A Mosiac of Cultures: Aurora's Ethiopian Communities

A Mosaic of Cultures:

Aurora’s Ethiopian Communities

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aking the decision to leave one’s homeland is never easy. It takes courage to face a new world and walk away from the life you have known. Both immigrants and refugees frequently arrive in the United States with little or no idea of what the future will bring.

Over the years, Aurora has earned a reputation for being a welcoming place for new residents of every background and culture. Newcomers to Aurora cite a variety of reasons for choosing the city, including affordable housing, abundant economic opportunities, a friendly atmosphere, and good schools.

For the area’s Ethiopian population, this welcoming atmosphere nurtures a variety of residents.

Colorado is home to more than 30,000 first and second generation Ethiopians, speaking over 80 languages and dialects. A range of community groups and organizations exist in the metro area that help Ethiopians navigate life in the United States while also celebrating their cultural heritage. From church groups to businesses to soccer teams, residents keep their culture alive while contributing to the greater Aurora community. Many Ethiopians came for a better life for themselves and their families, and in return the city benefits from their life experiences.

Learn about the different regions of Ethiopia and how those cultures shape the residents of Aurora. See how traditional and modern lives merge as a new generation of Ethiopian-Americans work to remain connected to their heritage.

Merkato Market 7227 E. Colfax Avenue

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wners Yeshi Bogale and Jemberu Fulla moved to Colorado from Minnesota in 1989 after originally coming from the Gondar region of Ethiopia. The couple opened Merkato Market in 1998. Named after Africa’s largest open air market located in Addis Ababa, it was the first Ethiopian market in the state of Colorado. It allowed Ethiopian immigrants to purchase unique cooking ingredients such as the berbere spice blend and teff flour for making injera.

Other products sold at Merkato Market include food supplies like lentils, beans, coffee, and different types of flour, as well as clothing, music, and home goods.

Shoppers can also purchase honey, barley, and hops to home brew Ethiopian beer or honey wine.

Ethiopian Evangelical Church of Denver 445 S. Lansing Street

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egun in the 1980s as a fellowship group to meet the spiritual and social needs of Ethiopian immigrants in the region, the Ethiopian Evangelical Church of Denver (EECD) formally organized as a congregation in 1989. The physical church has moved locations several times over the years to accommodate its growing congregation.

Senior Pastor Endeshaw Kelkele and Associate Pastor Ermias Amanuel currently serve 1,000 parishioners through both Amharic and English services.

EECD assists with more than just the spiritual needs of local residents. It serves as a community center, offering exercise classes and open gym for basketball. Other services available at the church include college planning, career development, and a support system for new immigrants learning to navigate life in the United States. The church also offers assistance to families who adopt Ethiopian children. This includes teaching them about traditional food, games, stories, and language.

Shimelis Assefa, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, University of Denver

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fter studying at Addis Ababa University, Shimelis Assefa came to the University of North Texas to obtain his doctorate in Information Science. In 2008 he moved to Colorado for a teaching position at the University of Denver. Of Gurage heritage from the Oromia region, Dr. Assefa teaches his young daughter his family’s language and culture while also helping her grow up in the United States.

Dr. Assefa’s teaching and research focus on the intersection of information science and education, and how human information seeking behavior facilitates or hinders how humans find, seek, and use information. He has published many articles about his research, including how the divide between developed and developing countries prevents many African nations from playing significant roles in the modern global economy.

Image courtesy University of Denver

Nile Ethiopian Restaurant 1951 S. Havana Street

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amed after the largest river in the world, Aurora’s Nile Ethiopian Restaurant opened in 2006. Aster Haile is the owner and head cook while her husband, Meresa Gebru, helps to manage the business between shifts as a nurse. Originally from Harari and Tigray, the couple moved to Colorado in 1998 from San Diego when Aster came to visit a friend and found a job. She called her husband and told him they were moving to Denver. After working a variety of food service management jobs at Denver International Airport, Aster found she missed cooking and decided to open a restaurant similar to one she had in Ethiopia.

The Nile opened as the first Ethiopian restaurant on Havana Street. While most supplies are bought locally, the spices are shipped from Ethiopia by Aster’s mother to ensure authenticity.

Customers of every nationality come from throughout the country, and regulars travel from as far as Colorado Springs to enjoy lunch and dinner.

