A Conversation With an Uber Driver

by Frank Williams

When I was in Washington, D.C. last week, I had an Uber driver who was obviously not originally from the United States.

As I often do, I asked him where he was from, how long he has been here, and why he chose to immigrate to the U.S.

He moved here from Ethiopia about 19 years ago and is now a naturalized U.S. citizen. He moved here because of opportunity, and eloquently spoke about the value of hard work and the chance to improve your position in the world. He likely knows more about our system of government than most people who were born here, and he clearly appreciates it.

I always enjoy hearing the stories of those who so greatly appreciate the American ideal because they have a clear, personal frame of reference for comparison.