This is a heuristic study about successful Ethiopian refugees in British Columbia. Heuristic research is another building block of phenomenological inquiry; it permits the researcher to discover his/her lived-experience within the phenomena. This research explores and discovers the lived-experiences of participants as articulated feelings and views on their sense of identity. Each participant's stories stand for the realities of who they are and how they made the transition of reconstructing their identity as a means of assimilating into Canadian society. Furthermore, their stories describe the patterns and processes of negotiation and re-negotiation of their identity in order to become successful in their new social environment. This research highlights ten participants' processes of adapting into a new environment, reconstructing their identity, and embracing change. Although the explored experiences represent only those who made a successful transition and reached a high degree of adaptation and assimilation in Canadian society, the results of this study provide a deeper understanding of Ethiopians in general, the integral role of culture, and its influence on individual identity to most immigrants. The study provides imperative information, as told by Ethiopians, to community, practitioners, professionals, and scholars as well as adds new knowledge about the complexity of Ethiopian immigrants' stories as no one had asked them before this study. The study found that participants whose tribal background was considered to be of a minority and experienced oppression and discrimination by the dominant tribe in Ethiopia, coped well with reconstruction of identity as well as with barriers in the Western world. Those who were rooted from the dominant tribe in Ethiopia, experienced adaptation and assimilation in the Western world difficult and at times intolerable. Similarly, the individual definitions of success and failure are associated with the strength of, or in-depth knowledge of one's sources of identity and the degree of connectedness and interdependency. The findings are comparable to explanations of identity patterns (individual, cultural, social, and political) found in similar studies of immigrants or refugees. However, one may notice that none of the participants in this study were from the same tribe and each participant's experiences and meanings either in Ethiopia or Canada are different. Nonetheless, the general sense of identity, roles, and influences of community found in this study validated the explanations and definitions posited in the literature (i.e., associated factors for self definition as well as influences on social and cultural identity). Furthermore, the extracted meanings also have confirmed sources of identity as being congruent to the adopted theory of this research as it linked to their roots, exposure to diversity, and creativeness not only in determining their skills of accepting or rejecting their new social, cultural, and economic values, but also allowing them to select (filter) values and beliefs that are desirable to become a member of the community in their new country. / Graduate

This PhD adopts an oral history approach to explore the importance of the Ethiopian coffee Buna ceremony in the lives of the participant Ethiopian forced miwants living in exile in London, UK. A primary objective was to place the personal oral testimonies and narratives within a rigorous research and ethical framework allowing the voice of the individual and community to be central to the process and recording the stories, histories and experiences of this much under-represented group within the field of migration and refugee studies. A central aim was to deepen our understanding of the significance of cultural traditions and rituals in the construction of identity, and to obtain a unique insight into the Ethiopian passion for the ritual 'Buna' ceremony as indicated by the fact that it remains a significant practice in exile. One of the key objectives was to explore how issues of gender, age, identity and well-being are maintained, transformed and challenged in exile within the context of re-settlement and more specifically in relation to the impact of the Buna ceremony on this complex, dynamic and challenging process. Finally, this research aims to explore the mental well-being issues facing the Ethiopian community in the UK and will focus on the use of the cultural Buna ritual as a means of alleviating some of the difficulties and challenges experienced by the participants in their attempts to settle and adapt to life in the UK. This study prioritises the complex and often-neglected issues of well-being and mental health within the Ethiopian community in exile and will contribute to the limited research on the experience of Ethiopian forced migrants in the UK.

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<p>The main purpose of this Master Essay is to analyse the integration of Ethiopian immigrants in Sweden between 1990 and 2000. My hypothesis has been that Ethiopian immigrants in Sweden constitute a group whose prospects to integrate are fairly low, but whose prospects to integrate also depend on the sex-composition and the length of staying in Sweden. In my analysis of the chosen group’s immigration pattern and integration, I have used a longitudinal database of the Swedish population where information on income and employment are included. I have analysed the group’s labour market participation and their prospects to reduce and eventually close the income gap in relation to the working aged population in Sweden.</p><p>The regime of control in Ethiopia between 1977 and 1991 forced hundreds of thousands of mostly young Ethiopians to flee to Europe and USA. Between 1985 and 2000, 8033 Ethiopians immigrated to Sweden. The peak years were 1989 and 1991, preceded by a dramatic increase of the number of Ethiopians who immigrated to Sweden. After 1991 the immigration from Ethiopia to Sweden declined rapidly to a similarly low level as before 1985.</p><p>Nevertheless, when analysing the age-composition, those aged 18-29 years were shown to be in majority throughout the whole period as mostly young Ethiopians were forced to flee before 1991. Also, younger persons are more likely to migrate than older persons. The spectacular decrease of Ethiopian immigration to Sweden was probably linked to the former regime’s capitulation in 1991. In addition, Eritrea’s outbreak from Ethiopia in 1991 also had consequences on the numbers of Ethiopian immigrants to Sweden as Eritreans were no longer categorized as Ethiopians. Up to 1991, men were more likely to immigrate, but after then females were clearly in majority.</p><p>The frequency of not being employed has decreased considerably among Ethiopian immigrants throughout the period. At the same time, the income gap between them and the population in general was reduced even though it remained large in the whole period. The decrease in the proportion of Ethiopian immigrants without employment was larger for the females than for the males, and even if men had higher incomes throughout the period, women’s income approached that. Thus it seems that the integration process is on its way for Ethiopian immigrants, especially for the women. The age-composition is probably an important factor behind the group’s relatively successful integration given the large share of working aged persons.</p>

