New Beginnings and Old Problems

New Beginnings and Old Problems

On a cold night in February, in an empty barbecue restaurant in Boston, Dikembe Aliyu waits patiently to talk about life, his family, immigration, and his constant fear of death. He has a friendly disposition with a notably bright smile, and although he looks distinctly North African, his denim jacket and tennis shoes give him the outside appearance of the typical American man. In reality, he is anything but typical.

After living through a brutal civil war, the murder of his brother, deserting an army, and watching the persecution of his parents, Dikembe fled to the United States for refuge in May of 2000. He was denied immigration status in 2001, and now faces a final hearing for political asylum in April, 2004. Armed with a briefcase full of personal letters and legal documents, Dikembe explains the chaos engulfing his home country, and why he can never return.

His country, Eritrea, is practically unknown to most Americans. In fact, due to its size, it’s hardly visible on a world map. Geographically, it’s one of Africa’s smallest nations, spanning 912km above Ethiopia’s entire northern border on the Red Sea. Despite its size and visibility, about 500 Eritreans immigrate to the United States each year, mostly to California, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Texas.

Eritrea’s history is marred with violence, civil war, and multiple authoritarian regimes. Historically the country has been part of Ethiopia, but after 30 years of civil war, it became an independent state in 1993. Ironically for Dikembe-who is 28 years old- it was the independence that would eventually drive him out.

Dikembe was born in 1976 in Asmara, the capital. His memories of the civil war are distant; he was too young,...

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...ife.

In a nation founded by settlers and built by immigrants, it’s hard to imagine that the issue of foreign residency is so potent. As the worlds only superpower, the United States still has the allure of “making it big” and the concept that anyone can go from rags to riches if they work hard enough. In reality, this is only partially true. The full truth is that despite our own domestic woes we are still the most economically and politically stable country in the world. It is because of this that hundreds of thousands of people come to make a new life in this country each year.

Whether its economics, family, or political turmoil that drives them, immigrants that come to the United States seek a better life. For some, that dream can never be fulfilled, but for others the freedoms that we pass as cliché rhetoric is the only chance some people have to survive.