The young versatile returnee

Heldana Tekeste is an Ethiopian-American who returned home in 2016. She has been involved in many areas, including the issues of startups and some humanitarian work. She reflects with Samuel Getachew  of The Reporter on her journey so far, the recent politics of the United States, on the issues of migration that has consumed a good part of her life and something that has personally affected her and finally explains a few things that needs to change in Ethiopia to make the society more welcoming to your returnees like herself. Excerpts:

The Reporter: You are an Ethiopian-American who recently returned home. As a diaspora, what has been your experience like so far?

Heldana Tekeste: Interesting to say the least! It didn’t feel like that grand of a decision at the time because I grew up here and wasn’t a stranger to the country. But I came to realize that living in Ethiopia as a working professional is an entirely different experience from whatever I was used to, and I’m grateful for (almost) every moment. I’ve been here for a little over a year now and my experience can pretty much be summed up like this: trying to adjust/resettle in a place I’ve always considered “home” after being away for over ten years while also trying to not sound completely diaspora every time I speak Amarigna.

I’ve been exposed to a lot of truths I didn’t know/realize about Ethiopia by moving here, but I know I haven’t even scratched the surface. I have a long way to go. More importantly, I’ve been able to learn a lot about myself – and we all know how fun that can be. If it weren’t for my mom living here and being my support system, I probably couldn’t do it. Living here comes with its challenges of course – but I’d rather be challenged in my own country than anywhere else. 

You must be observing from a distance on what is happening with the politics of the United States. 

Indeed. It’s like watching a poorly cast House of Cards spin-off. I can’t wait for this season to end.

You have spent a considerable amount of time exploring the issues of migration. Share with me why the issue has been important to you?

I’ve seen the people closest to me suffer because of it. Well, not because of migration but the regulations that surround it. I remember being a lot younger and wanting to become an immigration lawyer so that I could help people live and work in the US legally. But it’s a lot more than just living somewhere legally. It’s about not grouping people by their passport types, and understanding that the world has changed a lot and we have to learn to adjust. 

Migration is important to me because it’s inevitable. People move around. Some do it voluntarily, and some are forced. The feeling of arriving in a new country and attempting to make a home out of it is an experience that most people share. In 2017, that experience is most likely also welcomed with stricter border regulations, bigotry, and people that genuinely don’t want you there. I hate that. And I don’t want to do nothing about it just because my passport gives me a free pass. The work I’m most interested in doing now is migrant integration – with a focus on the recent Ethiopian returnees from Saudi.

Read more at: The Reporter