In this episode of Not an Alien, Dalmar shares the story of his immigration journey from Ethiopia to the United States. From Geneva, where his parents had been posted as Ethiopian diplomats, he arrived in New York City as a high school student on a G Visa, before moving to North Carolina to attend an excellent public university. Family tragedy led to a change in his immigration status, and opened his eyes to the many challenges inherent in most immigration experiences; having transferred to an F1 Visa, he took advantage of his Optional Practical Training (or O.P.T.) before returning to school to pursue a Ph.D. in religion in Chicago. Replete with keen observations and powerful emotional revelations, Dalmar’s story has been full of ups and downs, but now finds him, at last, with green card in hand, married to his childhood sweetheart, and engaged in fulfilling work in the tech economy in San Francisco.
Not an Alien 