Worthington Resident, Ethiopian

To me, I would call America my home. I have a house and a family here. I live in Worthington, MN. Also, I have worked at JBS for a long time. I have lived in Worthington, MN for 24/25 years. Before that, I was in Washington DC for 1 year. I was in Saudi Arabia before that and I loved it. I had many different occupations such as being a chauffeur. There was no occupation that I did not have. I was born in Ethiopia. Most of my family is in Ethiopia. I also have some family in the US, as well as in Saudi Arabia. Worthington on the other hand, is a small town with only JBS as the main meat plant. The quiet aspect of Worthington is nice. Nobody cares to bother you. It is not too quiet like Adrian. I came to Worthington in search of a job. I chose Worthington because it was not as rowdy as a bigger city. You work at a pork company and spend your life here. There is nothing to really be worried about. Nobody that I knew was in Worthington, so I had to mostly do the adapting alone without any help.

I would say the best aspect of Worthington would be its diversity. Also, since it is a smaller town, everything is more compact. This means that stores, jobs, food places, etc. are closer together. You do not need to drive far to get from place to place. The community also knows when to come together. No matter what our differences are, we always are able to unite and put our differences aside to get to a common goal. Though, the racism and colorism is something to take into account about Worthington. Other than that, there is nothing I can think of that would make me dislike worthington. As long as you are working and living, nobody can touch you. Although there are not many options to work at, I am grateful to have a job, I am proud of my job.

Fasil Ghebbi (a popular, fortress, attraction in their hometown in Ethiopia)

My childhood took place mostly in Ethiopia. I would say I had a nice childhood. We were a family of 11. All of my siblings were my full siblings. We had an amazing life. My mom, dad, and brothers all had jobs. In elementary (1st-7th grade), we would play football, basketball, and soccer. Everyone plays together as a team to get through obstacles. There were overall so many memories being made everyday. There is for sure a difference in these countries. You get a better education in the US. It is easier to drop out when you go to school in Ethiopia. Although Ethiopia also has education, the US has many advantages. There are plenty of choices for students in the US. In Ethiopia, it is hard to finish 12th grade and move on to university. There are plenty of kids whose parents do not work, so they are poor. I don't even know how they get through school. Many students finish 12th grade and do not go onto university due to lack of money. There are a lack of jobs. At that time, I was young and supposed to have a job. I did not go to school. I was a farmer's kid. I could not find a job in my hometown so I wanted to go search for another job. I went from Saudi Arabia (where I stayed for 7 years), to the US in search of a job. When I came to the US I was overwhelmed with job options. I can not live without working. Working is something that everyone in my family has always done.

Speaking the language is very hard, especially coming from a different country. Looking for a job was also hard. I was not able to find someone that would assist me in looking for a job. Living in America is great. I work and take care of my family. I also take care of my family back home. What else could I ask for? My whole life is here, such as my wife and kid. Living in the US also has its benefits compared to Ethiopia. I would even love to go see other countries outside of the ones I have already been to. If I had enough money, I would enjoy traveling everywhere.

I would say my overall goal would have been to come to the US even as a child. I heard nothing but good things about the US. Nobody really talked about the hard side of living in the US. All I wanted to do was come to the US to work and enjoy life. I ended up doing exactly that.

Hopes for the Future

I have two hopes for the future. My first hope is to see my daughter finish school and get into university. My second hope is for my wife and family to have a long and healthy life. I want to be happy. I am happy now, but I would like to stay happy.

Hopes for the Community

I hope for more jobs to open up. The people that come from other countries tend to work at the pork factory. I would appreciate more factory options for the people of Worthington. Although we do have options such as Walmart or Mcdonalds, it is hard to work in an environment where you interact with customers when you barely understand the language. Many people come to the US because they think it is better, but then later have trouble finding a job.

Interview by Rosa Abdela (2021-2022 Storyteller)