First Generation American interview with Lucas Fuksa

Interview with Lucas Fuksa, founding partner of Fuksa Khorshid, LLC and president of PAL-PAC

By: Ania Jablonowski

 

Lucas Fuksa, founding partner of Fuksa Khorshid, LLC and president of PAL-PAC

Were you born in the US or Poland?

I was born in Sanok, Poland and came to the US when I was four and a half years old. My father is originally from Kraków. First we moved to Austria as refugees for over a year, I was three years old when we left Poland.  Living in Austria includes some of my earliest memories. I can picture the hotel that we stayed at near a farm. I remember how much it snowed, and playing in the snow with my older brother. We celebrated Christmas there, which was actually pretty terrifying for me and my brother. We have a photo with a scary looking Santa, he had a tall hat with a cross, and was followed by these little men dressed up as furry animals with large teeth and horns on their heads. They each carried a large stick. I’m sure there is a fable that goes with it, but we were too young to understand. We didn’t have any family in Austria, it was a temporary stop to get you over to America.

 

How and why did your family come to the US?

My father despised living in Communism. Living through it shaped his political views today. He cherishes freedom, capitalism, and democracy. This greatly influenced me too. We came back to visit Poland for the first time in 1989. I can still recall it. The stores had empty shelves, my Babcia would stand in line for bread at 4am and there were only small rations. It was a completely different world from what we had in America. We never saw any brand names or choices of items. There was no capitalism, no competition. As a child, I distinctly remembered that nothing had colored packaging; it was a government grocery store.

When we moved to the US, my dad’s distant cousin Henry lived in Park Ridge, IL and we moved into his basement. He was our only contact in Chicago. Henry’s family didn’t even speak Polish, so our family started to learn English right away. After a few months, we moved to an apartment that Henry owned by Central and Foster Avenue in Chicago.

 

How would you compare your childhood to your peers’ experiences growing up?

My American friends had a different attitude about certain things. They didn’t understand what it meant to be wasteful. After seeing what was happening in Poland in 1989, I was very aware of differences in America. I had a hard time stepping away from my dinner plate unless I ate all my food, I hated being wasteful. Even with my lunch – I remember when my mom packed me sardines for lunch and some American friends were grossed  out and dared me to eat them. Someone said they would give me $5 if I ate the whole can, and I said “of course I am going to eat it – that’s my lunch!” Needless to say, that was the easiest $5 I ever made.

I never really had an accent growing up. It feels like I started speaking English within a few days of moving to the US. But I did feel a bit embarrassed speaking Polish to my parents in the grocery store and public places when I was younger. I would always keep my voice down. Looking back, it was silly. My parents would hassle me and say I should be proud that I could speak Polish. Of course now I appreciate it.

My brother and I entertained ourselves by playing outside a lot. Since our parents couldn’t afford the same toys that our American friends had, we would ride our bikes in empty parking lots and make forts out of cardboard boxes.

More so than my experience being different from my American peers, I would say my father’s experience was very different from my friends’ parents. In Poland, my dad was an educated engineer. After moving here, he couldn’t find a job as an immigrant, so he sold sandwiches. He woke up at 3am, got to work at 4am, and he would bring his food truck to wherever construction workers were, selling sandwiches and coffee. During this time, he was also constantly applying for engineering positions. He was discriminated against by being Polish, people would call him names, but he never thought much of it. He just thought, “that’s life, brush it off and move on.” He ended up landing an engineering position in Wisconsin. We stayed out there during kindergarten through the beginning of third grade.

 

What brought you back to Chicago after Wisconsin?

My mother wanted to come back. By then, all her friends from Poland started moving to Chicago too, and she missed being around them. It was great, because all of a sudden we got all these “aunts and uncles,” like all Polish families do. You’re not related, and you don’t realize until you’re older that they are actually your mom’s friends – but you still call them “Ciocia and Wujek” as an adult.

For my brother and I, it was coming back totally fresh. We didn’t know anyone. The other kids knew we were Polish. They would hear me speak Polish to my parents – that was strange for them. There wasn’t a single kid at our school that was Polish, outside of my brother and I. We were also seen as even more different because we were technically from Wisconsin. We made friends pretty quickly and didn’t find it difficult to assimilate. I considered myself an American. I didn’t really have a lot of Polish friends growing up, because at that time, there wasn’t a big Polish community where we lived.

