A Good Immigration Story

from the mom

When we were in D.C., we stayed in the Four Star Sheraton a few blocks from the White House. The employees were fantastic, which is not something I can say about most service personel in D.C. Because the kids and I were in the hotel a lot, we interacted with the maid, the valets, the concierge, and the doormen. Though many were immigrants, they all spoke English. One morning, I opened the door to my room to hear a strong clear voice singing softly, "His eye is on the sparrow..." as one of the employees passed my room. I was still smiling from the beauty of it hours later.

My favorite person was Freyewhet. (I've probably misspelled her name.) She was the breakfast attendant. She loved Ben and she thought M was a good dad. Watching him with the kids, she told me how American men were the best. She told me she had finally left her husband in Ethiopia and immigrated to the U.S. because he treated her like property. She indicated that he had beat her. She told me about her two daughters 23 and 25 who she had sent to live in Pittsburg with a relative. She said it would have been too easy for them to get a job like hers in and not finish their education if they had remained in D.C. She is excited because they will both graduate college this spring.

After she shared this, I asked her when she had immigrated. "1999," she said. I remarked on her English and she complained that Americans think they are doing her a favor by not telling her when she makes mistakes. "Even people I think are my friends will not correct me when I use a wrong word. How am I supposed to learn?"

I asked her if she liked D.C. "Oh yes," she replied. "This is a wonderful country. So much opportunity."

She reminded me of all the good about America. She took pride in her work and was grateful for it while wanting more for her own children. She worked hard on assimilation, working to learn English. She smiled a lot and spread joy in her day. Freye (as she said people call her) represents all that is good about being an immigrant nation. We shouldn't forget what upstanding immigrants do for our nation. And our perspective.