When I first moved to Pittsburgh after crisscrossing the globe as a U.S. Diplomat, I was saddened a bit. Gone was the life of lunching with colleagues from Latvia, having coffee with my German counterparts, and dining with my Belgian neighbors – all in one day! One never knew what the next day would bring. Within a few hours, I could drive through several different countries, each with a different language and culture.
But in the past year, I’ve grown to love this city, full of hidden surprises. The view from Mount Washington one starry evening took my breath away – as beautiful and romantic as Paris by night. The concerts, theater, ethnic restaurants – they are all Pittsburgh’s hidden secrets. But perhaps most endearing are the Pittsburghers themselves. They come from all parts of the globe, and they each bring a part of that world with them. They thrive on the simple pleasures of life, and open their hearts to those who have just begun to call Pittsburgh home.
Despite this, some newcomers are afraid to leave their comfort zone and some know little about the history and culture of Pittsburgh and the diverse communities that make it what it is today. The purpose of this blog is to provide a forum for recent and not so recent immigrants and members of the international community to openly discuss issues that matter to them, share opinions, find a voice, and learn more about each other. Although some feature articles will be written by the sponsors, the Pittsburgh Center for International Understanding and MathurLaw LLC, this blog’s success depends upon the active involvement of our readers. We welcome comments, articles, reports of events, and interviews with members of Pittsburgh’s ethnic communities. In order to be fruitful, this should be a true exchange of ideas and a sharing of our hopes and dreams for this wonderful city…. Kamana Mathur
Dear Kamana,
Congratulations on your new website of PITTSBURGH IMMIGRANT and the ideas you would like to foster herein.
As a grandchild of Pittsburgh Serbian immigrants from 1897, 1900 and 1906, I would like to share with you and your readers the website I’ve developed. My http://www.babamim.com website documents much of the love, hope, dreams, hardships, successes and exciting adventures that our early Serbian immigrants had here in Pittsburgh at the beginning of the last century.
Most of all, it shows their burning desire to be the best Americans they could be, but at the same time, to cherish and maintain their Serbian cultural heritage and values.
I’m sure you will love Pittsburgh. Several years ago while still teaching for Quaker Valley School District in Pittsburgh, we had several In-Service classes on Diversity Training. It was hard not to chuckle at even the thought, as I grew up in Pittsburgh where we celebrated EVERYONE’S heritage, starting with my neighbors of every ethnicity around me, the Pitt Nationality Rooms and the Annual Pittsburgh Folk Festival days. To us, it was always “Unity Through Diversity!”
Even my High School Music Teacher, Mr. Schmidt, was ahead of the curve. He made us learn at least one song from every culture, so that if we ever went to a party or celebration, we could also sing along. While I don’t remember everyone’s song, I do remember ours. The words were printed on the blackboard for all of us to learn, “Oj, Devojka oj…. primish pozdrav moj, samo nemoj, moj Majci kaziti.”
Welcome again. And best of luck to all of you there. If you need any help learning more about Serbian immigrants, I’m here to help.
Sincerely,
Milana (Mim) Karlo Bizic