RFE/RL reports on how Meskhetian Turks are adjusting to life in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Svonidze tells RFE/RL that the decision to resettle in America was not an easy one to make. But he says that when he arrived in the United States, he realized it would be the end of their journey.
“Most importantly, people around here surround us with such love and care, so we don’t feel at all like guests. We don’t feel like total strangers, like we were feeling and were told in Russia. Our friends here — Nancy and Mel, Laura and Marcie, Barbara — are representatives of supporting agencies. We feel like one family, like they are close relatives,” Svonidze said.
One of the friends mentioned by Svonidze, Laura Stammberger, works for PRIME-ECR, an affiliate of Church World Service, and is a project manager for Meskhetian resettlement in Lancaster. She tells RFE/RL that the three Meskhetian families in Lancaster are still in the early stages of their acculturation, but that there are already indications that they are going to do well.
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Harder notes one incident in which a Meskhetian is suspected of having been denied consideration for employment because he was a Muslim, which is against the law. But in general, she tells RFE/RL, local employers are willing to consider them for jobs.“Many of the places that we applied to, when they find out that I am working with immigrants who are newly arrived in the country, they say, ‘Oh, really? Tell me where they’re from. We’ve hired refugees before, and they’re known to be some of our hardest-working employees — our most punctual, ones who don’t have problems with their co-workers.’ They get along well, and they’ve been known to advance,” Harder said.
These are part of the same group that I work with in Philadelphia, and it sounds like the Lancaster group is adjusting extremely well. I can’t go into details really, but the Philadelphia families I’ve worked with are having a harder time adjusting for reasons you might guess if you’re familiar with certain cultural characteristics of Turks of the former Soviet Union.
That being said, the younger they are, the better they’re doing. Some of the boys seem pretty comfortable speaking little bits of English, and one of the middle-aged refugees surprised me by knowing how to say quite a bit in English. The biggest problems seem to concern money–affording rent, bills, wanting to get a car, etc.
I do constantly hear over and over again from them though that despite the difficulties of adjusting to life here, they feel like they have finally found a place to put down roots. They’re tremendously appreciative of the support they’re receiving and proud to be on their way to becoming Americans.
This post was written by...
Nathan Hamm – author of 2973 posts on Registan.net.
Nathan is the Founding Editor and Publisher of Registan.net, which he launched in 2003. He was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Uzbekistan 2000-2001 and received his MA in Central Asian Studies from the University of Washington in 2007. Since 2007, he has worked full-time as an analyst, consulting with private and government clients on Central Asian affairs, specializing in how socio-cultural and political factors shape risks and opportunities and how organizations can adjust their strategic and operational plans to account for these variables. Nathan is currently seeking research, analysis, and consulting opportunities. He can be contacted via Twitter or email.
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{ 7 comments }
I wonder if they’re the ones eating all of those goats?
Well, they’re in the right place for it. I actually don’t remember ever eating goat in Uzbekistan. I could, of course, have eaten it and not known… Uzbeks were pretty much “sheep-only.” Karakalpaks ate pork though, and I managed to find pork easily in Samarkand (I don’t know how down with swine Tajiks are, but they served it). I even had horse a few times. But, as far as I know, no goat.
Anyone know if it’s at all common in other parts of the former Soviet Union?
I’m happy about the increase in goat consumption though. Hopefully it’ll lead to higher quality goat being more readily available.
Yes, I too am anxiously awaiting the day when we’ll be able to buy premium goat burgers at the local convenience store.
Best goat I ever had was young male goats deep pit bbq’d with a black pepper/mustard rub. This was cooked by some Californians via Arkansas. Delicious! Too bad goat isn’t more popular, it can graze on more marginal land.
We eat goats. And as Mr Hamm said the young male goats taste very good and they are eaten commonly. We call them “uloq”([uloq]). But now, I guess people have them not so often as sheep. Some Uzbeks eat pork too, but most of them don’t because of their believes in Islam.
Now you’re confusing me, Asror! I was always “Mr. Hamm” and he was “Dr. Hamm!”
Anyway, can you get goat in restaurants? I never saw it. And, not that I knew until just now, but isn’t uloq also ko’pkari (or bushkazi as some of you might know it)?
Sorry Nathan and Dr. Hamm. I just confused.
Ok, probably you can’t find goats in the restaurants, because urban people do not eat them much now. Mostly I had goat meat when i was in the village.
And you are right uloq also called “ko’pkari” but I have never heard the word “bushkazi”. I had seen this horse game when I was young and spent my vocation in the village. It’s very exciting and popular game among the rural people of Uzbekistan. Mostly they have this game during some holidays or weddings(“to’y”).