Tanja Mirovic

Transcription of Tanja Mirovic
Interviewee: Tanja Mirovic
Interviewer: Sarah Altinbasak
Date: February 14, 2014
Place: Edgewater Library, 6000 N. Broadway, Chicago, IL.
Transcriber: Sarah Altinbasak
Total Time: 4:06

Copyright © 2014 Edgewater Historical Society

SA: Can you tell me a little bit about where you’re from?

TM: I’m from ex-Yugoslavia, Serbia, Montenegro, so I’m having a hard time explaining to people that, where actually I’m from, because everybody is like its either or, used to be one country, so, I came here…well it’s going to be thirteen years now so…

SA: You came here thirteen years ago?

TM: Yeah.

SA: Did you come straight to Chicago?

TM: Yes.

SA: Straight to Edgewater?

TM: Well, Rogers Park. Lakeview, then Rogers Park.

SA: So a bunch of moving around?

TM: Yes.

SA: How long have you been in Edgewater?

TM: Five years now.

SA: Ok. Can you tell me a little bit about what it was like to grow up there?

T: Um, well, it was great, I would say more freedom for kids, especially my town, I’m from a small town, so, we all had houses, and uh, backyards, a lot of playgrounds around, so… it was great.

SA: What about, the actual immigration experience? Do you remember?

T: Well for me honestly it was easy. My dad got a job, so he brought the whole family. Where, I know a lot of people that had a hard time with it.

(16:46)

SA: So you came because he got a job here?

TM: Yes, he got a job, so he moved all family.

SA: Very cool. Um, how do you like it here?

TM: At first I hated it, but I came when I was sixteen so I think that had something to do with it. But now I love it, I am used to it.

SA: Does it feel like home?

TM: It does. Now when I go back I can’t see myself there.

SA: Ok, so you feel more at home here now?

TM: I think so.

SA: ….then if you want to go back?

TM: Yeah.

SA: Ok. Um, what would you uh, identify your culture, or whatever, to be, your identity as a person, if you had to say? Where you’re from or what you identify most with?

(17:29)

T: Um…hmmm…I don’t know. That’s a good question. Well I dunno, I came from a small town so um, a bit more conservative…I’m not sure if I’m pronouncing that correctly. So yeah, I dunno, I mean…

SA: So, if someone just said like what are you? What would you, what would the first thing that you would say be?

TM: Well if we’re talking about where I’m from I would say Serbia.

SA: You would say Serbian?

TM: Yes.

SA: Ok. Is there anything you think is important about you or the whole experience of coming here that you would want other people to know about you?

TM: Well it’s good experience. When I came here I had no knowledge of English what-so-ever, like nothing, and when they put me in school that was kind of hard, but, it was a great experience. I would want a lot of people to try it to see how it is, at least to travel if not move, so…

SA: So you didn’t speak any English when you came here?

TM: Nothing.

SA: How did that work with school?

TM: It was very hard yeah.

(18:43)

SA: How long would you say it took you to learn?

TM: Well, it took me I would say to start like speaking where I am like ok speaking, about 3 years. But I was very shy. Until I knew for sure that I am saying it correctly, it was hard for me to say it.

SA: That sounds really hard.

TM: It was but….

SA: Ok, well, those were actually all my questions.

TM: Oh, ok.

SA: I don’t know actually how long we went for. We did not go for nineteen minutes. Anyway, so is there anything else that you would want to share with the people of Edgewater to give it a more diverse experience?

TM: Um, I don’t know, I think I should have thought about those questions before I came here.

SA: I know I’m sorry.

TM: Not that’s alright, it’s not your fault, I just wasn’t really even thinking about it, been busy with work and everything. Well I don’t know… nothing specifically on my mind.

SA: OK. Well if any, if we come up with anything else, can we contact you again to have like….

TM: Oh yeah, for sure.

SA: Ok, well thank you.

TM: Sure.