Iva

full interview

Iva, tell me, what kind of house do you live in and who do you live with?
I’m living in a very musical and cozy house with my family. My sister, Masha and my mom and a cat.
Nice. How do you spend your time here?
Well, right now, I’m a full time student, and I’m working on several personal projects. I’m also a musician, so I am playing a lot in the volunteer based orchestras around the city. Yep! 
What are some of the things that bring you joy and make you happy?
Well, music mostly, I would say small things such as grabbing a coffee with a friend. I really love plants and nature. So, going to the park. And we’re living close by is a Prospect Park. So walking there and just seeing, families and maybe what can be as a friend is like something. But I’m looking forward to.
Tell me more about how life has been since you arrived here.
I’ve changed. It was difficult. It was difficult to understand other people and to understand myself a little bit. When I moved here, I had, I would say like a post moving depression and a lot of immigrants experience it, I think, yeah, it’s been lonely and it’s being up and down and, but I can definitely tell that I became a stronger person. So that was when I, when I did and going through all that experience.
And what’s been good about being here and what was difficult, what is difficult?
The good is probably opportunities and especially in New York, you can find your community. So even though you’re far away from home, you still feelings and like some part of groups which you can connect with, the difficult is probably, is a type of the city and how fast you need to make decisions and that sometimes it’s like it’s really harsh to just, like, take a break here because you need to keep doing stuff. Otherwise you will be like no one or you’re just going to be end up on the streets.
Do you miss home?
Yes I do a lot. I miss things which I never thought I would miss. Food is a huge part of it. Like small things, like, a fancy cafe. My, like hang out with friends and, like, in their small apartments, table games. I would say I miss street, I miss architecture. Miss like the atmosphere of the city where I was raised? Yeah, I miss all of that.
Tell me a bit about your city? How does this changed after the war and all of this experience?
I was born in Odesa cityand Odesa, I believe that it’s like the most precious city which can ever exist. It’s really, bright. The people are funny and very welcome. And we’re all known for our, like, sense of humor. Yeah. And, I also miss culture, which was around my city because it’s very, multi, like multicultural. And there is a lot of influence was in like the one block, you can see a different influence from different parts of Europe. The, the community is also very close to each other. And one similarity which I find in the people in like probably from New York and in Odesa, is that if you can like make it there, you can make it here and which is funny. Yeah.
Tell me about how does the war affect the city?
Yeah honestly I think people got united more, even more, like, inside of our city. We already had, like, kind of like a groups, which were, like, talking, but about each other. But I do believe that once a war started, everyone kind of push aside their personal bias, and they tried to unite more. Yeah. It was even like I’m watching videos from my city sometimes when, for example, the cathedral, which was in the center, got destroyed by a missile and how people voluntarily came to clean to the mess. I was like seeing that our people are united more. 
How did that make you feel when you think of war and in your home country?
I was feeling not betrayed, but I was feeling did is a planet is not safe for me. I was feeling like kind of isolated the first few months after the war began. It was horrifying. And I was feeling anger a lot. I was feeling anger also because a lot of people leave their bubbles and they don’t want to confront reality, which is happening right now. It kind of changed my, like, views, and I changed my, like, evaluation in life. Yeah, I would say that since the war started, I’m trying to live as happy as I can, but I never can be happy. 
Tell me about your dreams. What dreams did you have you were, like before the war?
Yeah. Well, one of my biggest dream was to move to New York and make career as a musician. Well, when I moved here, I didn’t expect it to come true. So, right now, I’m just dreaming about being happy. I always say, well, it’s not really a dream.
What makes you happy?
Well, I always say people. People makes me happy. My achievements and what I’m doing, and, my progress, like personal progress, also makes me happy. Since the war started, I really wish. I really wish for people to be more united worldwide and to be less ignorant about certain stuff. Yeah. Be like, I wish people be more smarter. Most of them. Yeah. that’s it.
Tell me about your plans when the war finishes.
Yeah. So, I’m planning to stay in New York for a little bit. Since I’m getting my bachelor’s degree in music performance. I want to kind of push Ukrainian musical culture here. Spread awareness about Ukrainian composers leaving and those who were, like, centuries ago. When I’m. I’m planning to invest in the musical culture in my CD, especially because we have a lot of talent, but we don’t have equipment which allows those talents, to shine. Yeah. I’m, I believe today I will come up with some kind of project which is gonna unite people around a Ukrainian team. And, also, I’m planning to be a teacher, hopefully, so I can. I can bring American influence, mixed up with Ukrainian traditions when I come back.
