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In the World's Fare section of the Harper-Schramm-smith Dining Hall, Dami Olson, an Indonesian immigrant, spreads Mexican rice on tortillas for grilled chicken and steak quesadillas. Photo: Elizabeth Gamez, NewsNetNebraska
But her little body carries a big voice. With her slight Indonesian accent, she suggests students put more sour cream, lettuce or salsa on their gyros.
Ten years ago, Olson never imagined she'd be working in the United States, married and supporting her family who lives in Indonesia.
Landing a job back home meant she'd have to pay hundreds of dollars for a two-year contract. At 17, she paid the fee to work for a translation agency. While her family owned a farm, which grew soy beans, corn and ground rice, her family needed more money to survive.
Through the agency, Olson traveled to Singapore, Taiwan, Japan and China and learned their languages.
Then in a mall in Hong Kong she met a tourist named Ronald Olson, a welder from Lincoln, Neb.
After three days of romance, Ronald Olson returned to the states, but the two kept in touch through phone calls and letters. Five months later he traveled to Nganjuki, Dami's hometown, where they were married.
"My love is so fast, because he's an honest man," she said.
The couple honeymooned in Bali, but when their vacation was over, they had to go their separate ways. After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York and Washington D.C., obtaining her papers became more difficult. Visiting wasn't an option because of the cost. She ended up waiting four years to have permanent residency in the United States. Every year her husband journeyed to Indonesia to visit her.
After arriving in August 2005, she situated herself in Lincoln by taking English and computer classes at Southeast Community College. She also took—and passed—the General Education Development test. Soon after, she began work at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Housing.
The year Dami joined Ronald in the United States, one of her three sisters died from a stroke. The couple decided to adopt her 2-year old daughter, Zjuniarti.
From her monthly paycheck, Olson sends her family, $100, about $9,000 in Indonesia.
"It's really hard," she said. "I miss them a lot. I want to go one day to my family."
Though leaving family behind has hurt, she doesn't let it interfere with her work, much less her life.
Janet Prochlsak, food service manager at HSS Dining, said Olson is willing to learn anything and helps all her co-workers. Prochlsak said Olson's constant happy mood is a sign of her appreciation for the things she has in this country.
"Here I'm the lucky one," Olson said. "You can live freedom."
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