By Eboni Farmer, The Hilltop
The power of the vote means so much to Mike Endale that he co-founded the D.C. chapter of Ethiopians for Obama — and he isn’t even eligible to vote during this election.
Endale, who immigrated to the United States eight years ago, said that when Sen. Barack Obama declared his run for presidency in May 2007, he knew it was time for him to apply to become a naturalized citizen. On Nov. 4, he will be voting for Obama, if only in spirit.
“I’ve always wanted to become a citizen,” Endale said. “When Obama announced that he was running for president, it made me really want to participate in the election.”
He said a vote for Obama, whose father came to the United States from Kenya to attend college, is a vote for someone who shares a similar immigrant story.
“Seeing Obama in the position that he is in gives hope to the generations of Ethiopians that are here,” Endale said. “It lets them know that they can reach for what seems impossible.”
In addition to Obama’s personal ties to Africa, Endale said the senator’s policies on immigration, health care and education are the reasons ‘Ethiopians for Obama’ is supporting him.
Since 2007, Endale and the 100 members of Ethiopians for Obama have been doing their part to get votes for the candidate.
Ethiopians are the largest of the African immigrants who have come to the capitol area. The United States Ethiopian Embassy estimates that there are nearly 100,000 Ethiopians in the region.
The D.C. chapter of Ethiopians for Obama has targeted the nearly 10,000 Ethiopians in Virginia, a battleground state, which hasn’t voted for a Democratic president since 1964.
Endale thinks the Ethiopian vote will be a viable factor in whether Obama or Republican Sen. John McCain wins the swing state. The organization is focusing on two key towns, Frederick and Alexanderia, with their large concentration of Ethiopians.
Recently, they gathered outside a Safeway supermarket in Alexandria, Va., preparing to embark on another day of canvassing in the 13th District. Since 2007, the group has been going door to door, morning until night several times during the week and on the weekends, collecting data on voters and sometimes even swaying voters on the other side.
The group has registered more than 2,000 people by Virginia’s Oct. 6 deadline. During one of their efforts, Emebet Bekele recalled a man who told her that he wouldn’t be “voting for a black man.”
She managed to keep her composure as she told him that she believed he was wrong and walked away. When the man called her back, they were able to have a constructive conversation. She recently learned that the man became a volunteer for the Obama campaign.
“They have the right to vote for whoever they want,” Bekele said, “but they shouldn’t be ignorant about it.”
Mistella Mekonnen, who immigrated to the United States from Ethiopia 35 years ago, said the presidential race is unlike anything she has ever seen.
“There has never been this much excitement in my community in any election I have been here for,” Mekonnen said.
She calls Obama “the beacon of hope” and has been doing all she can to make sure he clinches the victory, including going to churches, visiting homes and making phone calls to ensure that those who were able to register to vote did by the Oct. 6 deadline. On Nov. 4, she plans to drive people to the polls so they can vote.
Teddy Fikre, co-founder of the D.C. chapter of Ethiopians for Obama, introduced himself after a suspecting resident answered the door. “Hi, my name is Teddy and I am from the Obama Campaign.”
The trips are not always pleasant, though, and on a single day, the group has been kicked out of a building for soliciting, had the police called on them and one resident demand that they get off his property for asking questions about who registered voters are voting for.
Fikre said he doesn’t mind the conflict because of the greater goal. “It’s definitely worth it,” he said.
5 thoughts on “Ethiopians in Virginia go the extra mile for Obama”
I think it’s been almost two years since everybody talking about the 2008 election. Majority Ethiopians believe that, if McCain win the white house, it will be anther 3rd term of gorge bush administration. I feel the same way. But how come no body talking about if Obama win the white house we are going to face most probably anther bill Clinton administration? Maybe most of you going to asking me what is wrong with that? If you say so, I think you have bad memory. But if you asking me I don’t like to see anther similar to Clinton administration after what they did to Africans, especially to Ethiopia and Rwanda. How money of you remember when Clinton parsing fascist meles zanawe and issays? He was saying that how we Africans so laky to have this two yang and democrat leaders. While these tow fascists are killing million Ethiopians lift and right, especially thousands incent amharas. Clinton was talking shit despite human right watch report. I feel like Obama will do the same thing. If he is not worse. Anyway do you guys understand English Language? Or you gust lessening only pro Obama media like NPR, CNN.etc. I think that’s why you guys messed up. Obama supporters do you understand when Obama say “if I am president we American will never invade any country gust because they are dictator, we only going to war if our interest in danger “so whets make you to think Obama scarifies American interest for us. For Obama sadam husine (who kill millions Iraq) is gust a dictator so live him alone. If you do remember Obama was strongly against the removing of sadame husine. For Obama those two (black Hitler) fascist meles and issayas (who kill millions Ethiopians) are gust a dictator so live them alone. Even thou I hate those terrorist Somalis, I am so happy what they did to fascist meles zanawe army (the agzi). See my brother the Somalis did not weight tile Obama taking over the white house and stop the money giving to fascist meles zanawe then fascist meles cut and rune. No no no baby they start fighting as soon as fascist mele army (agzi) landed in their soil. Instead of doing the same thing. We cry almost the last 20 years. Stop blaming the united state of America for everything. Thinks god our grandparents did not weight outside help to fight fascist Italy. Can you imaging by now we will be head down whenever we walk in front of white people like fascist shabiy children.
What ever the case, we need change. We are at the most fascinating time in history. Obama, even the name sounds right for the time. He should and will be the next president. There are no guarantees about what he could and would do for the country and the world but I think he is the best choice we have right now. I hope he will be safe and that the situation will not create anger in the minds of white supermacists who may end up taking revenge against minorities. Go Obama!
Can you help me where I can get Obama’s T-shirt in amharic.
Like the one “Yes we can”( Yechalal).
Thank You!
one the D.C chapter for Obama is done with this….lets focus on bringing the Obama momentom to our comunity and country and give our people the hope that they have long been robed of. The older generation have F**** it up and not yet gone…let us make sure that we enspire the youth of Ethio to stand along one another and bring about a peacful change …………..yes we can take meles down peaceful…….yes we can make him work for us ….yes we can make him play our game just as we have played his game for all this years. . . . .
Yechalal le Ethiopiam
to Anonymous I know what you mean, I suport obama,but I have no expection that he will do something for ethiopia. at this time I am a US citizen and that is how I can vote for any one weather black or white , or republican or democrat. as a citzin of USA I have responsiblity to vote, not as ethiopian but as american. I vote for obama, because I want change. I don’t want to see another bush in whitehous for another 4 years. for ethiopia if we can’t change our life no one will do it for us. ofcourse bill clinten let african down. good example, ruwanda and burnidy. he could stop it but he didn’t. why? its not because he want them to die, but because his priorty is not ruwanda or burndi. he is voted by america for america, if he doesn’t have any interst on that country, he sholdn’t let a single american to die for it. if you find this is logical so we shouldn’t blame any body. the quality of the american leaders are their priority is their people. ofcourse they went to Iraqu, or somaila, but we all know the reason behind that. if american leaders see and potenial danger or interst confilct before them they will fight it before it goes far. are they doing the right things? it depends on the who says what.they listen their people not others moral isue. I belive that all leaders suposed to serv their oun citizn the next thing next. if all african leaders start to do the same thing, we could be in better place by now.