The main purpose of this Master Essay is to analyse the integration of Ethiopian immigrants in Sweden between 1990 and 2000. My hypothesis has been that Ethiopian immigrants in Sweden constitute a group whose prospects to integrate are fairly low, but whose prospects to integrate also depend on the sex-composition and the length of staying in Sweden. In my analysis of the chosen group’s immigration pattern and integration, I have used a longitudinal database of the Swedish population where information on income and employment are included. I have analysed the group’s labour market participation and their prospects to reduce and eventually close the income gap in relation to the working aged population in Sweden. The regime of control in Ethiopia between 1977 and 1991 forced hundreds of thousands of mostly young Ethiopians to flee to Europe and USA. Between 1985 and 2000, 8033 Ethiopians immigrated to Sweden. The peak years were 1989 and 1991, preceded by a dramatic increase of the number of Ethiopians who immigrated to Sweden. After 1991 the immigration from Ethiopia to Sweden declined rapidly to a similarly low level as before 1985. Nevertheless, when analysing the age-composition, those aged 18-29 years were shown to be in majority throughout the whole period as mostly young Ethiopians were forced to flee before 1991. Also, younger persons are more likely to migrate than older persons. The spectacular decrease of Ethiopian immigration to Sweden was probably linked to the former regime’s capitulation in 1991. In addition, Eritrea’s outbreak from Ethiopia in 1991 also had consequences on the numbers of Ethiopian immigrants to Sweden as Eritreans were no longer categorized as Ethiopians. Up to 1991, men were more likely to immigrate, but after then females were clearly in majority. The frequency of not being employed has decreased considerably among Ethiopian immigrants throughout the period. At the same time, the income gap between them and the population in general was reduced even though it remained large in the whole period. The decrease in the proportion of Ethiopian immigrants without employment was larger for the females than for the males, and even if men had higher incomes throughout the period, women’s income approached that. Thus it seems that the integration process is on its way for Ethiopian immigrants, especially for the women. The age-composition is probably an important factor behind the group’s relatively successful integration given the large share of working aged persons.

This dissertation explores the identity formation of Ethiopian and Nigerian immigrants, their second generation children, and native born African Americans who reside in the Seattle metropolitan area. Using boundary formation theory, I argue that African immigrants and their second generation children are developing a shared sense of Black identity and racial solidarity (linked fate) with native born African Americans. This shared Black identity is illustrated through both Africans and African Americans’ recognition of one another as racial group members, the constraints on their Black identities, and their navigation of similar institutional and political contexts. I argue that this is highly suggestive of an expansion of the Black racial boundary, and the reconstitution of Black identity in the post-Civil Rights Era. Despite some boundary contraction within the Black racial category by some 1st generation Africans, the African 1.5 and second generation are engaging in boundary crossing particularly with African Americans through their bicultural identities. This process appears to be leading to the blurring of boundaries between the children of African immigrants and native born African Americans, especially through the 1.5 and second generations involvement and integration into African American social and professional organizations. Evidence presented in this dissertation suggests that there is a weakening of ethnic identity among the African 1.5 and second generation. This weakening of ethnic identity among the children of Ethiopians and Nigerians suggest subsequent generations of Africans born here in the United States will eventually be absorbed into an undifferentiated African American/Black category. Keywords: Ethiopians, Nigerians, African Americans, linked fate, Black identity, Africans

