Years after her mom escaped war-torn Yugoslavia with three kids in tow, Danijela is the first member of her family to become a U.S. Citizen.
“It’s been a long journey,” said Danijela Keric (pictured at right with her mom, Slavenka Keric at left), outside a courtroom in New Haven U.S. District Court. Danijela was one of 52 people to become citizens at a naturalization hearing before Judge Peter C. Dorsey Friday.
“Long journey” was the understatement of the day for the family of refugees.
Their struggle began in 1991, when civil war broke out in the former Yugoslavia. Danijela was a teenager. Her youngest brother was only one year old. They lived in the city of Bugojno in what is now Bosnia. Their home city was once host to world-famous chess tournaments, then stampeded by a decade of civil strife.
Slavenka Keric is Catholic. Her husband is Muslim. Ethnic and religious conflicts tore at the fabric of their family, making it “impossible” to live in peace. When it came time to take up arms, Slavenka’s husband got drafted on one side. Her brother got drafted on the other.
“They were fighting against each other,” said Slavenka. “It was horrible.” So she took the three kids, two teens and a babe in arms, and fled across the border.
“I had to leave my husband,” she said, “I was alone.” They left their country behind, landing in Germany. They kept looking for a new home.
“We went everywhere, and only this country let us stay,” said Slavenka. They arrived as refugees 11 years ago. Husband and wife now reunited, the couple has settled in Guilford. They live not far from Slavenka’s brother, who sought refuge here after being freed by NATO forces from a concentration camp.
Friday, Danijela became the first in her immediate family to become a citizen. “I’m so nervous,” she whispered to her brother as she waited her turn in court to shake Judge Dorsey’s hand and receive official naturalization papers.
Her brother, mother and two coworkers sat next to her, clutching small American flags. Her mom gave the flag a little wave as the emotional moment came. (Click on the play arrow to watch).
The night before, she had broken out in tears of anticipation while out at dinner with her fianc√©e. When he told onlookers the reason — “she’s going to be American tomorrow” — everyone started buying her drinks.
“This is like my new birthday,” said the bright-eyed 28-year-old, still shaking with excitement as they regrouped to take photos in the hall Friday.
She gave her mom a hug: “We finally have a country,” she said. “We’ve been without a country for so long.”
Mom had already started planning for a big citizenship party Saturday. She’d pound dough into fine layers of filo to make her famous pita dish: Cheese, spinach and feta, meat and potatoes, wrapped in filo dough. She might even make a special trip to Hartford to buy special sour cabbage from a Balkan food store.
Slavenka said she’s never considered going back home since they left. “It would be too sad — everything is destroyed.” America is their home now. The kids have grown up through American schools, the youngest now 17. Danijela has settled down in Lyme with her fianc√©e, a Connecticut native. She’s off to a good start with a career in real estate.
“It’s a little too late for me” to start a new life here, said Slavenka, “but not for my kids.” “They have here a big opportunity to begin again.”