FBU-2018-11-13

Date of Interview

Fall 11-13-2018

Interview Location

St. Louis, MO

Length of Interview

58:08

Date of Birth

1983

Gender

Female

Religion and/or Ethnicity

Muslim

Description

Lived in the village of Orahova with her father and mother and siblings, Remembers the time before the war being filled with good food that changed with the seasons, Village was made up of Bosnian Muslims and most of her extended family lived by including both sets of Grandparents, Remembers knowing that something was different when witnessing from her houses balcony across the river Sava fire burning in Croatia, Visited tanks driving through the village and family started hiding from solider at home or at neighbors, Heard one day three explosions that destroyed the mosques of her village, Outside witnessed the debris from the blast and the dust particle in the air, Forced to leave home and go to Zagreb via bus, Family stayed in a camp in Zagreb for two months until being transported via bus to Germany, Arrived in Germany where the community welcomed them and gave them an apartment and found work for her parents, The apartment was fully furnished and had all the amenities that were need to live comfortable, Enjoyed living in Germany but there was always an uncertainty that they could be asked to leave, Mother applied for refugee status in the United States, Lived in Germany for 8 Years until the age of 17 when papers came for family to go to Frankfurt, Travel to Frankfurt where mother and father were interviewed and given medical exams and then provided with tickets to go to St. Louis, Did not want to leave Germany as it was a place where everything felt normal and people were welcoming, arrived in St. Louis and lived for four months in an apartment until parents bought a house in Mehlville, The United States was not very welcoming and while attending high school experienced discrimination due to her Bosnian origins, Graduated high and attended college and law school eventually graduating, Still working on coming to terms with who she is and where she comes from, Would like future generations to know that not all Bosnians are the same but they do share commonalities but they also all have different personalities

Keywords

Orahova, Sava River, Croatia, Germany, Mehlville

Pre-War Residence

Bosanska Gradiska(Orahova)

Wartime Residence

Orahova

First Country of Residence

Germany

First US Residence

St. Louis, MO

Document Type

Oral History

Collection

Fontbonne University

Digital Format

MP3

Digital Publisher

Center for Bosnian Studies

City

St. Louis, MO

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In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted.