Neighbor Project

IAre you Greek?

Turns out this Greek-named woman, Irina, working at Hummus Kitchen is not in fact a Mediterranean maiden, but a lovely lady from Ukraine. She came to New Jersey a year and a half ago thanks to a friend who sponsored her to come over to the USA in the midst of the warfare going on in her country.

“I used to be a lawyer - I was a rich woman! But here you can’t get anything for what the cost of my apartment was….except one trip to Costco!”

Although she had to start her life from scratch here in America like almost all immigrant stories begin, thankfully her two daughters were already living in New Jersey, so she hasn’t had to do it all alone.

“It’s nice to start a new life, I was getting bored anyway,” was her joyful and positive disposition when I asked if she missed her home country. She remarked that the war between Ukraine and Russia is “just a cycle” nonchalantly, on a day that the governor of New Jersey declared a state of emergency for the six inches of snow.

She knows that her time of asylum in the USA is ending sooner than later, and doesn’t know what is going to happen in the future, “especially now with Trump...” [and all his executive immigration orders]. However, she didn’t seem pressed, angry, or upset about it.

“Since I saw the rockets flying in the air, I don’t think so much about the future. Maybe tomorrow… but not much more than that.”

What started as a simple question of “what is your name” became an unexpected and inspiring story “around the table” of a woman who has endured hardships with much grace, hope and strength, who made sure to top off my plate with a jalapeño pepper that I didn’t ask for, claiming: “you’re a spicy lady, you will like it!”

@9663.irina