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Emiye Emiye    30" x 30"    2008

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From the LINCOLN PLAZA PORTRAITS series:

EMIYE

Emiye is from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Her father was a soldier in the military government that took power away from Haille Selassie's ministers. He had also fought in the Korean War, and received a silver medal for his service. In Ethiopia, he was a high ranking soldier and recruited for special training. In 196 he earned lieutenant in the 25th brigade. In 1964 he worked in the 4th military brigade assigned to protect the king. In 1967 he was in Bali as a military representative. This was a promotion. He was in the probational military government at the age of forty, and in the front lines as a military teacher in soldier training. As a ranking officer, the government moved him around through different provinces.

He was granted political asylum in Ethiopia after Mengista was overthrown, and was sent to live in a refugee camp in Canada for three years to wait for aid. Other soldiers were sent to refugee camps in Kenya, Somalia, & Yemen. While languishing in the camp he got sick, and eventually died three years ago. His body was returned to family in California. Emiye continues to work at the concession stand at the Lincoln Plaza.

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