I’m A First-Generation American With Ukrainian Roots
The Soviet Union officially collapsed on Dec. 26, 1991. Fifteen former Soviet republics became independent nations, one of them was Ukraine—the country where my family is from.
Living in a newly formed nation was chaotic. It was a time of lawlessness, corruption was rampant. My family had seen enough. In 1996, my mom, dad and grandmother moved to South Florida, making me a first-generation American.
The politics of discussing my family’s motherland is a rather interesting predicament. Anyone who was born in Ukraine after the collapse of the Soviet Union says they’re Ukrainian, but what about the previous generations?
Back then, Ukraine wasn’t considered its own country; Ukrainian was frowned upon so everyone spoke Russian.
Growing up, people around me were proud of their heritage. However, I never felt prideful or thought I had an identity beyond being American. As I got older, I found out why.
My mom’s side of the family was Jewish, and with antisemitism existing in the communist regime, she never had the chance to openly keep any of her practices.
On the other hand, my dad wasn’t Jewish, but he was honest about his disdain for his family’s homeland, which raised cruel individuals and was filled with corruption.
Both came to the United States fully embracing their new identity with pride.
My parents were very clear that they had no love for their former home, however, there was pride in the city they grew up in, Odessa, a port city just off the Black Sea. It’s the same sort of pride you see from New Yorkers when they boast about the borough they’re from.
At the end of the day, I’m very grateful to be here and not in the current Ukraine-Russia war, but I feel as though I’m missing something that many of my peers have.
The Ukraine-Russia war began on Feb. 24, 2022, when Russia launched a large-scale military invasion to take control of more Ukrainian territory and topple the nation’s government.
While my mom and dad don’t share feelings of “national pride” for their former home, it pains them to see it ravaged by war and so many lives lost on both sides—people who are not so different from each other.
Currently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is seeking more international support, including mineral partnerships with the United States.
Meanwhile, there is skepticism revolving around the U.S. President Donald Trump’s suggestion about possible negotiations with Russia.
In short, the conflict remains intense, and there’s no clear resolution in sight even with ongoing military and diplomatic efforts.
