Fire & Stones, Winter 2022

My Path Standing at the edge of the boat, I look below and see the Hudson River tide brushing against the ferry. The sun flashes in my direction, and I feel the slight breeze reflecting off the water. Suddenly, the loud noise of the speaker erupts in my ears, “And to our left, ladies and gentlemen, is our Lady Liberty. In a joint effort to celebrate the friendship between France and The United States during the American Revolution, the French gifted this statue to us. But this is not the only significance of this statue, in fact when European immigrants first came to Ellis Island this was the first image they saw of America. Lady Liberty holding out a torch. To them, she was a symbol of hope and new beginnings.”

I remember my first time learning about Ellis Island in Lower School. I was so fascinated I even went home and asked my immigrant parents what it was like when they first arrived. They both laughed and explained to me that they weren’t one hundred years old and immigration had revolutionized greatly since then.

Both of my parents had to flee their country, Ethiopia, at a young age when a repressive regime took over. While my mother first went to France and my father to Michigan where his brothers were, they both eventually found themselves in Washington, D.C. My father, although living in this country for about twenty years and attending university here, did not become an American citizen until 2012. And my mother was able to win a green card lottery and came to this country speaking barely any English while living in a small apartment with her brother in Arlington.

My family takes much pride in being American as well as Ethiopian. Our house is a gateway into a melting pot, as one would say. On top of our piano stands a black and white picture of my great grandma and grandpa from 1897, near the time when the Ethiopians beat the Italians in the Battle of Adwa. My great grandpa sits on his red chair while my great grandmother stands by his side.

Next to it are pictures of my family and me standing in front of the Hollywood sign from 2018. Our arms fold around each other while the California sun beams down on our skin. If you turn to your left, you will see 2-ft miniature clay statues of women from the Gambella tribe, a region located in southwest of Ethiopia.

They wear green skirts and orange tops highlighting their smooth dark skin.

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