Ga. day to honor Bosnian arrivals

The Bosnian-American community of metro Atlanta hopes to establish a “Bosnian-American Day” in Georgia on March 1. Next week, the community will host an assembly at the state Capitol to introduce the Legislature to Bosnian culture, cuisine, and dance.

Around 10,000 Bosnians live in metro Atlanta, mainly in Gwinnett and DeKalb counties.

Meet Zejna Hadzic. She, with her husband and his family, were the first Bosnians to settle in Georgia after the Bosnian war. They immigrated to the U.S. in 1993.

“My husband lost two brothers in the war,” Hadzic said. “He comes from a large, close family, so it was very difficult for us to cope.”

Hadzic and her husband decided the United States would be the best option for them to pursue. Shortly after arriving here, Hadzic family members were reunited.

Describing life in Georgia, Hadzic said they had a difficult start.

“It wasn’t easy,” she said. “We didn’t speak a word of English at the time, which made it harder to transition to American life.”

After meeting with a translator, Hadzic and her husband started taking English courses. Slowly, things got easier as they mastered the language and started working.

“In the U.S., you can have everything if you work for it,” Hadzic said. “We’re grateful for the opportunities America has given us, because I don’t think we would have had the same ones if we stayed in Bosnia.”

Hadzic’s story is one the Bosnian community understands well.

Darel Duliman, a coordinator for the assembly, moved to Lawrenceville with his family in 2000. “We’re proud of our heritage, so naturally we want to share it,” he said.

Although a large Bosnian population exists in the U.S., Georgia would be the first state to have a Bosnian-American Day if the resolution passes in the Senate and House. State Rep. Valerie Clark, R-Lawrenceville, is writing the legislation.

On March 1, 1992, Bosnia and Herzegovina received their independence from the former Yugoslavia. To the Bosnian-American community in Georgia, March 1 represents two cultures becoming one.

Duliman has started a fundraiser where anyone can contribute financially for Bosnian-American Day: www.gofundme.com/ bosnianamerican. There’s also a Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ bosnian.american.day.