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With the recent passing of Jesse Jackson, the students were reminded of his association with the poem, “I Am Somebody.” They were asked to consider this concept.

ETHAN…pays homage to his diverse family roots as the clay that has molded the unique somebody that he is.

I Am Me

I am somebody. Most people call me Ethan, but others call me “E.” To myself, however, I will always be the Mofongo Man. People who know me best know many things about me, but there are some things you might have forgotten. To understand who I am, you have to understand the two main sides of me: Jobita and Jemadari. They may be my two last names, but they carry two totally different meanings.

Let’s start with Jemadari. For the basics, Jemadari has four syllables. It translates to “general” or “hero,” with origins in Swahili and Hindu. Speaking of Swahili, I am from Tanzania, though my grandfather originally came from Afghanistan. As a Jemadari, my role is to be a role model for the younger ones. I am the eldest son, and while I’m not as close to my little brother as I would like to be, I’m working on it. I usually keep to myself when I’m with the Jemadari side; I’m not very talkative with them. I get my music taste from this side of the family, and for a fun fact: I am actually the tallest on the Jemadari side. My father’s tribe, the Chaga, are generally very short.

Now for the Jobita side. It is the complete opposite. Everyone on this side is different. Some of you may have met my Aunty Peninina or my mom, Ms. Rita. They are chill, but different in their own ways. My mom and I act exactly alike; we love to get on my aunt’s nerves. In another universe, we might have been brother and sister with my aunt as the mother. Since we have more family visiting us right now, there are even more people to tease my aunt. My other aunt and cousin from London are here, and let me just say, my London aunt is a trip! She’s great, but she can be a lot to handle sometimes.

I am a different person when I’m with the Jobitas. For starters, I am probably one of the shortest males on that side. My tallest uncle is 6’5″ and my grandfather is 6’0″, so you can see how my father’s 5’6″ height interfered with my mother’s side! On the Jobita side, I am much more talkative. Like I said, I am very close to my mom and my aunt. I love to shop and I love to have fun; I just feel like I can truly be myself when I am with the Jobitas.

When you combine all of that, I am Ethan Jobita Hassan Jemadari. I am Swahili, I am Tanzanian, I am Kenyan, and I am American. But most importantly, I am me.

Ethan Jobita Jemadari

February 20, 2026