Washington, DC: Several Ethiopian groups will hold a press conference on Thursday July 29th at 1:00 PM at Sodere Ethiopian Restaurant, located at 1930 9th Street, NW, on the corner of 9th and U Streets, NW, on the occasion of Councilmember Jim Graham?s (D - Ward 1) upcoming visit to Ethiopia.
COUNCILMEMBER JIM GRAHAM - DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA WARD ONE
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: July 28, 2004
Contact: Ted G. Loza (202) 724-8181
Abdul Kamus (240) 475-8870
COUNCILMEMBER GRAHAM VISITS ETHIOPIA, HOMELAND TO MANY WARD ONE RESIDENTS
Washington, DC: Several Ethiopian groups will hold a press conference on Thursday July 29th at 1:00 PM at Sodere Ethiopian Restaurant, located at 1930 9th Street, NW, on the corner of 9th and U Streets, NW, on the occasion of Councilmember Jim Graham?s (D - Ward 1) upcoming visit to Ethiopia.
Ward One is home to a large number of Ethiopian people and businesses. It is estimated that between 100 to 250 thousand Ethiopians live in the Washington metropolitan area. This is also the largest concentration of Ethiopians living outside of their country.
?Ethiopia has a great history and its people are warm, hard working, and eager to prosper. I am proud to represent them locally,? said Councilmember Graham. ?We should never forget we are a nation of immigrants, and we need to do all we can to fully engage them on the road to citizenship. I'm exited to visit the homeland of a large number of those I represent. This trip will help me better understand their culture and customs so I can better serve them.?
Ward One is also home to the most culturally diverse people of the District. Councilmember Graham introduced the Language Access Act, which became law in June. The law is only the third in the nation, and the first to specifically mention Amharic, the official Ethiopian language, and mandates that local government translate certain documents and provide oral language services to limited-English speaking individuals.
Most recently, Councilmember Graham introduced legislation that would permit permanent immigrant residents the right to vote for all local elections. ?We are proud to have such a caring and able representative. Councilmember Graham understands the struggles of being an immigrant. We are excited about his visit to Ethiopia where he will experience first hand our beloved culture, our people and our challenges,? said Abdul Kamus, Ethiopian community advocate.
?Councilmember Graham is a proven leader who cares about the Ethiopian and immigrant community. He has been a shield as an advocate, and has stood by our side in good and bad times. He is the first local elected official to travel to Ethiopia. This historic visit will keep spirits high and full of hope for our people here and at home,? said Tamrat G. Medhin, Chairman of the Ethiopian American Constituency Foundation.
