Immigrants' Stories

Tsegaye Hailu
Ethiopia

Tsegaye Hailu came to the United States in 1981 as a refugee from Ethiopia, where a military junta had taken over the government. The military were arresting and killing people who had been educated in other countries and Tsegaye had been educated as a geologist in the West. He was jailed in Ethiopia for 45 days, but was released and allowed to go to an African Geological Conference in the Sudan. He eventually found his sister in Sudan; she had walked in by foot from Ethiopia. A church organization (Church World Service) sponsored his trip to the United States; he arrived in Baltimore and came to Colorado because of his geology background. Tsegaye lived with an elderly man in Denver who was the son of a pastor. The church helped him get a job as a gas station attendant and also helped him to purchase his first car. Tsegaye said that he will never forget the generosity and kindness of the elderly man who took him in when he came to Denver. He had no problems with English since he had received his education in the United States. Tsegaye moved to Littleton when he was hired to work in his profession at Sato and Associates in Littleton. He has worked with several organizations to help refugees who come to the United States and is committed to this cause. Tsegaye likes the freedom in the United States and the friendliness of Americans. He does feel that there is greater opportunity in his home country, Ethiopia, to make a significant contribution towards changing people’s lives and some day he hopes to return to his country and help others.

Buna Dahal
Nepal

Buna arrived in the United States fifteen years ago from Biratnagar, Nepal, the second largest city in Nepal. She was selected for a scholarship to study in Illinois and later came to Colorado for training at the Colorado Center for the Blind. The Center offered her a job after her training was completed and she now works as their employment specialist. The organization that has helped her the most in the United States is the National Federation of the Blind; they have supported her and helped her to grow in confidence. After coming to the United States, Buna learned English by taking classes, listening to people speak and reading. Living with her aunt and uncle helped her to adjust to life in the U.S. The biggest difference between her culture and American culture was the food. Buna found American food to be not as spicy and flavorful as food in Nepal. She loves living in America and in Littleton because there are many opportunities for those who work hard. Also, she finds the Littleton community to be very friendly and welcoming. Buna is working towards becoming an American citizen because she would like the opportunity to vote in an election. She has traveled extensively throughout the U.S. and “has seen more here than in Nepal”.

No-ohgan “Mimi” Saito
Thailand and Japan

No-ohgan “Mimi” Saito and her husband, Kazuyazu Saito, own and manage the Kai Restaurant in Littleton. Noh-ohgan worked as a waitress in a restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand when she met her husband, who was visiting from Japan. They fell in love, married and moved to Japan and then to Colorado. No-ohgan improved her English language skills by attending classes at Emily Griffith Opportunity School. A couple of years ago they decided to open a traditional Japanese restaurant in Littleton and have found the community to be very supportive and friendly. Kazuyazu cooks and No-ohgan serves the food. “Kai” is a Japanese word meaning peace, calm and comfort. The Saitos wanted their restaurant to provide a sense of “kai” for their customers.

Zoya Doennebrink
Ukraine

Zoya comes from a city named Feodosia on the Black Sea in the Ukraine. She worked as a librarian and met her American husband when he was visiting her area to assist with economic development. Zoya arrived in the United States nine years ago and settled in Littleton where her husband lived. She had a number of problems adjusting to life in the U.S., including driving in traffic, learning how to use banks and credit cards, using the telephone and going on interviews. In her home country job interviews were not conducted; people were hired based on written applications. Her language skills improved over time, but she says that her brain still works in two languages and she misses speaking her own language. Zoya met a Chinese immigrant at a computer class at Denver Public Library and the woman encouraged her to work as a volunteer at the library to improve her language abilities and become more confident. Zoya became a docent at the Denver Public Library and eventually was hired at the Bemis Public Library to work in the Circulation Department. She likes the beautiful parks and trails in Littleton as well as the cleanliness of the city and the friendly people. She said that people smile more in this country and she enjoys the freedom of choices and ideas.

Delmy and Freddy Hau
Yucatan, Mexico

The Hau family came to the United States from Mexico thirteen years ago from Yucatan, Mexico. Freddy Hau’s great-great-great grandparents had traveled from China to the Yucatan to do agricultural work. His father worked in the United States many years before the rest of the family came to the States. Freddy’s younger brother opened a Littleton restaurant, Taqueria Los Tres Reyes, featuring food from the Yucatan several years ago and Freddy also works at the business. It was his father’s idea to open a restaurant with food from their home region in Mexico. Freddy said that his father has been in the United States thirty-five years, but cannot speak English. His father lives in a Denver neighborhood where Spanish is primarily spoken. Freddy likes American culture and that people who work hard here can succeed. The weather in Colorado is quite different from the Yucatan and the cold and snow in the winter took some adjustment. Freddy’s wife, Delmy, also works at the restaurant and she has been in the United States only 1 ½ years. She has taken some English classes, but still has some problems speaking the language and finds that it is difficult to find a job without English language skills. She was an accountant in Mexico, but cannot find work in that field in the United States. Delmy enjoys life in the U.S. and has noticed that people exercise more in this area. She, as well as her husband, worries about racism in this country.