The Ethiopian American community in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area is the largest ethnic Ethiopian community outside of Africa..Westley, Brian.
Washington: Nation's Largest Ethiopian Community Carves Niche
(). ''

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

'' at the ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...

''. October 17, 2005. Also:
Washington: Nation's Largest Ethiopian Community Carves Niche
" ''Associated Press'' at '' The Southeast Missourian''. October 23, 2005. p. 7C. Retrieved on September 3, 2014.

History

Ethiopians began settling Washington, D.C. after the

Derg The Derg or Dergue (, ), officially the Provisional Military Administrative Council (PMAC), was the military junta that ruled Ethiopia, including present-day Eritrea, from 1974 to 1987, when they formally "Civil government, civilianized" the ...

overthrew

Emperor of Ethiopia The emperor of Ethiopia (, "King of Kings"), also known as the Atse (, "emperor"), was the hereditary monarchy, hereditary ruler of the Ethiopian Empire, from at least the 13th century until the abolition of the monarchy in 1975. The emperor w ...

Haile Selassie Haile Selassie I (born Tafari Makonnen or ''Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles#Lij, Lij'' Tafari; 23 July 189227 August 1975) was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. He rose to power as the Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles, Rege ...

in 1974.Kravitz, Derek. "Young parking lot czar is the face of Ethiopian success in the D.C. area." ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

''. Monday August 16, 2010. p
1
Retrieved on September 3, 2014. Ethiopians moved to

Adams Morgan Adams Morgan (abbreviated as AdMo) is a Neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., neighborhood in Washington, D.C., located in the city’s Northwest (Washington, D.C.), Northwest quadrant. Adams Morgan is noted as a historic hub for Counterculture of ...

in the 1980s.Wax, Emily.
Ethiopian Yellow Pages: Life, by the book
" ''The Washington Post''. June 8, 2011. Retrieved on September 3, 2014. Adams Morgan served as a center of business of the Ethiopian community. In the mid-1990s many Ethiopians began moving to the U Street area. Many moved out of Adams Morgan to other areas after rent became increasingly expensive. The campaign to officially designate the U Street area as Little Ethiopia started around 2004. Elizabeth Chacko, the author of "Translocality in Washington, D.C. and Addis Ababa," stated that the Ethiopian community wanted the Little Ethiopia in Washington, D.C. because the city is the capital of the United States.Chacko, "Translocality in Washington, D.C. and Addis Ababa," p
169
This campaign was not successful. The author added that at that time, the Ethiopian area in

Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city (United States), independent city in Northern Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of Washington, D.C., D.C. The city's population of 159,467 at the 2020 ...

had a higher concentration of Ethiopians compared to the one in Washington, D.C. In 2004 the Mayor of Washington, D.C. signed the DC Language Access Act, which provided government services in five non-English languages including

Amharic Amharic is an Ethio-Semitic language, which is a subgrouping within the Semitic branch of the Afroasiatic languages. It is spoken as a first language by the Amhara people, and also serves as a lingua franca for all other metropolitan populati ...

. The Ethiopians were among the groups campaigning for this act.Chacko, "Africans in Washington, DC," p
253

Demographics

According to the 2010 U.S. census, there were 30,000 Ethiopian immigrants in the Washington, D.C. area, making up 20% of the total number of Ethiopian immigrants throughout the country. The Ethiopian American Constituency Foundation and the Ethiopian Community Development Council stated that the figure is wrong and, as paraphrased by Derek Kravitz of ''

'', "the local figure has a history of being underreported and probably tops 100,000". Yeshimebeth T. "Mama Tutu" Belay, an area businessperson, estimated that the population in the metropolitan area was about 250,000 as of 2010. Misty Showalter of

CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...

stated "other estimates are much lower."Showalter, Misty.
Inside Washington D.C.'s 'Little Ethiopia'
(). ''

''. October 22, 2010. Retrieved on September 2, 2014. ''Washington 101: An Introduction to the Nation's Capital'' states that "One common estimate is that 200,000 Ethiopians reside in the D.C. metropolitan area." According to the 2000 U.S. census there were 15,000 in the Washington, D.C. area., but the Ethiopian embassy stated that the actual number is closer to 200,000, and Brian Westley of ''The Washington Post'' stated "those who study African immigration" told him the same thing that the Ethiopian embassy told him.