 

Did you attend Polish school?

We didn’t start Polish school until I was in fifth or sixth grade. My brother actually attended with me, in the same class. Mind you, he is three years older and was in junior high already. Neither of us felt like we belonged; it felt like everyone there already knew each other. A few times, we actually waited until our parents left and walked down the street to go to Sportsmart. We got away with it until one day the teacher said something to our parents about being absent. We really didn’t make any friends in Polish school to the point of hanging outside of class. Eighth grade was our last year. I regret not being there longer though. It would have been a good opportunity to better my grammar and writing.

 

How were you perceived by Poles when you would go back to visit Poland?

My brother and I stood out as Americans when we would travel. We looked American with our Air Jordans, Bulls gears, and skateboards. I don’t even think anyone had a skateboard where we were at, and we would just ride down the streets with people staring at us.

 

How did you get involved with Polish organizations?

It wasn’t until after I graduated law school that I really started becoming involved in Polish organizations. Since my parents mostly found their community between friends, family, and church, they didn’t participate in the Chamber, etc.

I started working at a successful law firm in McHenry county. It was a great experience, and I was able to dabble in different areas of law. We had a few Polish clients, since Algonquin had many Polish residents. Though my “professional Polish” wasn’t perfect, I began communicating on a business and legal level. That helped a lot. I became involved with the Polish community in about 2006 when I was 28 years old and moved back to the city to start my practice with a partner. As someone new starting a law firm, I thought it would be great to get some Polish speaking clients and directed my efforts to that market. I also wanted a deeper involvement in the community beyond the firm.

One day, my brother’s wife wanted to introduce me to Stan Nowak, who was the President of a Polish business chamber. Stan’s chamber joined the Polish-American Chamber of Commerce, where I met Henry Kazmierczak, the President of PACC at the time. Both Stan and Henry became my mentors. One thing that I feel I had an advantage with in my career was the opportunity to learn so much from successful people that took me under their wings. My father didn’t have that when he came here – he just had to figure it out on his own. When Henry’s term as President ended, he suggested that I give it a try. He liked the fact that I was a young, Polish attorney with my own business. I was honored to take on the position. As President, I wanted to change the dynamic a bit by integrating more American businesses into the Chamber. I also focused on strengthening our relationship with Poland and not just targeting businesses in the Chicago area. This led to a lot of international initiatives among the PACC and various Polish businesses and agencies that aimed at exploiting business opportunities here and in Poland.

Networking with Poles in the Chicago community led me to meet connect with Poland in a great way. I met with the [former] Minister of Foreign Affairs, Radosław Sikorski, Polish delegates, leaders, prominent officials. It really sparked my interest in politics. There was a lacking political representation in the Polish-American community.

In 2013, I joined Arie Zweig’s efforts in creating an organization for our voices to be heard. The Polish-American Leadership Political Action Committee (PAL-PAC) was formed for the purpose of addressing social, civic, and business interests of the Polish-American community in the United States. Three general initiatives are utilized to accomplish this goal: education, issue advocacy, and representation. Together, we are able to show politicians that Poles have a strong voting block.

 

Do you have any advice for today’s young Polish-American business professionals?

Get involved in the Polish-American community as much as you can.There are a lot of great Polish organizations here in Chicago that can help you connect with your Polish roots. If you are looking for a job, looking for friends, or wanting to expand your business, don’t forget that you can find a lot of solutions through the Polish-American community. As Polish-Americans, we have to realize that we have a lot of potential as a result of the strong principles we share, but we can only succeed and make an impact if we support each other and work together.

First Generation American Interview with Nicolette Pajda: Cultivating Cultural Curiosity

By: Ania Jablonowski
Published August 30, 2014

As an ambitious entrepreneur, Nicolette Pajda is proud to connect with international clients through her Polish American background.  She believes that having been born in the US to Polish parents, she is able to relate to different cultures and feels more worldly. “It makes me well-rounded. I developed a cultural curiosity for languages, traditions, and travel,” shares Nicolette.

