Being at Home Abroad
Immigrants
Beslan Bjutukajew, from Chechnya
Our village is 45 km away from Grosny. It used to have a population
of 8,000. It was destroyed by Russian soldiers, there are maybe 4,000
people left. My father is retired, at the age of almost 70 he became
disabled, a Russian soldier fired at him from a plane, and he lost
his leg. The first war was not quite so terrible, but in this second
war they didn’t make a difference between children, old people or
civilians, they fire and bomb everything and everybody. Everybody
is scared.
I think of my homecountry too often and for too long, it is painful
to think of home. I think of my parents, of my relatives. If the
Russian soldiers leave tomorrow I’m going back the day after tomorrow.
Asima Imamović, from Bosnia
The most beautiful moment in my life was when the four of us crossed
the “Wurzenpass” alive, when we saw all the lights down in the valley
and I knew: we are safe.
I will always be grateful to the family that
helped us to flee.
I was alone with my three sons, my husband was in
Bosnia, we were seperated for twelve years.
I have wonderful memories
of my homecountry. But it doesn’t exist like this any longer.
My best wishes to all the people there, may they have hope and may
our culture grow again in peace. And may there never be war again.
I know what it is like.
Felix Igboanusi, from Nigeria
I’m of Ibo origin and actively involved in a movement that works
for the independence of the state of Biafra. The conflict is 20 years
old, we don’t fight with arms, we want a dialogue.
Information meetings
of our organization are attacked, many people are killed and active
members are taken prisoner and killed, you never find out what happened.
I was lucky and could escape just in time.
Some people don’t have problems
with blacks like me, others do. I greet the people and I’m treated
as if I committed a crime.But now I get used to it. I am grateful for
being here, I feel save.
If Biafra becomes independent, I’m going back
tomorrow.
Emigrants
Tina Brandstätter, Calgary, Kanada
In my thoughts I’m still at home.
John Miklautsch, Milwaukee, USA
My father was here from 1923 to 1939, my mother from 1930 to 1939. I
was born in Milwaukee in 1935. My parents went back in 1939, my father
was homesick. I became an American citizen again in 1954, but didn’t
know any English. In 1956 I emigrated to Milwaukee and after three months
I volunteered for the Army for two years. I got my basic training in
Missouri, then I went to the desert in Nevada, where they did nuclear
tests. On weekends we went to Las Vegas, the job and the food were ok.
Later I was stationed in Germany, Vietnam and South Korea.
The veterans
hospital in Milwaukee is my home. Everything free.
Leo Fischbach, Boca Raton, Florida, USA
In Villach we lived at 44 Klagenfurterstraße. Only the Mitzner kids played football with us. The other kids did not play with us. They didn’t even say hello to us because we were Jews. In my childhood I felt completely isolated. I was the only Jewish child in highschool in Villach.