What a great story! Our family has a similar story. We are grateful to be in this land of the free. My father also came from Yugoslavia. It took us 5 years to even get a visa to come here because it was a communist country and the US did not accept people from communist countries. I was a young girl when we came to America. We all learned the language, and we were all naturalized. My father got his first job, cleaning chicken coops. it paid $2.00 an hour. We were all happy to be here, we did what it took. We are still grateful. This is the best country on earth.

How sad we fail to see what this country is- how sad we are content to elect and re-elect people to public office that have their own agenda instead of what should be the good of the people. How sad so few take advantage of the opportunity to vote in public elelctions, instead being apathetic about it all. And how fortunate we are to get new citizens of this caliber.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY EVERYONE !!!!!!!

Ivana was in my class the year she arrived here. I'll never forget her bright and cheery spirit and willingness to work and learn, no matter the obstacle. I'm glad to hear things are going well!!!

What a terrible, cynical, mean-spirited comment!

Continued good luck to this hard-working family. My family emigrated to the U.S. from Europe over 40 years ago. Many opportunities were available, for which we are grateful. Many wonderful American people offered friendship and advice.

Congratulations as they pursue citizenship.

I served with the peacekeeping forces in Bosnia. I can't imagine how difficult it must have been for them. I only saw the aftermath of the war,and I still have flashbacks over the mass graves, torture, and inhumanity that was displayed there. I still think about those who worked with us after our arrival, and their stories of desperation and survival. Someday I would like to go back and see if it has gotten better, and how those friends I made are doing. Letters never got through, and I gave up after a few years. I look at my old base camps and patrol areas regularly on Google Earth, but it isn't the same. Bosnia is a very beautiful place if you can see beyond the horrors. Hopefully the wounds will heal and the people of that country will again be able to live together in peace.

Happy Birthday America!
Land of the free and home of the brave.
May your liberty carry on through the ages.

Welcome to America, Kobasijevics, and to you eko. To everyone who is willing to work hard to make a life for themselves, to become American citizens, and is dedicated to loving our country as we true Americans do - we welcome you. God Bless America.

To Carol, Susan and USA Patriot...I applaud your positivity and expressions of gratitude that certainly reflect mine. God is blessing this America of ours but we are expected to do all we can to continue to have it be an environment that is conducive to raise our families and worship. Bless our Troops for without them we would not be on a computer right now. GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!

This story reflects the story of Bosnian Americans all across the US. My parents both faught in the war in my country and I was born in the middle of the war, underground in a military hospital. We came to America and our first apartment was one where rats seemed to live in "harmony" with the tenants. It was absolutely appalling conditions but now, my family has built our own house and live in peace. I still miss Bosnia so much and we visit as much as we can...but it breaks my heart to say that I would never go back to live in Bosnia because America has so many more oppurtunities and is just an aamzing place to be. I thank my God every day that I was lucky enough to come here.

I Love America as my 1st home country. But Bosnia is in my heart, my birth country. The country I would fight.
All we Bosnians want is FEEDOME, same rights as everyone else, something we lacked during Yugoslavia. We Bosnian were never thought Bosnian history, the jobs were much harded to get because of the discrimination. All big jobs were heald by serbian people.
That's like Canadians having every big job in America and wont hire you because your American.

"FREEDOM IS PRECIOUS"

Hate destroys everything, causes disease, war and destruction. America is FREEDOM protector- god bless her

The only reason they are in america is because america carefully planned the failure of Yugoslavia. Tito would be turning in his grave if he saw these uneducated immigrants paying homage to a country that orchestrated Yugoslavia's fall. Of course, like most immigrants, they are uninformed and are proud to be citizens of a country that has done more bad than good. Now Iraqi citizens will be "very thankful" for coming to america as well... :)