Nicolette Pajda is a first generation American of Polish descent

Her father’s hometown is Rzeszów, the capital of the Sub Carpathian region located in the south eastern part of Poland. Located on the banks of the river Wisłok, it is a beautiful city that is rich in historical monuments and interesting buildings to explore. “There is a town square which happens to have a lot of international performances and concerts. One of my favorite monuments is the Castle of the Lubomirski. Rzeszów is also a modern city. There is a small but modern airport, many large world shopping centers, swimming pools and sports halls. It is a wonderful city,” Nicolette recalls.

“My mom was 11 when she came to the US with my grandmother. Our family had established businesses in Poland, including restaurants, but everything was repressed. They came here for a better life and opportunities,” says Nicolette.

Her mother’s hometown Bielsko Biała is a picturesque town located at the foot of Beskidu-Małego. “There are many such towns surrounded by greenery around the mountains, and many monuments. While it is not a big city, it has some 700 years of rich historical and cultural events. The city has a very good geographic location, with beautiful scenery and clean air. The views are indescribable. Bielsko Biała is beautifully situated. Within ten minutes, you’re out of town, where you can peacefully rest and live,” she describes.

Nicolette Pajda pictured with her Mother (left) and brother Aron (center)

Nicolette’s parents met in the States when her father was visiting family at the age of 21. They fell in love and soon married.

With English as her second language, learning Polish first gave Nicolette a chance to truly absorb the culture. “Our family spoke Polish at home, and I started to integrate English in grammar school. I don’t remember the transition, I feel like I had no problems because there was such a mixture of Polish and English in my life. On Saturdays my younger brother Aron and I went to Polish school at St. John Brebeuf in Niles. Our parents had us attend through high school. They really pushed for us to keep the language.”

Since Nicolette’s mom came to the US at came at such a young age, Mrs. Pajda’s English was perfect when Nicolette and her brother were born. Mrs. Pajda graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, and even began a Master’s program. Both Nicolette and Aron also completed their undergrad at UIC. Funny enough, Nicolette and her mother even had the same professor for a Polish cultural class. “During UIC, I took a few extracurricular courses to help me explore our culture, including cinema and literature,” says Nicolette. Like her mother, she also pursued her Master’s degree and completed her graduate program with honors at DePaul University with a focus on New Media Studies. Education has always been a very important aspect of the Pajda family for many generations.

Nicolette was raised with a deep sense of appreciation for her family’s background. One of her most fond experiences includes participating in folklore dance groups for eight years. “It was really great to get in touch with our culture, being immersed in the music, wearing the costumes, singing traditional songs. We often met up with other local groups and performed together at big events. I also played classical music on the piano. I loved playing Chopin.”

Nicolette Pajda dressed up in a traditional Polish Folklore Dance Costume

Being part of Polish dance groups allowed Nicolette to embrace trips to the Motherland. She visited her mom’s hometown for the first time when she was six years old, and traveled around the country with her family, exploring Gdańsk, Warszawa, Zakopane, and Kraków. “I remember the people in Kraków being very warmhearted and welcoming. It was a bit of a melting pot, with all the different parts of Poland coming together. There were so many tourists that visited the city, it had the hometown feeling like Chicago.” The family would visit Poland on an annual basis.

Nicolette also had the honor to meet former Polish President Lech Wałęsa on a trip to Gdańsk through Polish school. Since then, there were numerous occasions where Nicolette was in his presence at many gatherings in the US.

Another memorable trip was seeing the beloved Pope John Paul II at the World Youth Day in Canada when she was sixteen years old. “He was the greatest Pole of our time. We sat so close to the stage, and spent three days praying and talking on the lawn. The trip was amazing,” she shares.

When asked if she felt more Polish or more American when traveling, Nicolette explains, “Naturally I say I am Polish, born in America. When I am traveling, I say American-Polish. I mention both, but more so that I am American. I’ll usually discuss my upbringing.”

Nicolette Padja & Former Polish President Lech Wałęsa

At home, the Pajda family tends to keep a balance of Polish and American norms. The holidays include celebrating both Wigilia and Christmas Day, each with their respective traditions. “For Christmas Eve, we have twelve meatless dishes, we place hay underneath the tablecloth, and we set an extra setting for any unexpected guests. On Christmas Day, we open gifts with our immediate family – like American families do, and on Eve we open gifts with our cousins.”

