As many of you may know, I am Bosnian. I was born here but my parents are from Mostar, Bosnia and they have been teaching me about the culture since I was born. I speak Bosnian fluently and I know how to read and write it. What many of you may not know is Mostar, Bosnia has a brutal history.
Around April 1992, civil war struck out in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Many fled to escape the fear of their lives. Some of which were my family members. My mom and aunt took off to a refugee camp in Crotia, while my dad, uncle, and grandfather were placed in concentraton camps. The war continued for the next 3 years until 1995. Of course, at the time, my mom was pregnant with me and as the war seized my family came to the United States. Under welfare, my parents struggled with life. They had very little, and the very little they had, they gave to me. Down below is a short documentary about how life was during the war:
The most sacred landmark in Mostar was the Stari Most, meaning the "Old Bridge." During the war, it was destroyed until the last piece had fallen to the ground.
Thankfully, it was rebuilt in 2004.
Although Mostar suffered a great deal of genocide, it still stands as a city of beauty in the hearts of those who lived through it all.
I am very thankful and proud of where I come from. I love my family more than anything in the whole world. I might not always listen or do as they say, but I want my parents to know that they mean the world to me even though I don't show it all the time.
So now when you ask what I am, I'm going to respond "I'm Bosnian," and when you say "what?", I'm gonna say "you heard me. I'm Bosnian."
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