FBU-2016-04-19
Date of Interview
Summer 4-19-2016
Interview Location
St. Louis, MO
Length of Interview
43:24
Date of Birth
1995
Gender
Female
Religion and/or Ethnicity
Orthodox
Description
She was born in 1995 to Serbian parents in Novi Sad, Serbia and lived in the village of Beška for eight years. Her father is from the town of Džepi, and her mother is from Boracko Jezero outside of Sarajevo. They both fled to Serbia in 1994. She recalls the 1999 NATO bombing of Belgrade and remembers leaflets airdropped and the bed shaking. The family went to Višegrad back in Bosnia to escape the bombing. The family then moved to Lancaster, PA, where there was a small community. She remembers being called a Chetnik by Bosnian Muslims in school. She expressed having a strong interest in her culture and would travel to go to Sunday School and Serb Summer Camp. They attended a Greek Orthodox church in Lancaster as there was no Serb Church. She began getting involved in humanitarian aid in high school. The NATO bombing has not impacted her feelings about being American. Her mother and several family members struggle with PTSD, and she remains vigilant as not to trigger them. Her goal is to influence people not to see Serbs as murderers.
Keywords
Novi Sad, Beška, Džepi, Boračko Jezero, Konjic, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Chicago, 1999 NATO Bombing, PTSD, transgenerational trauma
First Country of Residence
Serbia
First US Residence
Lancaster, PA
Document Type
Oral History
Collection
Fontbonne University
Digital Format
MP3
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
