By Coleen Martin Williams, RRSTAR.COM

Coming to America for twins Ananya and Azaria Habtemariam and their younger brother, Kaleab, meant crossing the Atlantic Ocean from their African homeland of Ethiopia.

Kaleab Habtemariam, 13, (from left), Merawit Tefera, Azaria
Habtemariam, 17, and his twin brother Ananya, sit May 2 in
the backyard of their Rockford home.
[Photo: SUSAN MORAN | RRSTAR.COM]

Merawit, their mother, was granted political asylum by the U.S. in 2000 because she married an Eritrean. Ethiopia and Eritrea have battled over their border. After reaching America, Merawit traveled to Illinois to live with a cousin who had settled in Rockford.

She made the trip having to leave her husband, daughter and three boys behind. In 2005, her three sons were able to join her in Illinois. Merawit’s husband still is seeking political asylum. Her only daughter, a nurse who is unable to find work in Ethiopia, is pursuing a visa that would allow her to enter the U.S.

Ananya and Azaria, now 17, will graduate with the Guilford Class of 2008. Kaleab, 13, attends Kennedy Middle School.

“I am thankful to God,” Ananya says. “Thankful for God’s grace to be in America. I am happy that I left Ethiopia. America has more opportunities. Unlike America, Ethiopian education is not available to all. And, unlike Ethiopia, American education teaches how to relate your education to real life.”

Ananya also appreciates the American culture that allows for different opinions and ideas.

“Ethiopia has one political party,” he said. “America allows more than one.”

Social life in Ethiopia
Not everything about Ethiopia is negative in Ananya’s view. One of the pluses he points out is the social life nurtured by Ethiopian culture.

“The people in Ethiopian communities are close,” he says. “For instance, one does not drink coffee alone — if alone, you would call someone to join you before you would drink your coffee.”

When he first entered school in the area, Ananya remembers the hard time he had making friends.

“Even though I knew how to speak English, I did not know the social customs of what to talk about.”

Pharmacy study plans
This fall Ananya will enter Northern Illinois University to study to become a pharmacist, although he says that choice might change. Whatever major he chooses, he said, his fondness for math will definitely be an asset.

Azaria said he also is glad to be in America. Like his brother, he points out the educational opportunities in America that he would not have in his homeland.

“There is no guarantee to Ethiopian students with high grades that they will be admitted to a college,” he said. “There are not enough educational facilities for all students who have the grades for admission. Even after college graduation, there are not enough jobs for every graduate. My sister, Tezeta, who is 22, is a nurse and does not have a job.”

One of the major differences Azaria sees between American and Ethiopian cultures has to do with religious holidays.

“The biggest (religious) holiday in Ethiopia is Easter, whereas in the United States it is Christmas. Before Easter day, Ethiopians fast for 55 days from morning to 3 p.m.,” he said. “During the fast the evening meal does not include meat. Ethiopians also pray each night and in church during the fast. I think Ethiopians are more religious and take religion more seriously than Americans.”

Engineering a future
Azaria has also applied to NIU, where he plans to major in electrical engineering.

After he receives his master’s degree, Azaria plans to devote some of his time to help other immigrants adjust to America. He and his brother already have experience in this area: they have both been math tutors for Guilford foreign high school students through a special Rock Valley College tutoring program.

Kaleab, like his brothers, said he is grateful to have had the chance to come to America. He too mentions how difficult it was in the beginning to make friends to replace ones left in Ethiopia.

“One reason it was hard for me to make friends,” says Kaleab, “was because of the language barrier.”

Although Kaleab knows how to speak English, his accent and the American accent presented challenges in understanding.

Kaleab is taking advantage of the educational opportunities available to him by studying hard and staying focused. His career goal is to become a surgeon. As for Rockford’s cold weather, he definitely favors the milder temperatures of Ethiopia.

It is not easy for Merawit and her sons to be away from their other family members.

They continue to pray and hope for a future reunion. In the meantime, they said, they will keep building their future here in Rockford.