Immigration story

Adversity Backs Down

Perfect white benches line up a long pathway as a glare from the bright gold plated road travels for miles, until it meets the blue sky in the distance. Tall green trees placed so perfectly along the gold road overflow with fountains of the finest melted chocolate. So smooth and rich one drop would satisfy any craving for desert. The sound of birds chirping filled the streets in a harmonizing sound. A far away land mixed somewhere in between the clouds and sky is how eight year old Teobesta Ashenafi pictured America. With no knowledge about the land of opportunity she let her imagination as a young kid create what she thought of as a perfect world.
As an immigrant from the Far East African country of Ethiopia, Ashenafi and her family traveled to the U.S. for the first time, with no intention of leaving in August of 1995.
Fast forward to September 2008, I sit in a quiet dim lit house across the kitchen table from a well-educated student. She is wearing a sweater that reads UC DAVIS on the front her hair in perfect curls lingers to the middle of her back. She tilts her head to the side and gently closes her eyes. Trying to collect her fondest memories of her childhood in Ethiopia.
Ashenafi had just finished the second grade, and it was that summer her parents told her the big news. Their family was moving to America. Normally the process of moving to America is quit grueling and tiresome. It involves numerous visits to the embassy and countless hours of filling out paperwork. However Ashenafi recalls a different story. Her family entered in a lottery called The DV which stands for The Diversity Immigrant Visa. Certain countries are allocated a number of these each year with hopes of enhancing the representation of those immigrants in the U.S.
Many native Ethiopian enter in it each year. The lottery allows for lucky families who qualify to receive permanent resident visas for the United States. For many people it was a slim to none chance of winning. However for the Ashenafi family it was a blessing in disguise. After wining the lottery a surprising three times before, her family repeatedly refused the offer. The life they had in Ethiopia was comfortable and well established. Her mom was a teacher and her father a well-known farmer with in the community.
Much to their surprise they won the DV for a fourth time. Nothing short of a blessing from God they decided to finally take it. Ashenafi’s parents decided the opportunity that could be given for their children in America was more than what Ethiopia could offer. Deciding to put their comfortable lives on hold. They chose to move to Freemont, California. “I was eight years old and my brother was 16, they decided it was the perfect opportunity so we took it and never looked back,” Ashenafi said.
Generally Ethiopian immigrants make their way to the U.S through government visas or green cards given to them by the U.S. embassy. When the 1980 Refugee Act was passed there was a heavy arrival of Ethiopian immigrants in the U.S. between the years of 1982 to 1994. According to the Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America, Ethiopia was the most heavily represented group in the U.S. from Africa during that time.
As more memories started to resurface Ashenafi laughed when recalling the first plane ride she took. “I was only eight, and they didn’t teach you geography, so I had no sense of how the world was shaped and the different continents. When they told me we were moving to America I thought it was somewhere up in the sky. I remember early in the morning leaving from the airport in Ethiopia I was sad to leave the rest of my family but excited for what was to come,” she said. After a two day plane ride with stops in Frankfurt, Germany and New York Ashenafi and her family finally arrived at the San Francisco airport on an early August summer morning. There she was greeted by tons of family and friends. It was that day she took a first bite out of the American culture, the McDonald’s happy meal hamburger.
The transition for Ashenfai was rather smooth. She grew up speaking both English and Amharic, the native dialect of Ethiopia. The language was hardly a challenge besides a few slang terms and facts about pop culture she was up to speed. However the comfortable life her parents once lived in Ethiopia did not transfer over so smoothly.
Once you are here it was about making it in this society. “I grew up in a very strong Christian based family my religion and culture is very important to me,” Ashenafi said. “One thing my family and I had to learn here was that everyone is out to support and fend for themselves. Where as in Ethiopia it was all about what you can do to help raise up your community.” Her parents were firm believers in leading by example. They decided to go back to school and both received degrees at U.S. colleges, working hard they made sure their children understood why they were going through all that trouble. “My family gave me a really comfortable life; they provided me with the tools I would need to succeed. Everything they have done and continue to do is for me to have great opportunities in life,” She said
Like many immigrants the hard work of making it to America is only half of it. Tessema Shifferaw an immigrant from Ethiopia who made his way to the U.S. through a student visa in 1973. Claims that most Ethiopian immigrants go into some type of service work once they get to the U.S. Metropolitan cities on the East and West coast are flooded with Ethiopian immigrants who take job’s as cab drivers, work at parking lots, airports hospitals, and very few own their own business.
Though these job titles remain embedded in Ethiopia-American culture, Ashenafi proved to strive for something much bigger, she claims to be a very proud person. Proud of her culture, proud of her religion, and proud of where she comes from. Ashenafi says she is different from most immigrants because she never had a fear of being different. “Even at a young age I always walked with my head high. This is me; I am from Ethiopia and proud of it, take it or leave it. I had a family who backed me up in whatever I did so I was never afraid to show who I was,” she said. It is these strong characteristics instilled in her from parents, strong culture, and religious backgrounds that helped prepare her for some of life’s most tragic obstacles one can face.
In the fall of 2002 Ashenafi was starting her sophomore year of high school when her father fell victim to cancer and died. The stress and peer pressure of being a teenager and the death of a father can tear one down emotionally. However Ashenfai did not let the challenging obstacles she was faced with break her down. “I knew there was work to be done and I had to do it. I made a promise to my father and still to this day I make sure I keep it. My mother has done everything for me since my dad passed,” she said. “Going to school so I can provide an easier life for her and myself is what I strive to do now. It is my duty as well as my drive.”
Now a senior at UC Davis with a major in biological sciences and a minor in African studies she plans to graduate and receive a bachelor’s degree in spring 2009. Unlike most of her peers Ashenafi's story is very different. She came from a comfortable well off lifestyle in Ethiopia, to the working world of America. Faced adversity but never let it take her down. When asked if she ever feels significantly different than Americans the only thing that separates her she claims is the right to vote. “I am not a U.S. citizen, so I can not register to vote that is the only significant thing that I believe makes me any less different that any other American,” she said. Ashenafi believes America is the one place where you can work your way up the latter and believes she is a living testimony of that.
In a society where people and things are constantly being overlooked by our daily activities it is people like Ashenafi that help motivate others to strive for excellence. “I believe I am the American dream in the making, I haven’t and will not give up what I have set to achieve in my life. I think our experiences make us who we are. I have grown and will continue to grow. Every up and down I have experienced is thru God. If it weren’t for him I would not be able to carry on after my falls,” Ashenafi said.
The story is as old as time, some say rags to riches, others call it the American dream. Yet, knowing that one can work their way up to the top with nothing but family, faith, and motivation behind them is always refreshing. No matter how dusty the storybooks get sitting on the shelf. The tale of a person’s passion for success and drive to give back to those who sacrificed for them is a timeless one that will never get old.