Hermela Goshu

Middle School student at Denver School of Science & Technology

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orn in the United States to Ethiopian parents, Hermela straddles the worlds of both Ethiopia and the United States – between a Western education, traditional church, and friends she strikes a delicate balance. For many Ethiopians, family life is very important and is a primary way to keep their culture and languages alive with the next generation. Hermela and her family speak Amharic at home, and when they travel back to Ethiopia to see relatives she is able to easily communicate.

As a child of immigrants, Hermela sometimes finds it difficult to fit into the Western world while staying true to her roots. It can be easier to have only Ethiopian friends who understand that parents and their expectations are different from other classmates. Hermela also believes it is important to show her peers that not every culture is like America and hopes there will be more Ethiopian-American role models for her generation.

Endale Getahun KETO Community Radio

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ndale Getahun’s father received a scholarship from the government to attend school at the University of Colorado Boulder. Granted amnesty with the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act, his father brought over his family to join him in Colorado. Endale was around 12 when he arrived in Colorado in the mid-1980s, at a time when few other Ethiopians lived in Colorado. Growing up, Endale saw local churches providing valuable services for immigrants including language lessons and help finding jobs and housing.

Endale now owns a transportation business and also DJs at local events. His experiences as a young immigrant inspired him to work with local governments and schools to better serve immigrants. In 2014, the FCC awarded him a radio license to create 93.9 KETO radio station. He is in the process of building support and finding space for the station, but he hopes it will be a resource for the Ethiopian community as well as for all Aurorans. Endale and other local DJs currently work with local station KGNU to air Ethiopian and African music.

Konjo Catering

www.konjogroup.com

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etien Gebre-Michael grew up in Lakewood as the eldest daughter with 11 brothers and sisters. As a result, she quickly learned how to make traditional Ethiopian meals for her large family. She was so used to cooking for a large group that she found it difficult to make small portions when she moved out on her own! Fetien started Konjo Catering in 2010 as a side business while going to school and working full time. She honed her catering skills over the next few years and has been managing her own business for the past year and a half.

Konjo, which means “beautiful” in Amharic, specializes in authentic Ethiopian cuisine. Fetien loves to cook both vegan and meat dishes, although one of her favorites is shiro, a stew which has powdered chickpeas as the primary ingredient. Konjo Catering can be hired for everything from small gatherings to large parties, and you now can enjoy Fetien’s cooking throughout the Denver metro area with The Ethiopian Food Truck.

Colorado Oromo Youth Advocate www.coyaa.org

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ounded in 2013, Colorado Oromo Youth Advocate (COYA) is a local non-profit, non-governmental organization whose mission is “to organize and build versatile youth leaders that are aware and proud of their culture, identity, heritage, and history.” It hopes to develop responsible and confident young Oromo leaders to make a difference in their local Colorado community, the United States, and their native Oromia.

The group holds regular gatherings throughout the year to engage the local Oromo youth community. This includes resume and scholarship workshops to help youth find jobs and prepare for higher education. Members donate their time and resources volunteering with charities such as Meals on Wheels through a community service project called COYA Cares. O-Fit is a physical education program that allows individuals to enjoy the Colorado outdoors through hiking trips, and COYA also gathers for social activities such as an annual barbeque celebration for Eid, a Muslim holiday.

Afar Region

REGIONAL CAPITAL Semera MAJOR CITIES Asaita, Awash, Dubti, Logiya

The Afar region is in the northeast where the Afar people make up 90% of the population. The Afar Depression is located in the north and contains the Danakil Desert, one of the hottest inhabited places on earth.

Agriculture is difficult due to the climate, most people are pastoralists, herding cattle, goats, sheep, and camels.

For centuries, the Afar people have mined and sold salt from the Danakil Depression, and foreign investors mine for potash.

POPULATION 1,769,002* LAND AREA 270,000 km² LANGUAGE Afar 90%, Amharic 6.68%**

The region is known for some of the most important early hominid fossils. In 1974, anthropologists found the 3.2 million-year-old fossil known as Lucy at the Hadar site. Lucy is on display at the National Museum of Ethiopia.

Danakil salt caravan near Ahmed Ela, photographer Ji-Elle.

Street scene in Jijiga, photographer Charles Roffey.

REGIONAL CAPITAL Jijiga MAJOR CITIES Degehabur, Kebri Dahar POPULATION 5,598,002* LAND AREA 279,350 km² LANGUAGE Somali 96.82%**

Somali Region Somali is Ethiopia’s second largest region but has a relatively small population because most of the land is an arid desert or semi-desert. Somali people make up the majority of the population. Most are pastoralists, tending large herds of animals. The hilly terrain, with its thick thorny bush, makes it a good place for camels and goats, while the plains are ideal for sheep and cattle to graze.

