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What insight do you draw from the readings?
Were there similarities from the two readings?
What limitations does a community face in exile, that
relates to the readings?
How do you address assimilation vs. staying true to being
Ethiopian?
Tomas, this was a good discussion, thanks for picking a very exciting topic!
ReplyDeleteI think most immigrants and foreign students from Ethiopia probably go through a long adjustment phase during their first few years in the US. For me the text and the parallel reading are complementary in putting a finger on the emotions and questions I had during my first two years in graduate school as a foreign student. Questions on whether or not I belong in my city, if I should "stay, live and prosper" or go back home and help my nation, were prominent, and still are to some extent. I feel the Jeremiah text really addresses this aspect and affirms the reader that it is okay to calm down, stay, settle, prosper. That when it is time the exiled will hear an unquestionable call and penchant to go to her/his roots and continue to help, live and prosper.
I think the parallel reading addresses something very present in the Ethiopian community, in terms of meeting expectations set for young adults by their parents and communities. Ethiopians are hard working and have a very strong work ethic, a virtue parents try to instill in their kids from day one. It is the mom's and dad's joy to brag about and celebrate the accomplishments of their fruit. I think a lot of times this is perceived as tremendous pressure on the youngster to perform at a certain level, otherwise she/he may fall out of grace, feel like a disappointment to family and community, or worse, be self-destructive. There are two perceivable groups with a huge gap in economies and accomplishments in the Ethiopian diaspora, and in my opinion societal expectations have some part to play. I think a lot can be learned by our community from the parallel reading, in accepting various levels of blackness - in this case Ethiopianness. Parents and communites need to accept a wider degree of professional, artistic, behavioral and life-style features in their children. And the youth needs to stand up for their visions and identities. When people are free, loved and supported by their community, they are at their most productive, creative and happy.
Lastly, my favorite verse in Jeremiah 29 is verse 5, the part that encourages the exiled to work for the prosperity of their new city, as it will mean their own prosperity. I think this is a good comment for the host people of the exile community as well. Especially in today's politically polarized look at immigration, there are entities that think of foreigners/immigrants as usurpers or burdens to the community. I think this verse affirms that the exiled by sharing resources to nurture and educate themselves, they are contributing and elevating the community as a whole and not bringing it down.
Thanks again for including me in the discussion, I have learned quite a few things!
After going through the parallel reading I noticed how a person would sacrifice many things in order to be considered ‘genuine’ by people of his own color. The author pointed sky diving as an activity that is not common within African Americans to show how a person who does not conform to the majority of his race would be considered a sellout. Therefore, in order to get the approval of black people that person would have to stick to what most black people do and stay away from other things. This limits the potential of that individual in many ways. However, he also pointed out the emerging diversity within the black community in order to show the importance of accepting change. On Jeremiah 29:5-6, God tells his people in a foreign land as exiles to take advantage of the amenities that are within that land. These amenities that can be found within the land can be protection, and diversity. According to that passage taking advantage of these things would result in the growth of these people and the conservation of their legacy.
ReplyDeleteWhen looking at these two readings from the perspective of the Ethiopian Diaspora within the United States, a lot of things come to mind. One of these things is the amount of control tradition has on this community. Most of the values and perspectives of Ethiopian immigrants is highly influenced by their culture. This is because this culture has been around for many years and it is strongly accepted by most people in Ethiopia. One thing I noticed is that many Ethiopians in the United States have created a niche that is based on the culture, and religion and values of their ancestors. This niche can be beneficial in many ways. However, it plays a big role on whether or not Ethiopians living in America would utilize all the advantages the nation has to offer.
The Jeremiah text talks about staying in and prospering, marrying and giving sons and daughters to marry, in essence a complete assimilation. It also indicates God is the one who will initiate and lead the exodus back to the mother land. The parallel reading tells us that there are many ways of being black. It warns readers of not constraining their interests and aspirations in fear of losing a black identity. In a way the two readings are similar in that they both encourage going out and experiencing, participating, engaging, and embracing what is available. The Jeremiah text doesn’t say lose your identity neither does the parallel text.
ReplyDeleteThe Ethiopian diaspora in the US can belong to many communities. The type of communities one creates will depend on many factors. We can divide the community ties into two major groups, Ethiopian diaspora self-community, and main stream community. Looking at it from a family perspective, the involvement of a father, mother or both in various categories of the above major groups influences their children's (2nd generation immigrants) social interaction decisions. The major mainstream communities a family of Ethiopian diaspora can join are: sports based, hobby based, work place related, school parent related, entertainment related, and possibly church related (if they go to a mainstream church). Of course to add to the complexity of things, all the above mentioned may be segregated based largely on socio economic status. For many Ethiopians participating in mainstream community interactions, lack of time (many are overworked in low paying wages), language difficulties, and confusion about the "American culture" could pose big obstacles. For those that have the right pre-requisites but are refraining from extending their mainstream community ties for fear of losing their Ethiopian identity, the text of Jeremiah offers comfort and direction. If one realizes, it is okay to be embrace a mainstream community, then it will be important to understand how that relates to an Ethiopian identity. The Post-Blackness text provides advice that may help to some extent. Understanding that belonging to various mainstream communities, doesn't lessen our being Ethiopian can be helpful in many decisions. Of course as Ethiopian families live here longer and for 2nd generation children, the development of a black identity may start to form and the Post-Blackness text becomes even more relevant.
Some ways of keeping an Ethiopian identity, especially, as the number of years in exile goes by, are to use formal structures such as community churches, community centers, interest and hobby based Ethiopian community groups, and mission or business visits to Ethiopia etc. Community organizers need to identify various interests that can be presented in an Ethiopian context as this will help in attracting more participants. In many cases, organizers may have to encourage Ethiopian community members to reach out to the main stream groups and to embrace the "American culture" and offer help in the process. Personally, i would like to know more about how we can relate our identity in Christ with the many social groups we happen to belong to.