THE RIGHT TO MY HEALTH

America, one of the most wealthiest and powerful countries in the world somehow can’t seem to provide affordable health care for its many citizens. According to the National Coalition on Health Care website in 2005, 47 million Americans did not have health coverage that is 16 percent of the population. Unfortunately the number of Americans with out health coverage is steadily increasing as fewer jobs provide heath benefits for their employees and the price of health insurance continues to rise.
A portion of the people who are affected by the high cost of health care are the young employed who are struggling to provide for themselves without the support of their parents.
For Caterina Lourenco her story is similar to many of her peers. Being cut off her parent’s health insurance at 18 never fazed her until she unexpectedly got pregnant. Her viewpoint on her future and the future of her health was forever changed. For Lourenco, medical insurance never really impacted her life so much. At 18 she was cut off her parents medical insurance that was covered by Kaiser. Two years later Lourenco looks back at her younger years and now understands the necessity of health care. “ I had it in my head to get medical insurance, but there was nothing really pushing me until I found out I was pregnant.” She said.
Lourenco is a young expectant mother. She works tirelessly continuing to take college classes and works two jobs as a part time sales associate at “Baby R Us” and full time sales associate at Sephora. Among the many difficult obstacles she would face as a young mother, the proper health care for herself and her unborn child was at the top of the list. Her full time job offered a limited amount of health coverage and did not cover pre natal care. Her part time job did not offer her health coverage because she was not a full time employee, thus leaving Lourenco questioning how she would afford to pay for health insurance. She began to research ways she would be able to receive medical coverage with little or no cost. Upon her research she found out about Medi-Cal. A state owned medical coverage for low-income families that is funded by the state of California.
According to the Medi-Cal website, The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is a department within the California Health and Human Services Agency. The programs are deisgned to, “deliver health care services to low-income persons and families who meet defined eligibility requirement. Emphasize prevention-oriented health care measures that promote health and well being. Ensure access to comprehensive health services through the use of public and private resources. As well as ensure appropriate and effective expenditure of public resources to serve those with the greatest health care needs.”
With no hesitation, Lourenco applied in hopes that she would not have to pay for the many pre natal care visits and periodical doctor check ups she would need during her pregnancy. Depending on the family income a person may qualify for free Medi-Cal coverage, however the higher the income the more expensive the co pay the patient has to pay.
Upon applying for Medi-Cal, Lourenco went through a long process to get her health insurance approved. She claimed there was little information provided so she had to take it upon herself to research what health coverage her and her unborn child would benefit from. While awaiting approval from Medi-Cal, Lourenco was forced to go to a community pregnancy center, a no cost center where pregnant women could go to get checked by nurse practitioners. There they offer basic needs for pregnant women who are waiting for their medical coverage to be approved.
The wait period can be a rigorous one. There is no sense of comfort or security. Not knowing what doctor you will have, what hospital you will go to or who will deliver you child is not a settling feeling for any expectant mother. During the application approval process Lourenco and her mother tried to get her back on her parents health insurance. However much to their surprise the process was even more rigorous then waiting for Medi-Cal. “ They told us I would have to be on a probation period of 90 days because I had what they called a ‘pre existing condition,’” she said.
After finally getting the health coverage approved by Medi-Cal Lourenco decided the next step was to find a permanent doctor. One that would aid her through the rest of her pregnancy and deliver her child. During the process of finding the right OBGYN Lourenco was turned down many times by doctors she hoped she would get. “Most hospitals accept Medi -Cal, but due to the fact that the state takes a really long time to pay. It’s at the doctor’s discretion if they want to accept your Medi Cal or not. Because it took so long for my Medi-Cal to be active the doctors that I wanted wouldn’t accept me because I was already too far along in the pregnancy,” she said. After finally finding a doctor who would accept her Medi-Cal Lourenco felt comfortable and safe for the first time in her pregnancy. “I get a sense of security and comfort knowing everything is straight and squared away,” she said.
Since then Lourenco has found a doctor she is comfortable with. She is happy knowing that any health issues she or her child may have can adequately be taken car of. Without the worry or stress of how it will be paid for.
Lourenco has high hopes for the future of health care and the Medi-Cal program. As of now and in the near future she has no intentions of changing her heath coverage until she will have a decent income to pay for a private health insurance. She hopes that with a new change in the White House, government officials will see the need of programs like Medi-Cal. Therefore making it more accessible, and allowing the information to be out there so people understand how it works and how it will help. “The long process makes it difficult, there are a lot of women out there that are pregnant and need help for themselves and the children they are carrying, “ she said. Lourenco hopes that her peers who are going through the same situation she did will have the patience to stick through the process. “I say to people like me, to just stick through it. It’s frustrating because you want it now, but as soon as you do get it it’s worth it. You don’t have to pay for anything and it really des help out, especially for young moms because more times then not they don’t have the money to pay for it. Nip it in the butt because things aren’t going to get any easier.” She said.
With Medi-Cal providing a more organized and efficient way of helping their applicants the long process Lourenco had to go through can easily be avoided. The health care system is increasing in cost. Hopefully more programs like Medi-Cal will become accessible to more Americans. So that all citizens are granted with the right to have their health properly taken care of. Therefore no citizen has to worry about how they will pay for a broken bone, a tumor, a flu shot, or in this case the safety and care of their unborn child.