Nicolette also loved celebrating one of the silliest Polish traditions, Śmigus-Dyngus. Her father still likes to carry on the rite of passage and splash water on her and Aron. Back in the Polish school days, they regularly marched in the 3go Maja parade.

One of her favorite activities is supporting her Aunt Beata Pilch’s avant-garde theatre, Trap Door, located in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood. “For the last twenty years, she has been an ambassador of Polish culture in the US. My Aunt has directed numerous plays by world-renowned performers and writers,” says Nicolette.

The Pajda family has been actively involved with many Polish American organizations including Polish National Alliance, Polish American Congress, and Women’s Auxiliary Club. These past two years, the family has attended the International Polonaise Ball, organized by the American Institute of Polish Culture. Nicolette marveled at the extravagant affair. “This year they incorporated Argentina, and it was amazing to see both cultures clash with the folk dances and costumes, while feeling a sense of unity. There were influential people from all around the world.”

It was easy for Nicolette to relate to the Argentinian culture, and she was also able to understand some of the language. Having studied Spanish for years, and more recently learning Portuguese, she has a knack for picking up new languages. Next on her list is Mandarin.

Nicolette mentions, “When I have children one day, I would love for them to learn as many languages as they can. I would definitely want to pass on our traditions and send them to Polish school. It has always been and will always be important to my family. I am very proud to be Polish.”

Nicolette Pajda with Nervana Group’s Dubai Bus Trip

Of course, another necessary element to keep in the family is the art of cooking. Nicolette’s mother and grandmother opened several restaurants together in Chicago, featuring mostly Polish cuisine. Naturally, many delicious meals were cooked at home and often times the chefs’ creations would also make their way home with Mrs. Pajda. Given that their family traveled quite a bit, the family would mix in French, German, and other international palates to the menus. “I love all Polish food, but zupa ogórkowa is my favorite!”

Nicolette plans to learn her mother’s recipes and pass down the culinary creations for generations to come.

Typhoon Haiyan Relief Fundraiser at Vertigo Sky Lounge on November 22

Vertigo Sky Lounge

What: Typhoon Haiyan Relief Fundraiser
When: Friday November 22 :: 8:00pm – 10:00pm
Where: Vertigo Sky Lounge :: 2 W Erie St :: Chicago

Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines in early November. An estimated 10,000 are feared dead and an additional 65,000 missing. Over 9.8 million have been affected and need emergency assistance.

Children affected by Super Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda urgently need access to safe water, hygiene supplies, food, shelter and a safe environment to recover. You can help them now by making a donation of any amount.

How your donation helps:

$36 provides 7 families with water jugs and water purification solution for a month’s supply of safe, drinking water.

$79 provides 15 people with essential hygiene supplies such as soap, towels, water pails, toothbrushes & toothpaste.

$119 provides a child-friendly space for 35 children in an evacuation center with recreational materials to help them recover.

Funds will be donated directly to UNICEF relief efforts in the Philippines. UNICEF is an agency of the United Nations devoted to serving the world’s children. UNICEF began providing assistance to the Philippines in November 1948.

A note from First Generation American co-founder Jessica Rosas:
“I have to say thanks to everyone for their concern for my friends and family in the Philippines. Thank goodness they were all safe & far from the typhoon. However, the rest of the country needs our help. Even though there has been an outpouring of support, there is still so much that needs to be done. Our plan is to unify efforts to collect donations for helping emergency shelters and gathering lifesaving supplies.”

Music provided by:
Kamil Bartoszcze (KBE Entertainment)
Madrid Perry

If you are unable to attend, but would still like to make a donation, visit: http://www.unicef.ph/

Thank you for your support!

First Generation American Project “Drinks and Dialogue” with Jay Pinedo, Co-Founder of Iron Rooks Chess Collective

When Jay Pinedo recently started asking his father about their family history, he had a sneaking suspicion that these questions must be serving a greater purpose. Jay’s father was correct – this research was a result of me requesting to interview Jay on his experience of growing up half first generation American.

Jay had a general understanding of how and why his father moved to the US from Mexico, but this became an opportunity for him to dig a little deeper and gain a better sense of his father’s story, and ultimately his own story. He says, “The information I have of his life over there in Mexico is ten folded just by recently having a long conversation about what was it like growing up.”

