AHS-2019-05-01

Date of Interview

Spring 5-1-2019

Interview Location

St. Louis, MO

Length of Interview

1900-01-01

Date of Birth

2000

Gender

Male

Religion and/or Ethnicity

None Given

Description

Born in Berlin, Germany to parents who fled to Germany during the outbreak of the war, Mother is an ethnic Bosnian while father is a ethnic Serbian, Fled to escape the war as it was a conflict drawn on ethnic lines, Earliest memories are of friends and family which are foggy, Remembers school in Germany as being difficult with other children not accepting him due to his accent, Remembers Berlin as a safe city where he would walk around with friends, Parents decided to move to St. Louis to see if life was better, Approved for a visa and moved in 2006, After arriving struggled to fit in and was put into ELL classes, Language was difficult and was bullied by other children, Parents divorced and was left in a tougher situation, Felt as if he did not have a father, Only had a few friends who either spoke Bosnian or German, As language skills increased life in the United States became easier, Feeling of being and outsider in the United States, Having people misunderstand him and give me bad looks, Being told to speak English only, Speaks English and Bosnian fluent but sometimes struggles with pronouncing some Bosnian words, Visits Germany and Bosnia each summer, Culture is different where in Bosnia people are friendly and accepting, Feels free and at home with people who share his culture and language, Enjoys being Bosnian and his proud of his Bosnian heritage, Views himself as Bosnian American due to the fact of his upbringing in the United States but still has a Bosnian part that makes him who he is, Enjoys Bosnian cuisine especially Sataraš, Life has changed since moving to the United States, It was a struggle to now being easier, Looking forward to being the second person in his family to go to college, Family was effected by the war due to parents having to flee the country, Uncles and cousins fought in the war and were traumatized mentally and physically, Friends parents were put in concentration camps including a friends mother who was beaten and raped, Belives that what happened in Bosnia should not have happened since all the people of the country share such a similar background, Plans to retire in Bosnia if everything goes to plan, Wants future generations to not judge people off first impression but to learn and understand who they are and not judge.

First Country of Residence

Germany

First US Residence

St. Louis, MO

Document Type

Oral History

Collection

Affton High School

Digital Format

MP3

Digital Publisher

Center for Bosnian Studies

City

St. Louis, MO

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