“The Role of the Ethiopian Diaspora in Ethiopia,”

The Ethiopian diaspora is a post-1970s phenomenon. Ethiopian government sources has it that there are more than 3 million Ethiopians scattered throughout the world— from America to Australia, from Norway to South Africa. However, the majority of these Ethiopians reside in the US, the Arab Middle East, and Israel, in that order. Currently, a little more than a quarter of a million Ethiopians live in the US. The Ethiopian diaspora in the US, like its compatriots in other parts of the world, is one of the most vocal critics of the government in Ethiopia. However, its views are as diverse as the ethnic and regional origins, manners of entry into the US, generation, levels of education, and political affiliations, However, the intent of this paper is not to discuss the migration history of Ethiopiansbut to explore some of the reasons that caused the political fallout between the various regimes in Ethiopia and the Diaspora-Ethiopians. In the meantime, the paper examines the potential and actual roles that the Ethiopian diaspora can play in Ethiopia.