A few months ago, Jay Pinedo, Co-Founder and Instructor at Iron Rooks Chess Collective, approached me to talk about marketing for his business. Naturally, I was curious about how he got into chess and what prompted him to be part of a school for young students to improve cognitive development and make chess captivating for kids. He started playing chess at the age of 3 and was inspired by his father, Javier Pinedo.

Javier was born in Mexico City and officially moved to the US in the early 1980’s. Before settling in the States, he traveled back and forth between Mexico City and Mexicali, and visited various parts of the US.  Jay says, “He had a lot of the oppression that you might read about, you don’t see it if you’re in America the whole time growing up here, but it was a real thing. Just over the border of Mexico there was a lack of civil rights.”

He learned about a situation that his father encountered one day while traveling. “He got in the car with his friends to take a trip somewhere and the cops stopped them. He had an acoustic guitar with him. The cops told them to get out of the car and luckily he was holding his guitar at the time. They roughed him up. They hit him a few times, and the guitar took some hits. Afterwards they said, ‘Oh, we thought you were somebody else. Carry on.’ My dad and his friends got back in the car and they were lucky that they didn’t get something else pinned on them.”

From what I learned about Javier through Jay, it certainly was alarming to hear that such an unfortunate encounter happened to him. Javier is a well-educated and peaceful man, with a passion for mathematics and chess.

Javier’s bio reads: “As a child, Javier was captivated by the game of chess and demonstrated a talent for the game’s complexities very early on. Later in life, as a mathematics teacher, Javier would let his students play chess in class if they finished their work for the day. After reading an article in ‘Chess Life’ by Dr. Johansson from Belgium about the benefits of chess in the class room, and seeing positive results with his own students, Javier was inspired to take on chess education. After several years of success Javier’s efforts were recognized by other chess educators. In time, these educators, aware that their priorities in chess education where all aligned, took a lead from Javier and with him founded the Iron Rooks Chess Collective.”

His love for the game was passed down to his son. Jay shares, “My earliest memory is actually chess. My dad started teaching us, myself and my sister, I was three years old. This is my earliest memory, because chess gets your brain to interact in deeper thought than if I were just playing with a hammer block toy.”

Jay recalls his childhood as very Americanized. “My mom and her side of the family have been in Pittsburgh for many generations. My mother’s great grandparents and my great, great grandparents, so grandfather’s side, were from Germany and my grandmother’s side was from Poland, so strictly half and half.”

Jay Pinedo, Co-Founder and Instructor at Iron Rooks Chess Collective

Jay’s family relocated often as a result of his mother’s career. He says, “My mom had a good job. For my father, it was hard to find a job because he had a Master’s degree in Mexico, but it would not transfer over here. There were issues and it took a while to even get it recognized. I think it was recognized as a Bachelor’s in time. He was home a lot and he would end up taking care of me and my sister and doing the cooking.”

Jay had a good balance of Eastern European and Mexican cuisine in his childhood. “My favorite was quesadillas. I wasn’t much of meat eater as a child, so sometimes tacos, mole, guacamole. I have had my share of sauerkraut and tacos but never together,” he laughs.

While the Pinedo house was relatively Americanized, Jay’s father did teach the children some Spanish. “He did attempt to teach us a little bit. I guess it wasn’t a main focus, didn’t expect too much, but I remember some key words like rojo (red) and counting of course, that’s a basic way to start. Dad would teach us our prayers in Spanish,” he says.

The family moved to California during Jay’s childhood, which gave Jay the opportunity to visit Mexico.  “We ended up in central California at some point and that’s very close to the border. We took family trips down there to see dad’s side of the family. As I noticed as soon as you cross the border, it’s a whole other atmosphere. It has a reminiscent feel of a market in India. If you ever see that on TV or in a documentary, there are a lot of street vendors there and I remember it being very dusty. It’s hot and dusty. Everything seems a little more sepia.”

During our in-studio interview at AR TV Chicago, Jay brought his chess board and shared a bit about his journey since his father introduced him to the game at age three. “We played the tournaments until I was about 12 and then between school, moving, or whatever reasons, I didn’t play for a while. Then at around 16, I started playing again. I thought, ‘Oh I’m actually pretty good at this’ even though I forgot all about it for a couple of years. When you’re a little older of course you have more appreciation for it. I’m seeing deeper into the mechanics of the game and how much replay value there is in because very infrequently we play the same chess game twice.”

