Where I’m From: Travnik, Bosnia
Current Hometown: Chicago, IL
Favorite Balkan Song: anything by Oliver Dragojević
Favorite Balkan Dish: Pita
1. Can you start off by telling us a little bit more about yourself? Where are you originally from and where are you currently living?
I was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut to refugee parents from Bosnia. At the age of 4 years old my sister and I moved back home to Bosnia due to the struggles we were facing in the States. For two years we stayed with Baka and Dida traveling between Croatia and Bosnia staying with different parts of the family. Later on, we moved back to the states and went to Chicago. Since I was the oldest I grew up translating everything, making sure we had everything in order making sure that we could survive. Moving back to the states was a harder transition than going back home because I spoke no English and felt like an outcast. My parents couldn’t really help me learn English because they didn’t know it themselves.
2. What was it like growing up in the United States as a refugee? Feel free to share any challenges you faced.
Growing up in the States after living in Bosnia was hard. I knew no English, had no friends or family, and going to school was so hard because everyone knew that I was this new kid that didn’t know any English. But that never took me away from my culture. Even now after many years I still flaunt my heritage because that is what makes me, me. When I was younger, I remember being bullied for not knowing English but I never told my parents because I knew it would make them upset. So I tried my hardest to get rid of my accent and develop the American lifestyle per say.
It was very hard trying to keep my Croatian/Bosnian culture hidden but then eventually I realized how much I loved and treasured it. I thought being an outcast was so bad but then I knew that being who I was made me happier. I would go around school flaunting it and teaching everyone about our history, our food, our music etc. Eventually, school became easier and now I graduated high school and am the first in my family to go to college. My parents never got the opportunity to finish college because of the war but that won’t stop me from making them proud. Life was so good in the States until my parents split up and our mom left us but now that makes me treasure my tata more.
He was born in Travnik in 1970 and fought in the war. He struggled quite a bit after the war but he still hides it. Then he came to America to provide a better life for his children. I couldn’t be more proud of him and being his daughter. All I want in life is for him to be happy and to be proud of me because I’m proud of him. He sacrificed seeing his family in order to give us a better life and that is more than what any child could ask for. Even now he strives to make sure we have everything we need and to make sure that we’re like other kids. But every day, I have to remind him that we’re not like other kids. We’re not like others who got to go to college and have the life we wanted, we had to work and struggle to get where we are. I may be American by birth but by by blood, I’m an Bosnian Croatian who will forever carry out her family’s legacy.
3. Have you found that your Balkan heritage has always remained at the forefront of your life or have you had times where you’ve tried to hide parts of yourself in order to “fit in” with everyone else?
No, I used to hide my Balkan heritage growing up because I would get bullied or made fun of for constantly flaunting it but after I got to middle school or even early high school, I realized that was a stupid thing to do and I regretted hiding my Balkan heritage. Now I love it — it’s what makes me me and I will continue to flaunt it. I felt like fitting in during my early school years was the smartest thing to do because who would want to be friends with someone that was so different. I always struggled with that until I realized that you don’t have to be like everybody else, you just have to be yourself. I shouldn’t have to hide who or what I am in order to fit in, after years and years of hiding it.
4. We understand that your family moved back to Bosnia for a couple of years, did you find that this affected your childhood? Was it difficult to come back to the States and assimilate into American culture?
Honestly, it was probably more difficult than me going back home to Bosnia because I knew no English, and neither did my family. I had to go to school every day not knowing English and not knowing how to cooperate with my teachers or schoolmates. I remember when I started preschool and my parents got a call because I couldn’t function not knowing English and I would only eat a bagel and cream cheese because that was the only thing I could say. I ended up having to go through a program where I had a translator who spoke Bosnian help me learn English. As much as my parents didn’t want me to forget where we came from, they were more concerned with making sure I learned English because this was the golden ticket to endless opportunities. I’d sit in front of the TV for hours watching cartoons and listen to songs in English, both helped tremendously.
5. How do you believe that we (as diaspora) can continue to keep our culture alive for generations to come?
I think that we all just have to be strong with our cultures because the more we hide, the higher the chance that our culture will slowly vanish away. I know many kids in the diaspora that don’t speak our language or have any knowledge of our cultures. When I have kids, I want to make sure that they partake in everything I did — going to church, learning about our faith, doing
kolo, attending to Croatian school, etc.
6. Anything else you’d like to share with our audience?
One thing that I would like to say is to make sure you always protect your heritage and what I mean by that is don’t lose who you are because you’re trying to fit in with other people. Choose to be the outcast because flaunting our heritage is the greatest thing you can do. And I think that’s about it thank you so much for this opportunity and I hope you guys share your stories, too!!