Suspicious
Saturday, April 17, 2010
by Teddy Fikre
I will admit, I am by no means an expert on the Ethiopian community. In fact, having been away from Ethiopia for over 27 years and growing up in Woodbridge Virginia in a time where there was only two other Ethiopians we knew that lived there, you can say that I have a lot to learn about our community. So take these words not as an authoritative statement but an observation I have made over the past two years as I have endeavored to narrow the chasm between me and my fellow Ethiopians.
If there is one phenomenon I have observed more than any other in these two years in my role of a community organizer is that of a natural tendency of many in our community to be suspicious. It doesn’t matter if a person is advancing a non-profit organization, a business, or a political message, the first inclination of most is to be suspicious of that man or woman. I have my theories for this occurrence ranging from a trauma that has yet to subside of the Derg to people who have come and gone in the past that have advocated a message only to grasp at power or chase fortune. While I am sure that there could be plenty of other reasons for our natural inclination to suspect everyone and everything, I have a high degree of confidence that the two factors mentioned above are the root cause of this problem.
Thus, suspicion is not merely a negative reaction as much as it is an action that we take to protect ourselves. To protect ourselves from the pain of being fooled once again, to protect ourselves from vultures who are out to seek fame and fortune while they talk about peace and unity. There was a time I was not so understanding, there was a time I would get so upset that it kept me up at nights. When we were trying to register voters in 2008 at the Ethiopian Soccer Tournament, we were greeted more with looks of suspicion than we were with an enthusiasm to actually register. That week was one of my most trying times in my life; I could not understand why my own community could not trust a “bunch of kids” that were baking in the scorching sun trying to get people registered.
But in time, I have come to understand the aversion for all things political, the fear of people who are not “well known” that come around trying to organize our community, keeping a distance from yet another initiative. I understand it, but I don’t accept it. I don’t accept it because it is not healthy, I don’t accept it because we as a community cannot progress if we do not learn to trust, we will never realize our full potential if we do not learn to take a chance occasionally. It is good to be guarded; no one said to blindly jump at every person or initiative that comes around—that would be extreme. However, doing the opposite, suspecting everyone and everything and making them work tirelessly to gain your trust is also extreme and counterproductive. Many people have tried valiantly to make a difference in our community, yet after breaking their backs for years and getting no support from the community, they walk away disgruntled.
We have a tremendous pool of talent in our community, if we learned to trust each other a little bit and to support one another occasionally, our potential to make a fundamental impact in America, in Ethiopia, and beyond are immeasurable. But in order to realize that impact, we have to learn to let go of the past and to work together towards a new future. I point to the Jewish community as an example; they are successful as a community because they support each other. If we learned and accepted one tenth o their communal support and efforts, there is no telling how far we can make it as a community. No longer would we have to march in DC to get attention from politicians, politicians would be marching to us.
We have the inherent ability to be a powerful community politically, socially, and economically if we learn to trust each other a little bit more and to support one another more often. To do that, we need to take a chance. So take a chance on someone who comes around advocating a message you agree with. You might get disappointed occasionally, but one day, you might catch lightening in a bottle –you might find yourself supporting someone or something that could fundamentally change your circumstance. In order to find that luck, you have to let go of your propensity to be suspicious and be a little bit more trusting. Once bitten twice shy, always shy you will forever remain bitten.
“Pure love and suspicion cannot dwell together: at the door where the latter enters, the former makes its exit.” –Alexander Dumas
This blog submission was written by Teddy Fikre. The views of guest bloggers are not the views of Ethiopian-Americans for Change. Guest bloggers represent the broad dissection of views and outlooks within our community.
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We are products of “SEWBELAW SIRAT” and do not blame us for being suspicious. Our Society is disintegrated even the elderly and the church leaders are no more trustworthy.It is a time when even within a family (brothers and sisters) do not trust each other. Keep on your good effort but also understand our situation.
Observer
are you clear of that in the first place? one sign of suspicion is hiding once profile. unlike you i find many Ethiopians and non Ethiopians revealing their profiles on face book but your has nothing in the link you provided to view your profile. no single info about you in face book, why do you hid your self? are you criminal? In fact some innocent people use social network sites as place of promoting themselves . yigermal
Am I the only one who finds comment number 2 dripping with sarcasm or irony. First, the person who wrote it did not use their real name yet accuses others of doing so. Then again calls out the author of being secretive yet does not use a real name. Then goes on to accuse the author of being a self promoter, after saying that the author was hiding his identity. Can a person be secretive and a self promoter at the same time? Well since you are adapt at hiding your personality, I will do the same.
You sound like the very person the author is writing about, maybe next time talk about the content of the article instead of attacking people.
Selam
Good observation.
I have my share of frustration with Ethiopians in diaspora, as well as back home.
Ethiopians have always been suspecious of any or all kinds of interest in them. Unless, of course, it involves others.
