Immigrant Strong: August 2022

Greetings from Croatia

This is a very shortened version of the newsletter because I’ve been on vacation back home in Croatia. Between swimming in the Adriatic with my daughter, catching up with friends and family, and drinking wine on the terrace in the evenings, I’ve had little time to curate essays. But I’m so glad I downloaded Somewhere We Are Human: Authentic Voices on Migration, Survival, and New Beginnings, edited by Reyna Grande and Sonia Guiñansaca.

It’s been particularly emotional to read this anthology of essays, poems, and artwork by migrants and refugees while at my childhood home—the only place I lived in before I became an immigrant, and defining “home” got very complicated. Every immigrant and refugee knows there is a ‘before’ and ‘after’ point in our lives, marked by borders and new beginnings. I am writing this from my ‘before’ place, and it’s a stunningly beautiful one, oozing with natural splendor on top of all the nostalgia and memories it holds for me.

So many pieces in this powerful book by diverse writers, artists, and activists interrogate issues that I grapple with daily while here. Who would I be if I hadn’t left? Would I feel more at home living here than as a perpetual foreigner in America? How do I immerse my daughter in Croatian culture and this magical place that raised me? Can I merge my Croatian and American sides, and balance the longing for my homeland with the reality of my life in the United States?

As someone who has worked on immigrants’ rights for years, I appreciate that many of the essays and poems in this book portray the cruel and immoral nature of the U.S. immigration system. So many Americans think that immigrants can get papers if “they get in line” or “follow the rules.” But the reality is, there is often no line to get into. And on the rare occasion there is one, it’s housed within a system that’s so deeply steeped in injustice, racism, and money, there is little room for common sense or fairness. As a result, countless families are separated and traumatized, and lives are sacrificed at the expense of racist border policies and nativist ideologies.

This book puts undocumented writers in the driver’s seat by allowing them to share their stories, and helping readers understand the impact that America’s unjust immigration policies have on people’s lives. Whether it’s about a child being separated from their parents, a mother leaving her child in order to migrate, or trying to fit in a white world as an undocumented immigrant of color, every one of these stories is infused with powerful lived experiences, raw honesty, and sharp perspectives.

I’ve been feeling guilty that I haven’t had time to include essays in this issue of the newsletter, as I do every month. But thanks to its mix of prose, poetry, and artwork, Somewhere We Are Human has reminded me that we process our thoughts and emotions in a myriad of ways. Sometimes, it’s literature that helps us make sense of our place in this world; other times, it’s something else. So instead of essays, I’m leaving you with a few photos I’ve taken in and around my striking hometown of Dubrovnik, Croatia. They can’t possibly capture the strength of my bond to this place, but I hope they at least give you a taste.

Thanks for reading,

Vesna

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About this newsletter: Writing about immigrant and refugee life—the struggles, triumphs, and quirks—by immigrants and refugees, and children of immigrants and refugees. For more info, here is a Q&A I did with Longreads about the newsletter. Photo in the logo: Miguel Bruna/Unsplash.

About me: I grew up in the former Yugoslavia, then immigrated to Canada, and now live in the United States, where I work as a writer and communications consultant for nonprofits focusing on human rights and social justice. I have written about my immigrant experience for The New York Times, Catapult, Pigeon Pages, the Washington Post and the New York Daily News. Last year, I attended Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing conference as a parent-fellow, and participated in the Tin House Summer Workshop. Find me on twitter, @vesnajaksic, or on my website, www.vesnajaksic.com.