Silver Spring, Maryland Silver Spring is a census-designated place (CDP) in southeastern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, near Washington, D.C. Although officially Unincorporated area, unincorporated, it is an edge city with a population of 81,015 at the 2020 ...

also has a large Ethiopian American population, restaurants, and businesses.

Little Ethiopia, Washington, D.C.

Little Ethiopia, a Business and Cultural Community in and sub-division of the Shaw neighborhood of Washington, D.C., located around 9th and U Street

Northwest The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A '' compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west— ...

. It is known for its concentration of Ethiopian businesses and residents. Since the 1980s, Ethiopian-born business owners have been purchasing property in the neighborhood of Shaw, specifically Thirteenth and Ninth Streets. The area has since gained distinctive popularity in Washington even outside of the Ethiopian community. According to restaurant owner Tefera Zwedie: "I remember it was if I'm not mistaken somewhere between 2000, 2001 it was something big for us to see one non-Ethiopian coming to the restaurant. Now 95 percent of them are non-Ethiopian." The food has become a main attraction and reason for locals and tourists to commute to Shaw and experience the many local Ethiopian restaurants. This influx of Ethiopians has revitalized the area, prompting members of the Ethiopian American community to lobby the city government to officially designate the block as "Little Ethiopia". Although no legislation was proposed, Shaw residents have expressed opposition to the idea, concerned that such a designation would isolate that area from the historically African-American Shaw.

Geography

Ethnic Ethiopian populations are found in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, as well as in many communities in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

and

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

.Chacko, "Africans in Washington, DC," p
246
Washington, D.C. communities with ethnic Ethiopian residents include

, Brightwood, and Columbia Heights. There is a Little Ethiopia in Shaw.Lee, Trymaine.
As Black Population Declines In Washington D.C., Little Ethiopia Thrives
(). ''

Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (''The Huffington Post'' until 2017, itself often abbreviated as ''HPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and covers ...

''. Retrieved on September 2, 2014. Areas in Virginia with ethnic Ethiopian residents include

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

, Arlington County, Fairfax, Fairfax County, and Falls Church. Within Fairfax County, Ethiopian communities are present in areas such as Annandale, Springfield, and

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

. Misty Showalter of

described the Alexandria Ethiopian community as "a second unofficial Little Ethiopia". As of 2006, some Ethiopians moved to Woodbridge, Prince William County and Sterling,

Loudoun County Loudoun County () is in the northern part of the Virginia, Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. In 2020, the census returned a population of 420,959, making it Virginia's third-most populous county. The county seat is Leesburg, Virgi ...

during an increase of prices of real estate and rent rates in the area.Chacko, "Africans in Washington, DC," p
246247
As of 2010, some Ethiopian businesses had opened in Skyline, Falls Church. In Maryland, Ethiopians have settled in Montgomery County and Prince George's County. Communities in the former which have received Ethiopians include Silver Spring, and Takoma Park. In the latter, the communities are Greenbelt, Clinton, District Heights, Fort Washington, Oxon Hill, and Upper Marlboro.

Institutions

Ethiopian Community Services and Development Council

The Ethiopian Community Center, Inc. (ECC, ), headquartered in

, was established in 1980. The Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC), headquartered in

Arlington, Virginia Arlington County, or simply Arlington, is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Virginia. The county is located in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from Washington, D.C., the nati ...

, promotes increased socioeconomic standing, culture, and education in the community and resettles refugees.Chacko, "Africans in Washington, DC," p
250
The ECDC provided loans to 700 persons wishing to own businesses in a nine-year period ending in 2011; these loans totalled almost $4.5 million. The ECDC was established in 1983. The Ethiopian American Constituency Foundation (EACF), which promotes political involvement of the Ethiopian community, was established in 2003. It campaigned for the formal recognition of the Little Ethiopia in Shaw. Ethiocorps, an organization which recruits area Ethiopian Americans to volunteer in Ethiopia, was established in 2004. The Embassy of Ethiopia, Washington, D.C. serves the community.

Economy

In 2011 the Ethiopian Community Development Council stated that in Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, and Maryland there were at least 1,200 businesses owned by ethnic Ethiopians. The area has Ethiopian-owned Ethiopian restaurants and Ethiopian-owned non-Ethiopian restaurants. In 2011 "Mama Tutu" Belay stated that many Ethiopian restaurants had opened in the Petworth area of Washington DC,

Arlington County, Virginia Arlington County, or simply Arlington, is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Virginia. The county is located in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from Washington, D.C., the nati ...

