“Stop bombing Tigray! Stop the genocide in Tigray!” chanted members of Seattle’s Tegaru Community as they gathered for a candlelight vigil at Westlake Park on Christmas Eve. The memorial gathering served to honor those killed in the recent civil war that has displaced an estimated 1 million in Tigray, a northern region in Ethiopia. The event was organized by the Tigrean Community Center and the Tigray Youth Association.
One of my first conversations with Rahwa Habte was about the complexity of being a transitional immigrant. I’ve learned a lot since the day, 63 years ago, that I stepped off a plane into my new American life.
My story differs from Rahwa’s. My mother was the first Ethiopian woman to marry an African American man. Their story and wedding in the beautiful Greek Orthodox St. George Cathedral in Addis Ababa made the newspapers on both continents.
