Areb Shiraga

Father, mentor personal chauffeur are all words you could use to describe Areb Shiraga, but when he first came to the United States the word you would you use was immigrant. My father came to the United States from Ethiopia in the year of 2000. Like everybody, my parents came to this country to seek for a better life and to provide me with a better quality of education and to make sure I had everything I could possibly need. they came here without knowing anybody or without speaking or understanding the English language. Since day one they’ve worked very hard every day to build our empire that we have now. I’m beyond blessed and grateful because every day we are living the American dream. All through out these years it has not been easy but worth it. When I asked my father if he regrets coming to the US and leaving everything at home he replied: “You have shoes on your feet food on your plate and a roof over your head this is the American dream and we have achieved as such”. He has no sorrow in leaving his home country which he left tens of cousins and family where you could walk down the street knowing everyone on the street. He has hopes still he says “ I know I’ve done okay because two of my children are in college and two more are going soon enough”. This reinforces the idea of education and how it was the sole thing on his mind putting his life at stake to take a risk in the united states. I’m still hoping to have the opportunity to go back to my homeland and have the blessing to see my grandparents at least one more time. Even though I will never get 14 years back with them I pray every day to give me the chance to be able to see them someday because even though I have everything now I have an empty place in my heart of not being able to hug them or telling them how much they mean to me.