Title
FBU-2013-09-13-B
Date of Interview
9-13-2013
Interview Location
St. Louis, MO
Length of Interview
84:37
Date of Birth
1991
Gender
Female
Religion and/or Ethnicity
None Given
Description
Born to Muslim parents in Sarajevo, she was one year of age when she escaped the siege of Sarajevo with her Mother and Great Aunt. They were able to catch the last plane to Belgrade and then traveled on to Macedonia where they stayed for 1.5 months at the apartment of a family friend. Her mother’s uncle lived in New York and sponsored them to immigrate to America. They first traveled to the nearest US embassy in Turkey to obtain visas. They first arrived in Staten Island on 07/04/1992. Her father was still in Bosnia fighting with Army BiH, but was wounded and able to leave and come to America in 1993. They then moved to Falls Church near Washington DC and lived there for a year. They then moved to NYC for a short while but it was expensive and hard to find work. Her parents had friends in St. Louis so they decided to move because the cost of living was much cheaper. They arrived in St Louis in 1994. Her brother was born in St. Louis in 1995. Her mother was a doctor and had just finished medical training when the war broke out. She had to complete her residency over again in the US. Her dad was an economist in Bosnia. Her parents pushed education strongly. She feels like this is because her family was from Sarajevo as there are different attitudes towards education among rural Bosnians. She grew up in O’fallon MO and was not around many Bosnians growing up. Her parents did a lot to instill and foster their cultural identity. Their grandmother lived in the house and only spoke Bosnians. Selma describes deeply rooted internal identity conflicts. She is happy with who she is but often feels like a part of her was stolen as a result of the war. She wants to be seen as Bosnian by other Bosnians but finds this difficult. She finds it hard to fit in in Bosnian spaces in St. Louis because she didn’t grow up in traditional Bosnian areas of South City or South County. Believes that until politics change in Bosnia the country will not move forward. Believes it is important not to lose culture.
Keywords
Siege, Foča, Infant, Education, Identity, Bosnian-American, Cultural Differences, Generational Differences, Assimilation, Cultural Continuity, Bosnian Language
Pre-War Residence
Sarajevo
Wartime Residence
Sarajevo
First Country of Residence
Macedonia
First US Residence
Staten Island
Document Type
Oral History
Collection
Fontbonne University
Digital Format
MP3, 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/.
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