Election story- the day history was MADE!

Finally Our Vote Counts

Horns honked, people cheered, some danced, some sobbed, some even dropped to the floor in shock while other’s dropped their head’s to an upset defeat. As the 2008 President-Elect of the United States, Barack Obama was announced. Amongst the sadness and celebration surrounding who would be elected as the 2008 president 23-year old Sophia Tesfaye says she knew it ever since he won the Iowa caucus.

Tesfaye, political science major from UCLA says, “the feeling that night, knowing that 98 percent of the population was Caucasian and they voted for an African American candidate was incredible. I knew that if Iowa could vote for him then the whole country could.” It was after the results of the Iowa caucus during the primaries that Tesfaye found her belief in America so much it brought tears to her eyes. “That was the first time I was proud to be an American,” she said.

Tesfaye says she has been interested in politics ever since she can remember. In addition to having a congressional internship in Washington DC, working for the DNC, and interning at her congresswoman’s district office, she claims politics is her passion. ”It is the only thing I truly care about,” she said. The 2008 election is one of the most influential and historical elections in our nation and Tesfaye made sure she was properly informed about everything that was going on. Checking on a political blogs and never missing a news cycle was apart of her daily routine since the campaigns started.

On Nov. 4, 2008 Tesfaye along with many other die-hard Obama supporters attended an election party at her friends house. The celebration was toped off with champagne bottles waiting to be popped, delicious deserts, and a cake with the Obama symbol engraved in it. The front cover of the LA Weekly Newspaper hung on the door that read, “choose wisely” underneath pictures of Senator John McCain and now President-Elect Barack Obama. Counting down the exact second until the polls closed in California did Tesfaye’s premonition come true.

The challenges Obama will face going into office are so great. With the country’s reputation at hand his work will be difficult however, Tesfaye has great hope for him. “ I expect him to pass a comprehensive legislation that future generation will benefit from, similar to FDR and the new deal.” Tesfaye along with many other firs time voters believe their voices where finally heard, the impact the youth had in this election was impressive and an eye opener to politicians everywhere. “As an African American and a child of an immigrant I feel that I can connect with Obama’s personal story and he gives me inspiration. Now I know if he can do it so can I,” she said.

Although much of the attention went to the history being made on Nov. 4, to many California natives the controversial outcome of proposition 8 was the real shocker. The ban of gay marriages was passed by a 53 to 47 percent margin. Disappointed in the outcome, Tesfaye feels there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. “ In one way we can advance civil rights for one group but hold them back for another, but I am hopeful that things will change.”

The next president has his work cut out for him, and there is no telling if he will keep the promises he made during his campaign. However the young political savvy voters like Tesfaye are doing what they can to help create that avenue of change for the country.