Addiswa Tadesse
Addiswa Tadesse is majoring in both Psychology and Anthropology and minoring in Spanish. She was accepted into the EWU TRIO McNair Program in the fall quarter of 2024. She has also been part of the college success foundation program for the last 5 years, starting when she was a junior in high school. Addiswa is currently a lab assistant for Dr. Sitzman in the Psychology department, where she helps collect data surrounding memory. This lab assistant position has given her the opportunity to go to the Western Psychological Association (WPA) in May 2025 to present her professor’s research.
Addiswa’s research interests surround language, preservation of culture over generations, assimilation and mental well-being and many other topics related to cultural psychology & anthropology. After finishing undergrad, she plans to continue to get her master’s and PhD so that she can become a professor and conduct research that combines both psychology and anthropology. In her free time, Addiswa enjoys going to farmer’s markets, exploring local spots and being outside!
2025 EWU Faculty Research Mentor: Dr. Kassahun Kebede
IDENTITY FORMATION OF THECHILDREN OF ETHIOPIAN IMMIGRANTS IN THE INLAND NORTHWEST
Abstract: To date, there is limited research on Ethiopians in the United States surrounding mental well-being and differences between first and second generations. A review of the literature reveals that second-generation Ethiopian American adolescents in smaller cities are a very understudied population, especially with the focus being on intersections of mental well-being, personal ethnic identity and cultural connection. To collect data and gain knowledge about this area of research, interviews will be conducted with participants of
this background in a small city in the Inland Northwest. The interview will be one-on-one, and the questions will be about demographics, cultural connection, personal cultural identity and mental well-being. The hypothesis for this study is that participants that have a stronger connection to their cultural background will have better mental well-being than those who have a weaker connection to their cultural heritage. This research project is important because of the lack of information and data that exists surrounding these populations and the intersections of these topics. Diversifying research is essential to being more representative of the different identities that exist both within and outside the U.S.
