The Lutheran Social Services Center for New Americans, shown in Sioux Falls, S.D., on July 25, 2024, has a variety of programs to help refugees get integrated into American culture and society.
Mariia Novoselia, South Dakota News Watch
“Some people who come to the United States get the feeling that when they come here, dreams come true, but life is not easy the way you think,” he said. “To make life easy, you need to work hard. That’s what the American dream is like.”
Yemam works at the African Community Center of Sioux Falls, providing services to African immigrants and their families.
Kiesow-Knudsen said the federal government provides financial assistance to refugees for up to eight months, which is “a quick turnaround.”
She added that orientation leaders often invite members of the Sioux Falls community, representatives from law enforcement, Falls Community Health, the school district and more.
One of Yemam’s biggest dreams is to send his 17-year-old son to college.
“My whole success is his future,” he said. “I tell him that if he works hard on his education after high school, he will have a better life for 40 years.”
English ‘is the key’
Aside from community orientation, the Center for New Americans also provides English classes that can range in length, depending on the student’s fluency.
“English here, in this country, is the key,” Yemam said. “The more you speak English and the more you understand English, the more you enjoy life.”
Kiesow-Knudsen said the process of acquiring a driver’s license can be long for refugees, and not speaking English can make it particularly difficult. She said the center offers classes in several languages to help people understand the basics of what they will need to pass the written examination.
Yemam said he had driven a car with a manual transmission before coming to the United States, so he was able to pass the driving exam with ease. He recalls the first vehicle he bought here, a $300 Nissan.
“It was a big deal for me,” he said.
Community keeps culture alive
Yemam said one of the traits that American and Ethiopian cultures share is respect.
“Americans are very, very respectful people,” he said. “That’s why when we come to the United States, we feel free because nobody took away our faith, our culture or our anything. They respect what we have, and we have the right to practice our culture.”
Yemam said the community of Ethiopians in Sioux Falls is sizable and vibrant. People tend to gather for church services, celebrations or mourning ceremonies.
For such occasions, Ethiopians usually dress up in traditional clothing, cook authentic food, meet up or call each other, he said.
Because many Orthodox churches use the Julian calendar to set days for religious holidays, some Ethiopian families in the United States celebrate two Easters, for example: one with their American neighbors and another that aligns with fellow Ethiopians, Yemam said.
“I say, ‘Thank you, God’ for everything that I have,” Yemam said. “I always believe that I am blessed, I have no complaints.”
This story was produced by South Dakota News Watch, an independent, nonprofit news organization. Read more in-depth stories at sdnewswatch.org and sign up for an email every few days to get stories as soon as they’re published. Contact us at [email protected].
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Publish date : 2024-08-16 01:00:00
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