The Transnational Experiences of Ethiopian Immigrants in the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Area
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Syracuse University SURFACE Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Anthropology - Dissertations Affairs 5-2012 Double Engagements: the Transnational Experiences of Ethiopian Immigrants in the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Area Kassahun Haile Kebede Syracuse University Follow this and additional works at: https://surface.syr.edu/ant_etd Part of the Anthropology Commons Recommended Citation Kebede, Kassahun Haile, "Double Engagements: the Transnational Experiences of Ethiopian Immigrants in the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Area" (2012). Anthropology - Dissertations. 97. https://surface.syr.edu/ant_etd/97 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at SURFACE. It has been accepted for inclusion in Anthropology - Dissertations by an authorized administrator of SURFACE. For more information, please contact [email protected]. DOUBLE ENGAGEMENTS: THE TRANSNATIONAL EXPERIENCES OF ETHIOPIAN IMMIGRANTS IN THE WASHINGTON, D.C., METROPOLITAN AREA ABSTRACT This dissertation explores the transnational experiences of Ethiopian immigrants in the Washington metropolitan area across generational units. Much of the recent research on transnationalism has focused on the ties immigrants maintain in the sending country. This dissertation adds to this analysis by looking at how the actions of Ethiopian immigrants contribute to nation building in the United States as well as in Ethiopia. The double engagements of Ethiopians challenge either/or views of immigrants and demonstrates how transnationality works in both directions. My research, based on 12 months of fieldwork in the metropolitan area of Washington, D.C., used participant observation, interviews, life histories and extended conversations to provide the first comprehensive study of first- and second-generation Ethiopian migrants using the transnational perspective. I explore the factors that motivate migrants to maintain transnational connections. I argue that for first-generation immigrants, the conditions of exit greatly shape the types and nature of transnational engagements as much as the receiving-country contexts. In addition, Ethiopian immigrants arrived in three distinct generational units, each of which had starkly differing experiences in Ethiopia and in the United States. These experiences have influenced their priorities regarding adaptation and transnational connections. Largely as the consequence of incongruent pre-immigration experiences, some Ethiopians are heavily involved in political transnationalism while others favor philanthropic giving. I also analyze the transnational activities of second-generation Ethiopians, which include visiting the ancestral land, sponsoring children in the homeland, working for philanthropic NGOs in Ethiopia, shaping definitions of Ethiopian Americans, defending the homeland in the United States, and taking part in political action, especially the hard work of building a voting bloc. Both the diverse generational units of the first- and second-generation Ethiopian immigrants grapple with politics, family loyalty, nationalism, obligations to those left behind, differing views of success, racial views, and many more transnational ties, all the while gauging how far to integrate into U.S. society. DOUBLE ENGAGEMENTS: THE TRANSNATIONAL EXPERIENCES OF ETHIOPIAN IMMIGRANTS IN THE WASHINGTON, D.C., METROPOLITAN AREA By: Kassahun Haile Kebede B.A. Addis Ababa University, 1996 M.A. Addis Ababa University, 2001 A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology in the Graduate School of Syracuse University Syracuse University May 2012 Copyright © 2012 Kassahun Haile Kebede All Rights Reserved ACKNOWLEDGMENTS It is an honor to be able to extend my appreciation and respect to the many people and institutions that have helped me in my dissertation research and writing journeys. While I claim full responsibility for my work, and any of its limitations are a reflection of my own scholarship, I would like to mention a few people who made the completion of this dissertation possible. I extend my sincere gratitude to all my informants who opened their home to me, shared with me their migration experiences and challenged me. They gave me their precious time and attention, trusted and befriended me, and were very patient with my persistent queries. In order to honor my promise of anonymity, I cannot name specific individuals, but please know that I am particularly grateful to those who were willing to help me with my research and navigate Washington, DC. My fieldwork experience coupled with the 2008 presidential race—where most of my informants were actively engaged in, was exhilarating and unforgettable. Throughout my PhD study I have benefited immensely from the intellectual guidance of esteemed mentors and professors. My utmost gratitude goes to Professor Peter Castro who took me under his wing and introduced me to graduate school at Syracuse University and helped me survive the snow. Thank you for believing in me. Importantly, my dissertation would not have been possible without the multifaceted support of Professor Hans Buechler. His creative thinking, unsurpassed wealth of ethnographic knowledge that spans geographic areas, and constant but gentle nudge to achieve a higher level of excellence have been instrumental in numerous ways. Professor Buechler really enjoys working with graduate students. He made an indelible mark on me as an anthropologist, and I continue to learn from him. v Professor Bill Kellher and Professor Maureen Schwarz have equally provided essential support and intellectual insights to my work. Without Bill’s encouragements, among other things, to think critically and Maureen’s willingness to share her abundant ethnographic experience, the dissertation could not have happened. Professor Maureen read my dissertation with interest and provided me comments and suggestions that strengthened my argument. Linda Carty and Solomon Getahun have been constant supports through the writing processes. Linda encouraged me to think beyond the ‘Ethiopian exceptionalism’ and see how my research lends itself to the works of sociologist Saskia Sassen. I greatly benefited from Solomon’s insights, and credit to his path breaking research on Ethiopian immigrant in the United States. I have learned a great deal about how to be an excellent mentor through my experiences at Syracuse University, and I am forever grateful to my entire committee for their roles as great mentors. Special thanks goes to Professor Tom Perreault, who was willing to serve as chair of the defense at the last moment. Equally, I have received invaluable supports and encouragements from Professor Marilyn Heldman and Professor Kay Shelemay. Professors Marilyn and Kay have always been there to offer advice, lend an ear, and provide encouragement and support. I benefited from their invaluable works and extensive discussions. Marilyn kindly sent me several useful documents and updates on Ethiopians in Washington, DC. I am very thankful to her. It is only right that the people who have endured my graduate education should receive the greatest recognition. Much credit is due to my wife, Yeshewaget Geremew, who has been a friend and a true supporter of my work through the challenging times of graduate studies. Her love, unquestioning loyalty, and support have been amazing! She always says, “No excuse. No reason not to complete whatever you have started. You have come a long way and you have to finish it.” I know I will never be able to adequately thank her. This work vi is her achievement as well. Above all God blessed us with the greatest gift ever—a beloved son Caleb. Caleb you are the greatest joy, an inspiration and everything we are thankful about. Your smile inspired me during the writing process and it is so fun to see how much you grow, and change every day. I bequeath this dissertation to you son. I hope one day you will read this text and find it interesting. As your mom always says, “failure is not an option.” Take it to heart, do well in your future studies and enjoy this land of the free. My acknowledgments would be incomplete without expressing my debt of gratitude to my mother Tejinesh Alemu, my brother Mulatu Kebede, my sisters Meazi Kebede and Hirut Kebede who offered essential emotional support although they were tired of the many years it took me to finish my study. My long absence has been sore for my mom in particular and I apologize for it. All I can say is that I am done now and I hope I will be home soon. I also owe a special debt of gratitude to the rest of my family, but there is no way I would be where I am either academically or personally without the wonderful and constant support, love and encouragement of my sister Meazi from grade one. You believed in me, even when I was a small child in rural. You are the best sister one can ever have. Thank you, this dissertation is for you. Importantly, my journey as a graduate student would not have been possible without financial supports from Syracuse University and other institutions. My studies at Syracuse were enabled by teaching assistantships. Funding for this research came from various sources: scholarships form the Syracuse University Goekjian Institute, University’s Roscoe Martin Scholarship, a Syracuse University’s summer Dean’s fellowship, and funding from the Claudia De Lys Scholarship from the Department of Anthropology. I am forever indebted to the Wenner- Gren