Chicago Ethiopian leaders question world’s silence over devastating drought in homeland
By Hannah Gebresilassie Ten million people in Ethiopia are struggling to survive, let alone find a decent meal to eat. The country is facing its worst drought since the eighties, while political tension continues to erupt as ethnic groups clash. It’s been just ten days since South Sudanese gunmen were blamed for killing 200 people […]
Assyrians around the world ring in the new year with hope for a new spring
By Hannah Gebresilassie Assyrians in Chicago, and around the world, celebrate Kha b-Nisan, or the Assyrian new year. Milad Shaer, owner of Milo’s Pita, joined thousands in a Chicago-held parade to celebrate 7,000 years of Assyrian heritage. Their ancestry traces back to the ancient Assyrian empire in the prehistoric Middle East and present day Iraq, […]
Loom Chicago knits friendships in a refuge from grief and fear
By Jenny Lee Heaps of fabrics and colorful quilts surround a small group of women who are engrossed in discussion – a discussion so fervent that it could last for days. Some wear hijabs while others have indigo dyed silk scarves draped around their necks. The women bring different cultural backgrounds and distinct ideas and […]
