AHS-2018-05-01
Interviewer
Dejah Overall
Date of Interview
Spring 5-1-2018
Interview Location
St. Louis, MO
Length of Interview
1900-01-01
Date of Birth
2001
Gender
Female
Religion and/or Ethnicity
Muslim
Description
Born in St. Louis to Bosnian Muslim parents who fled Bosnia due to the war, Father is from a small village near Bratunac called Voljavica, Mother was born in Serbia due to the healthcare available at the same but comes from the same region of Bratunac, Father was held in a concentration camp along with future father in law, Forced to sign Serbian songs, Starved and no allowed to use the restroom, Before these events father was a messenger who traveled throughout Bosnia, Mother and father met after fathers friendship with her grandfather, Grandfather and many cousins were killed in the war, There are still many murders and rapes that have never been properly investigated with her family, After arriving in St. Louis parents struggled to gain employment as they did not know the language, Discrimination due to heavy accents, Father is a different person due to experiences and is not as open to other people due to the experiences of war, Identities as Bosnian even if she was not born in the country, While visiting Bosnia feels that life there is slower and feels a real love in her heart for the country, Education in Bosnia is technologically behind but ahead in terms of academics, Where she is in life feels that the United States is better suited for her, Wants more recognition from everyone for what happened in Bosnia, Whole family has been effected by the war as Bosnians were treated as less then human by Serbians, Wants future generations to always remember what happened and not fall prey to falsehoods that are already spreading.
Keywords
Voljavica, Bratunac, Education, Discrimination, St. Louis, Concentration Camps, Bosnian Heritage, New Generation
First Country of Residence
United States
First US Residence
St. Louis, MO
Document Type
Oral History
Collection
Affton High School
Digital Format
MP4
Digital Publisher
Center for Bosnian Studies
City
St. Louis, MO
Copyright Note
These oral histories are made available by the Center for Bosnian Studies for research, educational, scholarly, and/or creative purposes only. All uses should adhere to the principle of fair use established under Section 107 of Title 17 the 1976 Copyright Act. More on fair use is available here: https://www.copyright.gov/fair-use/.
Rights Statement
