Czech, Russian, and Greek Immigrant Experiences in the U.S.

Introduction: Age and Historical Context in the Immigrant Experience

Upon interviewing three immigrants — one from the Czech Republic (then known as Czechoslovakia) in 1958, one from Russia (then part of the U.S.S.R.) in 1985, and one from Greece in 1993 — the importance of age and its effects on the immigrant experience immediately emerges as a major factor affecting the rate and comfort level of the individual in assimilating to the United States. In assessing the effects of age, it is critical that a researcher consider both the age of the individual at the time of immigration and the historical era in which the migration took place. Together, these two dimensions shape the pressures, resources, and motivations that define each immigrant's journey.

Martina: Emigrating from Communist Czechoslovakia

In the case of "Martina," she joined her aunt and uncle as a young woman in her 20s after experiencing the difficult process of leaving a communist Eastern European country. Her aunt and uncle had come to the United States several years earlier. Martina's mother had recently died, and her father hoped that by sending his daughter to America she would have a chance at a better life.

Martina recalls being initially uncomfortable in the U.S. because, although she had studied English in school, the instruction had not been designed to prepare a student to function socially or in casual conversation. There were no people from the Czech Republic living in her area, which forced her to adapt quickly. Other than her aunt and uncle, she did not recall taking advantage of any social support services. She learned English by being immersed in it and by applying what she had already learned in school.

At first, she worked in her aunt's dance studio, having studied dance as a young girl. She later married and raised her children as a housewife. She did not marry a Czech-speaking man, so her children grew up speaking English rather than Czech. Martina said she was grateful for the opportunities life in the United States had brought her, particularly because emigrating from beyond the Iron Curtain was so difficult at the time.

Despite her gratitude, she held fast to her Czech identity by keeping in contact with her family in the Czech Republic — speaking with them by phone on rare occasions and sending them necessities when it was permitted before the end of communism. After communism's fall, communication became easier and cheaper, and she tried to travel to Prague once a year. She vividly recalled being struck by the sheer abundance in American stores and supermarkets upon her arrival, an impression that stayed with her even after many years in the country.

Regarding religion, Martina did not recall receiving any religious instruction as a young girl, since it was forbidden under the communist regime. She later adopted her American husband's Protestant Methodist faith. She did, however, continue to make traditionally decorated eggs for Easter and baked Czech cookies at Christmas from memory — small but meaningful expressions of her cultural heritage.

Irina: A Russian-Jewish Childhood in America

In contrast, "Irina" could not remember what Russia was like. Her parents were Jewish and had faced great difficulty immigrating to America. Irina was so young at the time of the move that she could hardly remember living in the Soviet Union. Her parents raised her in a Russian-speaking household at first, but after she entered public school she quickly acquired English, and it became her primary language. She spoke without any accent, unlike Martina.

Irina said her Russian-Jewish heritage was nonetheless an important part of her life. Because her parents settled in an area with many other Russian immigrants, she had been exposed to that culture throughout her upbringing. Since she could not remember "the bad times," she had mostly positive feelings about being Russian, even though she said she could not imagine actually living in Russia. Her parents had experienced persecution as Jews but were largely agnostic in their beliefs. Although Irina identified as a secular Jew, she said religion was not a major focus of her life.

She acknowledged that the social support of the Russian-Jewish community had been very helpful to her parents during their initial adjustment to the U.S. and in finding employment, even though that community had not had the same direct impact on her own immigrant experience. Her case illustrates how ethnic enclaves can serve different functions for different generations within the same immigrant family.