By Hilina Abebe

They try to create a home away from home. Even though they have left Ethiopia in search of the American dream, they long for home and try to bring bits of it with them. This is what I witnessed while photographing the Ethiopian community in the United States, specifically those residing in the Washington D.C. and Virginia area. There is a sense of nostalgia, and of wanting to still keep a part of who they are, while at the same time integrating into the American society as immigrants.

This series is a personal documentation on the topic of community. It explores the intersection of two identities and the need to connect to our homeland while integrating into a new society.