Its a very good observation of our community.I agree in the inference that our community is suspicious about any political organizers in light of our political history.However, I highly doubt it stops there.This culture of suspicion extends to all levels of our lives be it social or personal.To be honest I haven’t seen any successful Ethiopian start up communal work ( political or social).If there is one around I would be gald to know about it and how it worked.
Selam captures my thinking of comment #2 The comment it self is self contradictory as many things Ethiopian.
Teddy keep up the good work.
Being suspicious is the first step we know. It’s the second step that will never
gets any where and that is jealousy. I have a yellow cab and hired an Ethiopian driver in the spirit of “yageren leje lerda”. Rather focusing on the opportunity he was provided with, he was more concerned on how much I will be making and tried all his best to make me loose money to the point he brought me two receipts for oil change with in one week. Assuming he was a bad start, I hired another Ethiopian driver. It got even worst. Now, I have Taiwanese driver from whom I don’t hear much unless I made it a point to talk to him.
My friend, do read the hilarious and masterpiece article on suspicious Ethiopians written by Hama Tuma for the now stopped Seleda web site. youc an learn some more things from your elders.
Being overly suspicious results in paranoia. Eventhough being suspicious saved us from encountering negative experiences , most Ethiopians should and do know the limit not to cross the line to paranoia. The lack of adequate knowledge and information can lead to being overly suspicious and get some Ethiopians act in the most dispeakable behavior. For example we remember Hailu Abje Sudike who shot and killed his dentist then himself in San francisco . Also in April , 2010 Abdo Ibsa another mentally ill Ethiopian crossed the line into paranoia and took a revolver with him to look for the doctor he believed implanted a tracking device in his body during an appendectomy in 2001. Told the doctor wasn’t at the hospital, he went to a nearby parking lot and opened fire on three hospital workers he apparently didn’t know, killing one of them.
Gunman Abdo Ibssa (AB’-doh IHB’-sah) entered a medical tower near Parkwest Medical Center before Monday’s attack and asked for the doctor who performed the appendectomy, Knoxville Police Chief Sterling Owen IV said. Unable to find the doctor, Ibssa went to another area where patients are discharged and opened fire on the women as they walked out of the building. He killed one woman and wounded two before turning and kill himself.
are you clear of that in the first place? one sign of suspicion is hiding once profile. unlike you i find many Ethiopians and non Ethiopians revealing their profiles on face book but your has nothing in the link you provided to view your profile. no single info about you in face book, why do you hid your self? are you criminal? In fact some innocent people use social network sites as place of promoting themselves . yigermal
Good observation.
I have my share of frustration with Ethiopians in diaspora, as well as back home.
Ethiopians have always been suspecious of any or all kinds of interest in them. Unless, of course, it involves others.
Teddy, I understand very much the point you are trying to get across. It is ture that “…. if we learned to trust each other a little bit and to support one another occasionally, our potential to make a fundamental impact in America, in Ethiopia, and beyond are immeasurable.” I have reached out to the community, to individuals, and to social groups that promise to bring about change. However, I feel that I have been fooled each time. And when you try to do good things and receive negative results all you have to fall back on is the feeling of betrayal. One thing I noticed is that I never hear back from these organizations, local goups or individuals of what was done with the money that they have raised or collected. It will be nice to get back to those that have reached out and say ……. this is what we have done with the help you have given us. But that rarely happens. I am suspicious and continue to be so but I will not stop reaching out to our community. I just demand proof.
I know what you mean by being burned in the past. I have been too, but we can’t let the past dictate our future or else we are cooked. How about you give this initiative a try, I promise you that we will be completely transparent and follow up with you fully. Click on the link below to read what we are trying to do:
http://www.ea4c.org/2010/04/898/
Teddy Fikre
Being suspicious is the first step we know. It’s the second step that will never
gets any where and that is jealousy. I have a yellow cab and hired an Ethiopian driver in the spirit of “yageren leje lerda”. Rather focusing on the opportunity he was provided with, he was more concerned on how much I will be making and tried all his best to make me loose money to the point he brought me two receipts for oil change with in one week. Assuming he was a bad start, I hired another Ethiopian driver. It got even worst. Now, I have Taiwanese driver from whom I don’t hear much unless I made it a point to talk to him.
are you clear of that in the first place? one sign of suspicion is hiding once profile. unlike you i find many Ethiopians and non Ethiopians revealing their profiles on face book but your has nothing in the link you provided to view your profile. no single info about you in face book, why do you hid your self? are you criminal? In fact some innocent people use social network sites as place of promoting themselves . yigermal
Being suspicious is the first step we know. It’s the second step that will never
gets any where and that is jealousy. I have a yellow cab and hired an Ethiopian driver in the spirit of “yageren leje lerda”. Rather focusing on the opportunity he was provided with, he was more concerned on how much I will be making and tried all his best to make me loose money to the point he brought me two receipts for oil change with in one week. Assuming he was a bad start, I hired another Ethiopian driver. It got even worst. Now, I have Taiwanese driver from whom I don’t hear much unless I made it a point to talk to him.