As an adult, Jay became a Co-Founder and Instructor at Iron Rooks Chess Collective, an original program that teaches chess. He says, “There are many articles and research studies talking about how chess can improve many different fields, such as critical thinking and cognitive development. It gets the gears working on why I am doing something, consequences and actions a lot earlier.”

Iron Rooks Chess Collective teaches students the ins and outs of the game in a very interactive and fun way. I have to admit, it’s been over a decade and a half since I last played, and Jay’s quick lesson during our interview was educational and effective. Of course, I insisted that he pretended I was a four year old who never even held a chess piece, so I’d say after our brief session, I can definitely enter some preschool tournaments!

To connect with Jay Pinedo or learn more about Iron Rooks Chess Collective, visit http://www.ironrooks.com

First Generation American Project “Drinks and Dialogue” with Corinne Meier

Corinne Meier

God works in wonderful ways. As some of our readers may know, I am a Director for a networking group that gives back to the community, known as Connect.Inspire.Grow. Each month, our group meets up at St. John Brebeuf Church in Niles for a packing party to assemble lunches for the homeless on behalf of St. Vincent DePaul’s aggregate food drive. Many parishioners know this as “Uncle Pete’s Food Drive” in loving memory of Pete Zonsius.

At a recent food drive, I randomly stationed myself at the brown bag table, along with Corinne Meier, one of our regular volunteers. Corinne and I had met a few times and exchanged some general conversations, but this was this first time that we were able to truly connect on a deeper level. I think this conversation was meant to be.

Corinne asked me about First Generation American Project and what it meant to be “FGA.” To her pleasant surprise, she is part of our demographic and immediately began sharing memories of growing up first generation as a Swiss-American. I asked her to join our “Drinks and Dialogue” interview; here is her story.

“I was born in Switzerland and only lived there for three months. My entire family and lineages are from there, so there’s only one American-born member in our family and that would be my brother,” says Corinne. Her parents both worked at a car rental company, which is where they met. “My grandfather worked in the airline business, so my mom was able to get cheap flights and would never spend money on anything other than travel, so she managed to travel to China, Japan, Thailand – everywhere in the world – so she didn’t necessarily spend her whole life in Switzerland.”

Corinne’s father had a business concept that he wanted to launch, which her mom supported as she was not partial to the weather in Switzerland. “Life there is great. It’s a wonderful country, one of the most beautiful countries in the world. But the weather is very tricky. It can be like Chicago, just long-winded winters where you don’t see sunshine for days. The clouds get caught between the mountains, so there can be really horrible weather conditions and I think that my parents just wanted to try something new.”

Her parents packed up their belongings and moved to the States. “My father rented sold and leased used station wagons, vans, motor homes, any kind of car for traveling and sightseeing. The kind that you could go camping in, where you could see the entire United States.” She continues, “From the European perspective when you visit the US, you want to see the entire country. They have the train system [in Europe] so he thought of his business in the way that these customers would want to see the US, in its entirety for three months up to a year. The economy was so strong in Switzerland in the ‘80s and ‘90s that people were able to afford it, and so it really worked out very well. He did it for 18 years, and it was based out of Miami, and then of course he built a hub in New York, Washington, and California.”
It was this experience that exposed Corinne to the entire landscape of the US, from a Swiss-American perspective. She says, “It was one of the most beautiful ways to see the United States.”

After her parents closed the business, they separated shortly thereafter and Corinne’s mother moved to Chicago, while her father went back to Switzerland. “My mom came here for the natural healing role because it is very progressive in Chicago. It is more Green, more open energy healing and alternative medicine, so she became a massage therapist in Miami before she moved to Chicago. Her whole intention was to build her natural healing business. She works with children with ADD and cancer patients.”

Throughout Corinne’s childhood and adolescence, both parents managed to instill the Swiss culture in her upbringing. “Many summers, we would go to Switzerland. It was like Swiss camp, and it was great because you get to practice your language. And get in touch with your family again,” she says.