Because of the arid environment, most crops are grown near rivers. Maize and sorghum are the main crops due to their ability to survive arid conditions. Some areas have been able to cultivate sesame, cowpeas, and vegetables. There is little trade with other regions, but there are jobs available in the cities with governments, NGOS, and urban services such as restaurants.

* Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia 2016 projection ** Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia 2007 census

Oromia Region

REGIONAL CAPITAL Addis Ababa MAJOR CITIES Adama, Jima, Bishoftu, Nekemte

Covering around 25% of Ethiopia’s entire land area, Oromia is named for the Oromo who make up a majority of the population. Half of the 20 largest urban settlements in Ethiopia lie within the region. Oromia can be considered Ethiopia’s breadbasket, producing more than half of the nation’s agricultural crops and home to almost half of its large livestock. The main crops are maize, teff, wheat, barley, peas, beans, and various types of oil seeds. Coffee is the main cash crop, amounting to around 50% of Ethiopia’s total production. Oromia powers Ethiopia through a number of hydroelectric power stations.

POPULATION 34,575,008* LAND AREA 284,540 km² LANGUAGE Oromo 87%, Amharic 9.1%**

Oromia is known for its geographic diversity and wild animals. Oromia’s hot springs, waterfalls, and Rift Valley lakes are popular tourist destinations. There are several archaeological sites in the region and Oromia’s Blue Nile Gorge is one of Africa’s largest canyons.

Bishoftu Lake, photographer Ji-Elle.

The Gates of Harar, photographer A. Davey.

REGIONAL CAPITAL Harar POPULATION 240,000* LAND AREA 335 km² LANGUAGE Oromo 56.84%, Amharic 27.53%, Harari 7.33% **

Harari Region Surrounded by Oromia, Harari is made up of the walled city of Harar and the immediate area. It is the smallest region and the only one where most are urban. Around half the population is Oromo, but other groups like the Amhara and Harari live there. The rich farmland around Harar is known for its plantations that grow coffee and khat, an herbal stimulant. Harari supports a good deal of industry, including construction, mining, transportation, and tourism.

The walled city within Harari, called Harar Jugol, is an UNESCO World Heritage Site which dates to before the 13th century.

Harar was one of the most powerful regional political entities from the 16th until the late 19th century. With its 83 mosques and 102 shrines, Harar is considered to be the fourth most holy city of Islam.

* Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia 2016 projection ** Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia 2007 census

Gambella Region

REGIONAL CAPITAL Gambella POPULATION 422,002*

Gambella is a flat, humid region with dense natural forests, savannahs, and grasslands. It has a small, but diverse population including groups such as the Nuer, Anuak, Mezhenger, Omotic, and Amhara. Many raise animals, and there are both large industrial farms in addition to small farms where crops like sorghum, beans, sesame, mango, and coffee are grown. The region’s water resources, including the Baro and Gilo Rivers, support fishing. Locals also use traditional methods to mine for gold.

LAND AREA 25,283 km² LANGUAGE Nuer 48.35%, Anyiwakgna 22.02%, Amharic 11.11% , Oromo 4.85%, Kafa 4.65%**

Gambella National Park makes up 17% of the region as the largest protected area in Ethiopia. The park is home to a variety of wildlife and has 327 species of birds, many of them rare or endangered. Africa’s second largest antelope migration of 1.2 million western kob move into the region from South Sudan every March.

A farmer planting his land in Gambella, UK Department for International Development.

A waza orchestra group, the waza is made from pumpkins, photographer Yohannes Wondirad.

Benishangul-Gumuz Region REGIONAL CAPITAL Assosa MAJOR CITIES Wenbera, Dibate, Pawe, Yasso POPULATION 1,033,999* LAND AREA 19,575 km² LANGUAGE Berta 25.14%, Amharic 22.46%, Gumuz 20.59%, and Oromo 17.69%**

Benishangul-Gumuz is a remote and rural region in western Ethiopia. Agriculture is an important industry, including crops such as maize, sorghum, beans, sesame, noug seed, millet, and peanuts. Besides agriculture, residents of the region participate in trading, fishing, and mining for gold in the local rivers.

Over 60% of Benishangul-Gumuz is forested and many wild animals live in the region, including lions, cheetahs, elephants, antelope, and water buffalo. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is under construction on the Blue Nile will be the largest hydroelectric power plant in Africa. The dam is expected to produce 6,000 megawatts of electricity, which will more than double Ethiopia’s present capacity for generating power.

* Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia 2016 projection ** Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia 2007 census

Tigray Region

REGIONAL CAPITAL Mekele MAJOR CITIES Adigrat, Shire Inda Selassie, Axum

Tigray is the home of the Tigray people who make up over 95% of its population. Despite sparse vegetation, most people farm crops such as teff, wheat, and barley. Farmers use irrigation and terraced farming on the region’s steep slopes. Animal skins, cotton, incense, sesame, and minerals are major exports.

POPULATION 5,151,998* LAND AREA 42,000 km² LANGUAGE Tigrinya 95.19%**

Tigray is the home of the ancient Axumite Empire. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that includes catacombs, palaces, and 120 stelae. Settled around the 7th century B.C., Axum emerged as the capital of the Axumite Empire around 2nd century A.D. and reached its peak from the 3rd to 6th centuries when it ruled over an empire stretching from the Sudanese Nile across the Red Sea in Arabia. It controlled a massive trade network that reached Mediterranean, African, European, and even some Asian ports.

Terraced mountains on the road from Adwa to the ancient site of Yeha, photographer A. Davey.

Geladas at Simien Mountains National Park, photographer Alastair Rae.

Amhara Region The Amhara ethnic group represents over 90% of the region. The mostly rural population supports itself by growing a variety of crops including barley, wheat, sorghum, cotton, and sesame. The region is one of Ethiopia’s major teff producers. Around 40% of the country’s livestock is raised in Amhara, which supports food processing, leather, and wool production.

REGIONAL CAPITAL Bahir-Dar MAJOR CITIES Gondar, Dessie, Debre Berhan POPULATION Est. 20,769,985* LAND AREA 170,752 km²

The region boasts Ethiopia’s largest lake, Lake Tana, which is also the source of the Blue Nile River. Three UNESCO World Heritage Sites are in Amhara: Simien Mountains National Park, home to several endangered species like the Ethiopian wolf, a 16th and 17th century walled city called Fasil Ghebbi in Gondar, and the medieval monolithic cave churches of Lalibela.

LANGUAGE Amharic 93%, Oromo 2.3%** * Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia 2016 projection ** Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia 2007 census

Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region The Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR) has the greatest variety of languages and ethnic groups in Ethiopia as well as the densest rural populations. In fact, over 20% of the entire country’s population lives in the region. Over 40 different ethnic groups live in SNNPR, with the largest groups including the Sidama, Welayta, Hadiya, and Gurage. Because of the Omo Valley’s natural resources, the region is important for raising animals and agriculture, producing maize, teff, enset, potato, and wheat. SNNPR is a major coffee producing region, responsible for almost 50% of the country’s production. The region’s water resources are used for fishery, irrigation, and hydroelectric development.

SNNPR is home to Stephanie Wildlife Sanctuary, preserved forests, and national parks. Konso Cultural Landscape is a UNESCO World Heritage Site made up of stone walled terraces and fortified settlements in the Konso highlands. The Lower Valley of the Omo is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the location of many hominid fossils. The Rift Valley Lakes near the region’s border with Kenya are some of the world’s oldest, largest, and deepest lakes.

Konso village, photographer Bernard Gagnon.

* Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia 2016 projection ** Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia 2007 census

REGIONAL CAPITAL Hawassa MAJOR CITIES Arba Minch, Dilla POPULATION 18,719,008* LAND AREA 105,900 km² LANGUAGE Sidamo 19.59%, Wolayta 10.48%, Hadiyya 8%, Gurage 7.13%, Gamo 6.9%, and Kafa 5.36%**

Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa are Ethiopia’s two chartered cities which govern themselves rather than observe the regional laws. Each city is governed by an administrative council.

Addis Ababa

POPULATION 3,352,000*

Addis Ababa is the capital of Ethiopia and the location of many national institutions, including museums, universities, and government ministries. Several international organizations are headquartered there, including the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. A wide variety of ethnic groups live in Addis Ababa due to the number of employment and education opportunities.

This forward-looking city is a center of manufacture, services, and trade and has an average annual growth over 10%.

Djibouti to Ethiopia railway station, connecting Dire Dawa to Addis Ababa, photographer A. Davey.

POPULATION 453,000 * LANGUAGE Amharic is used as a working language and people in some sectors also use Arabic.

Oromo 47.95%, Amharic 26.46%, Somali 19.74%**

LANGUAGE The main working language is Amharic, but most people speak English.

Amharic 71.0%, Oromo 10.72%, Gurage 8.37%**

The African Union Conference Center and Office Complex, photographer Maria Dyveke Styve.

