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| Lenora’s tenth
birthday is the
first one she has
celebrated in the
United States. |
The Aliyev family moved to Rochester, NY as political
refugees from Krasnodar, Russia in May 2007. They are
Meskhetian Turks, an ethnic group that was first expelled
from Turkey by Joseph Stalin in 1944, and has been essentially
without a country ever since. The Aliyev family is
an example of a successful resettlement story: Shakir, the
father, works long hours at the local cemetery to support
his family, and says that all he ever wanted in coming to
the United States was for his daughters to have a good
education and a chance at getting successful jobs. The girls
excel in school with the help of a committed English tutor;
and though their mother, Khalima, spends most of her
time at home keeping things in order, she is supported by
her own parents and brother who live just next door. The
devout loyalty between every member of the family helps
them to stay strong through challenging adjustments to life
in a new place.
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| Pat, a neighbor who
helped the family settle
into their new home
when they first arrived
in Rochester, flips
through a book of photographs
taken around the
Aliyev’s home in Russia. |
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| “My life feels small,” says
Zarema, 16, the eldest
daughter. She is not
always happy with the
amount of responsibility
she has at home, on top of
the academic and social
stresses of high school. |
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| Shakir Aliyev works
50-60 hours a week
at Riverside Cemetery
to support his
family of seven. He
rarely has a minute
to himself once he
gets home, but when
he gets a chance, he
tries to brush up on
his English skills
with the help of
books given to him
by his coworkers. |
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| Aziza, who is six,
watches as her older
sister Elvira leaves
for school. Elvira is in
eighth grade at Nazareth
Academy, and
in the fall Aziza will
be starting kindergarten
at the Harley
School, a prestigious
private school where
her sister Lenora also
goes, both on a full
scholarship. |
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