She remembers how she only had immediate family in the US for holidays. “We had an adopted family, there’s this huge Italian family in Miami that would bring us in every Thanksgiving and Easter. We built our own nuclear sort of environment here. The only holidays we would really celebrate with our own family was either Christmas or Swiss Independence Day.”

While visiting family in Switzerland, Corinne recalls, “It’s amazing, you get there, you land, and everybody knows. You’ve got to see everybody, you have to eat. And you get full! You have breakfast at someone’s house, then you go to go to someone else’s house for lunch. Then you go right after lunch to another person’s house. You’re just constantly full, and you’re like, ‘Can I take a nap for a second?!’”
Before my interview with Corinne, I honestly did not know too much about the country. One element of these interviews that I truly appreciate is the Cultural 101.

Corinne shares, “Switzerland as a country is divided into four predominant areas. The Romanian area is very small, so it’s actually Italian, French, German and this little Romanian sliver. The packaging on products is written in French, German and Italian, and that is a normal thing. When you’re driving, your ‘turn right’ sign is written in three different languages. There, you speak, read and write in German. In school you use German. When you talk to the teacher, you’re talking Swiss, but when you’re reading, you’re going to read German. It’s interesting that way. There is no official language. There’s Swiss as a language. There’s no written-out format of it. The dialect flexes depending on what part of the country you are in. It’s just like in the US, there is a different accent in the South versus New York; same thing in the German area of Switzerland. Language is big, and most people there speak two languages off the bat. I have had a luxury of learning Swiss through my parents.”

Corinne also attended a German program during what we first generation Americans refer to as “English school.” She says, “I would read poems and really there was a beauty to it, I mean really you cannot capture the same meaning in English language, it is not possible.”
Between traveling the US throughout her childhood and visiting Switzerland every year, Corinne has been influenced by her parents to make a difference in this world and tap into her entrepreneurial spirit. In addition to volunteering with Connect.Inspire.Grow, Corinne has started several notable businesses.

Corinne Meier is the CEO and Founder of MAX Inter D, I Love Being a Preneur, Hip-Hop Aerobics Chicago!, and A Little Deal. To connect with Corinne, visit http://www.hiphopaerobicschicago.com

First Generation American Project “Drinks and Dialogue” with Sonali Patel

Sonali Patel with her father and inspiration, Nick

Earlier this summer, I had the pleasure of meeting Sonali Patel, a young and ambitious entrepreneur with a strong educational background in IT. It’s no surprise that Sonali is such a go-getter before even entering her 20’s. During a charity event sponsored by First Generation American Project, Sonali’s father, Nick Patel, brought her over to our table and let us know that his beautiful daughter is in fact first generation American as well.

If you have ever driven down a local highway in Chicago, or any major street in the suburbs for that matter, you have without a doubt passed by one of Nick’s LA Tan locations. This iconic franchise is the product of Nick Patel’s motivation to create a better life for his family in the United States. Sonali, founder of Flirty Yoga, credits her ambition to her family’s story and notes that she has “big shoes to fill.”

She begins her first generation American story with her father’s experience. “My dad came from India with his older brother, at 16 while his older brother was 18. They worked at Dunkin Donuts and a news press company at first, and then after saving some money he opened his first video store. His competition right across the street had 3,000 videos while he only had 300, but he worked hard, long hours and finally saved enough money to open up 60 – 70 stores. I remember my dad told me about the name, VP Video, when he first came up with it. He wrote VP Video because of his grandfather, and he wrote a letter and mailed it to him, taking a picture of the video store behind, saying ‘This is named after you.’”

After several successful years in the video business, Nick realized that technology was changing and video stores were becoming obsolete. He changed his career path and entered the tanning business, creating the recognizable chain of LA Tan.

Sonali describes her father’s home country. “In India they lived in Gujarat, a state, and inside the state there are small cities, and there is a small village where they’re from. All the streets are cobble stone. When I go there, I like walking barefoot sometimes – it’s like home. Everyone knows each other in the whole village.”

Her father visited to India after paving his path in America. Sonali says, “He went back for his older brother’s wedding. Then my grandpa told him, ‘There is this girl, she is from a good family,’ and then they met and got married, because he had to listen to his dad. So he got married in 1981 and moved the family here.”