Dire Dawa Dire Dawa lies in the eastern part of Ethiopia on the Dechatu River at the foot of the Chercher Mountains. The Imperial Railway Company of Ethiopia established the city in 1897 as the end of a railway line linking Addis Ababa with Djibouti. Its economic importance increased when Eritrea’s secession left Ethiopia without a seaport. There are a variety of trades and industries in the city, including railway workshops, textile and cement factories, and coffee and meat-canning plants.

* Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia 2016 projection ** Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia 2007 census

Adama

The city of Aurora is home to more than half of Colorado’s Ethiopian residents.

A local committee drove the effort for Aurora’s newest sister city and worked diligently to select a city in Ethiopia. Adama was selected because of its vicinity to the regional capital, its geography, population size, and current investment in energy projects in the region.

Aurora Sister Cities International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is “to build mutually beneficial local and global partnerships centered on international trade, and cultural and educational exchange.” To accomplish this on a municipal level, it acts as a liaison between the City of Aurora and its various partner cities. On a community level, it creates corps of committed, globally minded volunteers who support the global sister city initiatives, perform activities that highlight Aurora’s diaspora communities, and engage in cultural and educational activities that build relationships and trust. Aurora Sister Cities International uses its local committees to engage Aurora’s highly diverse international community.

Sister cities or “twin towns” are a form of legal and social agreement between places in geographically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties. The modern concept of town twinning in the United States was conceived after World War II to foster friendship and understanding between different cultures as an act of peace and reconciliation, and to encourage trade and tourism.

In recent times, town twinning has increasingly been used to form strategic international business links between cities.

AURORA

1988 JACO, COSTA RICA 3,291.0 MI

Adama (Nazret) is located in Oromia, one of the most fertile regions in Ethiopia. The major industries in the area include agriculture, energy (wind farms, hydroelectric, solar), manufacturing, banking/financial institutions, and tourism. Sister Cities International led a delegation there in February 2015 to formalize Aurora’s relationship with Adama and to tour its business, educational, medical, and municipal institutions.

Aurora benefits from this relationship because it allows local EthiopianAmericans to feel more civically engaged and it has led to further conversations around educational and cultural exchange, and future investment.

1992 ZIELONA GORA, POLAND 5,159 MI

2014 ADAMA, ETHIOPIA 8,383 MI

1992 SEONGNAM CITY, SOUTH KOREA 6,165 MI

The 9 Regions of Ethiopia LEGEND TIGRAY REGION Mekele

AFAR REGION

Regional Capital

Amhara

Undetermined boundary

Benishangul-Gumuz

International boundary

Dire Dawa

Region boundary

Gambella

Zone boundary

Harari

Lake

REGIONS

Addis Ababa

Semera

BENISHANGUL GUMUZ REGION

Afar

Oromia

LAKE TANA Bahir-Dar

National Capital

SNNPR Somali Tigray

AMHARA REGION

Assosa

DIRE DAWA

Dire Dawa

Harar

HARARI REGION

Addis Ababa

Jijiga

Gambella

OROMIA REGION

GAMBELLA REGION Hawassa

SOUTHERN NATIONS, NATIONALITIES, AND PEOPLES’ REGION

SOMALI REGION

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Map date: January 5, 2015

A Mosaic of Cultures:

Aurora’s Ethiopian Communities

Special thanks to the following: Dr. Shimelis Assefa and Abigail Shimelis

Yoseph Tollossa Gidi

Aurora Sister Cities International Karlyn Shorb

Kyrie Graves

Coffee Canaan Tenange Sharew Colorado Oromo Youth Advocate/Oromo Community Dr. Gordon Davis and Julie McCarthy Negist Derso

Mayor Stephen D. Hogan

Megenagna Grocery and Restaurant Haddis Ahmed Beneyam Tessema Merkato Market Yeshi Bogale and Jemberu Fulla

Ethiopian Evangelical Church of Denver

Nile Ethiopian Restaurant Aster Haile and Meresa Gebru

Ethiopian Yellow Pages Haileyesus Zeryihun

Shalom Unisex Beauty Salon Frehiwot Gebremariam

Ayelech G-Michal

Shebelle Market Tulu Hamza

Hermela Goshu

Saba Stiggers

KETO Community Radio Endale Getahun

Amsale Teshome

Konjo Catering Fetien Gebre-Michael

Union Taxi Hassan Ararso

This exhibit is supported by:

Aurora Museum FOUNDATION