glance 29 Vietnamese Americans: At-A-Glance 30 Language Services: At-A-Glance 31 LGBT Community: Quick Facts 32 LGBT People: At-A-Glance 33 Transgender People: At-A-Glance 34 Embrace Diversity and Inclusion: At-A-Glance 35 Glossary: At-A-Glance 36 Presented by: The Institute for Healthcare Leadership, March 2016 1 Diversity and Inclusion Learning At-A-Glance Cultural Diversity Self-Assessment Read each statement and circle the number that best describes your behavior or belief.
    [Show full text]
  • Association of Eritrean Americans
    Association of Eritrean Americans July 30, 2019 RE: Open Letter to Tiffany Haddish Dear Ms. Tiffany Haddish: The Eritrean-American community has been following your career with great pride! To see one of our own shining in Hollywood after overcoming unmentionable obstacles gives us hope and countless life lessons. Eritrea is a young country and the positive image you show of it is admirable. However, the fact that we celebrate our country, our culture and our diverse community doesn’t mean we should support the brutal dictator, Isaias Afwerki, who has been in power for 28 years. During his reign, he has imprisoned thousands of citizens including journalists, students, artists, politicians, religious leaders, the youth and the elderly. Any Eritrean who voices their concerns about the human rights abuses in the country or who asks for the thousands of Eritreans in prison for over 20 years to have their day in court is thrown into prison indefinitely and never to be heard from again. Consequently, Eritrea is now the only African country without a constitution, a parliament, or a private press. Eritrea is the only country that has experienced mass exodus due to indefinite conscription of youth into national service, also known as the “national slavery.” According to the Global Slavery Index, there are 451,000 Eritreans living in Eritrea under modern slavery. An estimated 10,000 people remain unjustly imprisoned, and the government continues to enforce coercive conscription policies. The full list of abuses is so horrific (including widespread and systematic enslavement and sexual abuse of girls as young as 17 years old) that a UN Commission of Inquiry, which documented the testimonies of hundreds of Eritreans, accused senior government officials at the highest level of committing crimes against humanity.
    [Show full text]
  • Multicultural References
    MULTICULTURAL REFERENCES: Compiled by Daryl Fujii, Lidia Artiola i Fortuny, & Marc Norman (2005) (updated by Daryl Fujii 5/5/07) TABLE OF CONTENTS: General References APA/Other Practice Guidelines Bilingualism Conceptual Articles Ethics Forensics General Multicultural Resources Immigration Issues Interpreters Links Literacy Malingering Norms/Testing Rehabilitation Research Review Articles Special Populations Aging Child/Adolescents Other Test Translation Training Issues Africa Egypt Equatorial Guinea Ghana Kenya Madagascar Mozambique Nigeria Senegal Sierra Leone South Africa Sudan Tanzania Uganda Zaire Zambia Zimbabwe African Americans General Cultural Conceptual Review Norms/Testing Caribbean and Latin America Asian Americans General Cultural Conceptual Review Norms/Testing Bangla Deshi Chinese Filipino Guamanian-Chamorro Indian Indonesian Japanese Korean Laotian Malaysian Pakistani Singaporean Thai Vietnamese Americans of European Origin General Cultural Conceptual Review Norms/Testing Austria Belgium Bosnia Bulgaria Croatia Czechoslovakia Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Great Britain Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Latvia Lithuania Macedonia Malta Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine Australian/New Zealand Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transsexual Hispanic/Latino Americans General Cultural Conceptual Review Norms/Testing Argentina Brazil Chile Columbia Ecuador Mexico Peru Puerto Rico Venezuela Middle Eastern Americans General Cultural Conceptual Review
    [Show full text]
  • MAY 2004 [email protected] VOLUME 1 NO
    A newsletter of the Eritrean Community of Greater Boston MAY 2004 [email protected] VOLUME 1 NO. 8 inspiring. Prematurely perhaps, I envisioned the EDITORIAL provision of relevant services and activities that could be held at the community center. Luckily “In and through community lies the salvation 1 shortly after my arrival in Boston I was put in of the world”. contact with Boston-based Eritreans that were already well on their way to breathing life into Community. The word used so the community center. Amidst the current frequently that as an Eritrean I’ve begun to turmoil these individuals saw the importance in wonder what it means, locally in Boston, redeveloping the community center as a site of nationally, and diasporically. The migration of empowerment for Eritreans in the greater Boston Eritreans to metropolitan cities throughout the area. In the past year we’ve witnessed the United States started about thirty years ago and emergence of computer classes, this newsletter, continues today. In this period we have a regular tutoring program, and successful transformed into a population comprised of youth-led events. Eritrean immigrants, first generation, and second Yet recently, I’ve come to realize that generation Eritrean Americans. Critically the development of the community center cannot thinking about what the Eritrean community rest in the hands of a few active members. Our means to all of us is essential to our personal and identity as a diasporic group will require the collective growth. efforts of every member of our “community”. The importance of community is Every skill, proactive viewpoint, and level of inescapable.
    [Show full text]
  • Social Media in Exile: Disruptors and Challengers from Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Sudan
    Social Media in Exile: Disruptors and Challengers from Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Sudan A dissertation presented to the faculty of the Scripps College of Communication of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy Abraham Tesfalul Zere December 2020 ©2020 Abraham Tesfalul Zere. All Rights Reserved. This dissertation titled Social Media in Exile: Disruptors and Challengers from Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Sudan by ABRAHAM TESFALUL ZERE has been approved for the School of Media Arts & Studies and the Scripps College of Communication by Steve Howard Professor of Media arts & Studies Scott Titsworth Dean, Scripps College of Communication ii Abstract ZERE, ABRAHAM TESFALUL, Ph.D., December 2020, Media Arts & Studies Social Media in Exile: Disruptors and Challengers from Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Sudan Director of Dissertation: Steve Howard This dissertation, drawing on fieldwork interviews with 29 leading activists from three countries and examining popular social media platforms through Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), studies how social media tools have been used to challenge the repressive political leadership of Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Sudan. The ruling elites of these three countries –mismanaging the scant resources in each, and dealing with large populations of young people with few prospects – faced daunting new challenges. Advancement in communication technologies and the emergence of social media revitalized the despairing youth to take matters into their own hands. They challenged their repressive rulers through decentralized and nonviolent modes of struggle that successfully fused the diaspora communities. The dissertation borrows theoretical underpinnings from Jürgen Habermas’ public sphere theory, and Michel Foucault’s concept of speaking truth to power.
    [Show full text]