When educated professionals with a disability immigrate to Canada with their families, they are full of hope. Because they were told that Canada is a land of opportunity, they expect to build on their past careers and become fully employed. Nevertheless, the experience of many immigrant families with an educated adult member with a disability has been long years of poverty and unemployment in Canada. My phenomenological and heuristic study was designed to explore the central research question, "What is the lived experience of Ethiopian immigrant families in Canada in which one adult member is blind?" My study also examined several sub-questions: I-low does the fact that one family member has a disability affect the family as a whole, in their experience as immigrants in Canada? What are the social barriers that the blind immigrant and his or her family have encountered during the experience adapting to Canadian society? What are the strengths and coping mechanisms of the family members? What changes do immigrants suggest to improve the lives of immigrant families with a blind adult family member? Using interviews, I gathered the family experiences of six blind participants, as well as two sighted participants whose partners were blind. All were adult immigrants from Ethiopia. I chose to use methodology that would give participants a "voice" and would allow their own words to be used when describing the findings. Transcripts went through a process of narrative analysis. Data was divided into categories and then separated into themes. Twelve metathemes emerged from data analysis of 323 themes: Comparison of Ethiopia and Canada's treatment of blind people, High Achievement, Persistence and perseverance, Ethiopian expectations about a blind child or student, Social construction of disability, Importance of Advocacy, Unemployment in Canada, Desire to be independent and self-supporting, Personal and family strengths, Importance of social support network, Participants' experiences accessing help from CNIB and employment agencies, and Recommended Government Policy Improvement. The emerging metathemes supported the view of scholars who hold that "disability" is a social construction and is merely a characteristic. Despite "disability", my six blind participants achieved academic education and entered fulfilling careers in one country. Afterward, they endured long years of poverty and unemployment in a second country. The sighted partners of educated blind professionals verified their partners' experiences of poverty and ableism since immigrating to their new country. The two contrasting experiences demonstrated that "disability" was framed either positively or negatively by the social environment in which the educated blind professionals lived and worked. Participants' experiences revealed that Canadian employment agencies lack accountability. As well, employment agencies and organizations for the blind are providing ineffective help for blind people seeking employment. Several participants noted the need for "organizations of the blind, not, for the blind" in order to improve the services of such organizations. In contrast to the stereotype that successful blind people must he special or talented, the study revealed that blind people can become educated and employed in their careers when there is motivation, opportunity, and some small amount of social support. The participants all believe that employment is part of full citizenship. The study revealed that certain personal and family strengths of sighted and blind participants have supported them to stay together as a family and to persist in seeking employment without losing hope. Despite hardships related to long term unemployment, participants continue to live fairly peaceably within their families. Their support for each other within the family, and their persistence and refusal to give up hope was striking. All participants called out for increased activism and advocacy for both Canadian-born and immigrant blind people, on the part of the Canadian government.

This thesis explores the relationship between identity, social interaction, and social practice, through a case study of young diasporans of Ethiopian origin (YDEOs) from North America and their engagements in Ethiopian development initiatives. Specifically, I examine the ways in which people of Ethiopian descent born and/or raised in Canada and the U.S. construct a diasporic identity and engage with Ethiopian development initiatives through a mutually constitutive process. My methods were qualitative and involved conducting semi-structured in-depth interviews with 55 YDEOs and attending 8 community events in Toronto, Washington, D.C., and Addis Ababa. All of the YDEOs I interviewed had actively engaged in initiatives (based in North America or Ethiopia) intended to contribute towards the social, political, and/or economic development of Ethiopia. Their initiatives included fundraising events, establishing local NGOs, volunteer missions, and taking professional positions within the Ethiopian development sector, among others. Utilising an interactionist theoretical framework, I unpack YDEO motivations for engaging in Ethiopian development, the nature of the development activities themselves, and the ways in which these experiences have shaped YDEO relationships, identities, and trajectories in life so far. Engaging in Ethiopian development was rarely expressed as an extension of a pre-existing sense of Ethiopian patriotism; rather, YDEOs used these practices to explore, test, or build a sense of connection to their country of origin. Further, the development framework made it possible for them to forge a relationship that also resonated with their other social identities, and could even be leveraged to further other personal and professional goals. YDEO engagements in Ethiopian development were not simply interventions; they were fundamentally social processes defined by social interactions. In the process of organising fundraising events, volunteering at orphanages, and working on project reports, YDEOs were also building personal connections, gaining social capital, and redefining attitudes towards their families, communities, development, and Ethiopia itself. This thesis contributes an in-depth and critical analysis of the diaspora/development nexus - a nexus that emerges as a contested space, where people act and are acted upon, where identities are reified and transformed, and where institutions and social structures are both strengthened and challenged. The insights from migrant descendant experiences, such as YDEOs, highlights the ways in which diasporic identities take shape and are imbued with meaning through social practice, and how these practices are connected to broader human psychosocial needs, aspirations, and behaviours.

The thesis deals with the Ethiopian migration to the Czech Republic, especially to Prague. The aim of this work is to present the Ethiopian migration, to identify the origin and the reasons of an individual migrant for coming to the Czech Republic, to learn about their adaptation to the Czech environment and to find out what are their prospects and aspirations for the future. The thesis is divided into five chapters. The first introductory chapter contains motivation, criticism of the sources, the structure of work and terminology. The theoretical part deals with the characteristics of Ethiopia, 20th century history, present time, selected Ethiopian nations and two cases of the most common Ethiopian's migration. Afterwards we focus on the Czech (Slovak) - Ethiopian relations, establishment of diplomatic, cultural and economic relations and the statistics of the number of Ethiopians in the Czech Republic. In the research part, based on participant observation and interviews I describe the course of the Ethiopian migration from the initial motivation, through language training, study, work, relationship to the Czech Republic and Ethiopia, to their future plans.