, and the downtown area of

. In addition as of 2013 there are about 25 doctors of Ethiopian and Eritrean background in the Baltimore-Washington area, as well as Ethiopian-owned travel agencies, taxi companies, and parking garages.Francis, E. Aracelis. "Social Work Practice with African-Descent Immigrants" (Chapter 4). In: Balgopal, Pallassana R. ''Social Work Practice with Immigrants and Refugees'' (Foundations of Social Work Knowledge Series).

Columbia University Press Columbia University Press is a university press based in New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's la ...

, August 13, 2013. , 9780231504188. Start page: 127. CITED: p
136
As of 2010 many Ethiopians work as taxi drivers and parking attendants. The United States offices of Ethiopian Airlines are in

Media

The DC area has Ethiopian newspapers, including '' Ze Ethiopia''.Brulliard, Karin. "A Sharp Eye On Ethiopia." ''

''. Tuesday February 6, 2007. p
3
Retrieved on September 3, 2014. The ''Ethiopian Yellow Pages'' () is published in Alexandria, Virginia, and the headquarters of the publication is in Shaw, Washington, D.C. It has over 1,000 pages of content. As of 2011 Yeshimebeth T. "Mama Tutu" Belay is the publisher and her husband Yehunie Belay assists her. "Mama Tutu" Belay began the publication around 1994 by compiling lists of area businesses. In 2007 there were plans to create an Ethiopian television network in Alexandria.Brulliard, Karin. "A Sharp Eye On Ethiopia." ''

''. Tuesday February 6, 2007. p
1
Retrieved on September 3, 2014.

Religion

Due to the large Ethiopian and Jewish populations in Washington, D.C. and Silver Spring, the Greater Washington metropolitan area is home to sizeable communities of

Beta Israel Beta Israel, or Ethiopian Jews, is a Jewish group originating from the territory of the Amhara Region, Amhara and Tigray Region, Tigray regions in northern Ethiopia, where they are spread out across more than 500 small villages over a wide ter ...

( Ethiopian Jews) and Ethiopian Muslims. The majority of Ethiopians in the region are Christian, most being Orthodox Christians.

Recreation

The Ethiopian Expo is held in Washington, D.C. every year. It is organized by "Mama Tutu" Belay.

Legacy

The novel '' The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears'' by Dinaw Mengestu is about an Ethiopian who moved to Washington, D.C. to get

political asylum The right of asylum, sometimes called right of political asylum (''asylum'' ), is a juridical concept, under which people persecuted by their own rulers might be protected by another sovereignty, sovereign authority, such as a second country or ...

Notable residents

* Yehunie Belay (singer) * Tamagne Beyene (entertainer) * Nebiyu Eyassu (author and journalist) * Kelela (R&B singer and songwriter)

References

* Chacko, Elizabeth. "Africans in Washington, DC: Ethiopian Ethnic Institutions and Immigrant Adjustment." In: Frazier, John W., Joe T. Darden, and Norah F. Henry (editors). ''The African Diaspora in the United States and Canada at the Dawn of the 21st Century''. Global Academic Publishing, September 1, 2010. , 9781438436845. Start page: p. 243. * Chacko, Elizabeth. "Translocality in Washington, D.C. and Addis Ababa: Spaces and Linkages of the Ethiopian Diaspora in Two Capital Cities" (Chapter 10). In: Datta, Ayona and Katherine Brickell (editors). ''Translocal Geographies: Spaces, Places, Connections''. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., November 28, 2012. , 9781409490005. Start page p. 163.

Notes

External links

Ethiopian Community Center, Inc.
(ECC)
Ethiopian Community Services and Development Council
(ECSDC)
Ethiopian Community Development Council

Ze Ethiopia Corporation
(Media company)

Ethiopian Yellow Pages
{{Ethiopian Americans by location American people of Ethiopian descent Ethiopian-American history Ethiopian-Jewish culture in the United States

Ethiopians Ethiopians are the native inhabitants of Ethiopia, as well as the global Ethiopian diaspora, diaspora of Ethiopia. Ethiopians constitute #Ethnicity, several component ethnic groups, many of which are closely related to ethnic groups in neighbor ...

History of Washington, D.C.