So you’re planning to come back to Ukraine after the war?
Yeah, I think so, I think so. We’ll left our apartment there, and I still feeling connected to community. I still think that even if I’m not going to be there all the time, I definitely want to come back and, just meet my friends.
Tell me more. What was difficult for you when you arrived here and what was like, good for you about, like, positive sides, and not positive sides, but all the difficulties and….
I would say that when I came here, I didn’t really have any friends. So I like. It was hard for me because I’m very, not anti-social, but I am awkward socially. So. And language barrier was a huge deal with me. In the beginning, I couldn’t really express myself because of this barrier. I couldn’t be, like, as funny as I would be on my native language or, like, no one would like I feeling sad when I came to school. When people like head impressions and, like I’m speaking second language. They wouldn’t take me seriously. Yeah. So I deal, like, always dealing with it. When I was playing in college orchestra. For instance, I would like not look at my skills, but they would, take me as granted and put me on to, like us. You know, it’s like last person or something like that. Also, also, this new system kind of throw me and, is a way how there is no, assigned schedule. But you need to, like, create your own schedule. Yeah. This is like, the things which were new to me, and I wasn’t really prepared for them.
Tell me, when did you leave Ukraine and why?
I left Ukraine on May 2021 because my mom, moved. I mean, I moved with my mother and sister because she married someone here. Yeah. Oh, she married my stepdad, and we moved as a family. And. Yeah, a couple months later, the war started.
And you stayed here?
I yeah, we stayed here because we already had this, bureaucracy stuff going on. And we also stayed here because we knew that we were going to help our the rest of our family.
So do you have, like, tell me a little bit more about the rest of your family?
Yes. My aunt, she is, a writer. She wrote a book. A historical romance, called, Jessica Saga, and which is about my family. But, like, it’s very relatable to everyone in my city because it kind of talks about how everyone left and like, their parents, grandparents lifestyle.
And did you did your, you said that you moved here and you were trying to help your family.
Yeah.
Fleeing Ukraine?
Yeah. So they stayed, in Ukraine for like six months or so, and after the first, like, serious missile strike. So we were thinking about, like, leaving because of the safety reasons. So they immigrated to Poland, and at this time, you for you, got released, I would say. So we we took we took them here because of this program.
Tell me a bit about your strong sides?
My strong side. I’m very stubborn, and I am straightforward. I think I think, yeah, a lot of people told me that I’m, very honest, and the thing is good. I also know what I want, and I, I don’t you up until I knew you said, like, there is no way that I’m not going to get what I want.
So what is your dream for the future?
For the future. Well, I want to have peace in Ukraine.
And like the whole sentence
Yeah, sure.
My dream is like…
Yeah, for my future. My dream is being able to come back home whenever I want. 
Thank you. Is there anything you can add I forgot to ask and you didn’t mention for other people like to better understand, for better understanding and to understand your better and like, you know, your experience better. What can you advise?
I can advise to be more empathetic, and kind to everyone else and not looking on their, like, you know, status, social position or race or, even sexual orientation. Yeah. I think it’s very important to understand me is being able to being empathetic to anyone.
Have you. Have you felt any discrimination in this city?
A little bit, a little bit. It was my, like, second job. I had, a very big argument with one of my managers because they asked where I’m from, and I told her that I’m from Ukraine, and they told me that this country doesn’t exist. They started telling me that it’s part of Russia. And, I, I wasn’t like I was, I was very angry because the war also started, like, it just happened. And. Yeah, it was heartbreaking to hear that, I quit later. But, like, it it was scary for me to know that, like, some people can say that, despite of, like, war happened.
Oh, that’s that’s horrible. That’s very sad. I forgot my question after this. My question was. What do you think makes you be stronger?
This one here. What? What gives you this chance to keep going in spite of all this situations happening?
I think that my awareness, my identity. And it the way I have principles. I have a certain principles, and I’m not. I’m not. I don’t want to like someone to take them away from me, to take away my rights. So instead of just, like being silent, I think people should be as loud as they can. And that’s what I’m doing, basically. 
And you’re doing this. Great. Thank you so much for your time and for everything you do and for Ukraine to thank you.
Thank You.