Sonali was born in the Chicagoland area and moved to the suburbs during her early years. “We spoke Gudrathi, which is our native language, and English was spoken when I went to preschool. As my sister went to preschool, she would come back home from school and would speak English, and I was learning from her. She was actually in ESL at first.”

The Patel family lived together with Sonali’s grandparents, which she emphasizes is why she is so fortunate to carry on a strong cultural background. “My grandparents had a big influence on me, growing up with them and still living with them right now, because we had to speak in Gudrathi with them. When we are young, my grandpa had us write five sentences in Gudrathi and then read five sentences to him, and then say our 40 prayers that we know.”

During grammar school, Sonali didn’t have many Indian friends, though she kept strong ties to her culture through her family. It wasn’t until her junior year of high school that she joined the Indo-Pac Club. She says, “It was traditional dancing. We had a show every year and we would perform Bollywood, fan-dancing, and skits wearing our Indian clothes. We would be showing our fashion.”

In addition to her interest in traditional Indian dancing, Sonali has had a lifelong experience in yoga and a healthy lifestyle. “My grandpa actually does yoga, I used to sit with him when I was younger and if I woke up early one day on a Saturday or Sunday, I’d just sit with him and do yoga. Now he’s 74 and walks four miles every day; there’s not a day he forgets, even if it’s raining he’ll take an umbrella, or if it’s snowing he’ll go no matter what. He is so healthy. He’s the reason we bring all organic food in the house, healthy eating. He’ll bring all these herbal, natural things from India. We’re so used to eating at home and mom and my grandma cook all the time. When I was younger they did not allow any outside foods. So if we wanted pizza, he’d say, ‘No, make it at home with wheat.’”

She continues, “That’s what we learned from him, the spiritual aspect of it and the healthy energy and the positive energy from healthy eating and working out. Doing yoga and then being all calm, and meditation – that’s what my dad always says, you have to be calm all the time.”

This positive influence from her grandfather, along with the “big shoes to fill” from her father’s business endeavors have inspired Sonali to start her own company, Flirty Yoga.

Flirty Yoga is a new brand of designer yoga pants that are made in the USA. Founded in December 2012, Sonali created the pants to fulfill her customer’s everyday passions, whether that be yoga, running, lifting, or even grocery shopping, and she quickly gained popularity within the athletic-wear market. Flirty Yoga aims to bridge comfort and beauty all the while maintaining the original focus: an athletic life that reaches beyond the gym. The line also features beautifully embellished designer art, and can be worn at any time of day for a flirty, chic look.

To purchase a pair of Flirty Yoga designer pants, visit http://www.flirtyyoga.com

First Generation American “Drinks and Dialogue” Interview with Dr. Joanna Slusky

What I love about interviewing first generation Americans is discovering the different, non-traditional ways of how their families settled into the United States. For someone like Dr. Joanna Slusky, O.D., the experience of moving to America and finally calling it home took some time and created some lasting memories.

Dr. Joanna Slusky, O.D.

Well before Dr. Joanna started her own eye care practice, Halsted Eye Boutique, she had to learn the English language and acclimate to the US. This was not an easy feat, considering the fact that she moved back and forth from Poland to Chicago several times at a very young age.

The idea of moving to America excited Dr. Joanna when she first found out about it from her mom when she was six years old. The lure of American products – before the days of social media transparency and a glimpse into other cultures – had her beaming with joy. “My aunt lived in Chicago with her husband she kept sending me all these different toys and clothes, and everything was beautiful and perfect. I remember I had this big bear. It was Teddy Ruxpin, and it moved and it talked, and it played songs.” These artifacts, and of course the notion of Disney World, could make any child ready for a new journey in a foreign land.

Dr. Joanna and her mother made their first move when she was in first grade. “I knew nothing. I knew how to say house, door, book, different things like that. I picked up pretty quickly, but I just had a huge accent.” She laughs, “I was this little blonde girl walking around speaking different things, but with a huge accent. Eventually, I lost the accent after maybe five, six months.” What makes her story unique is going back to Poland shortly thereafter, and starting the process over again.

She continues, “When I went back to Poland, everybody that I knew out there was like, ‘Where were you? What happened to you? We thought you got kidnapped.’ My friends were just surprised.” She stayed through second grade and one day, Dr. Joanna and her best friend decided that they were done with Poland and wanted to head back to America at about seven years old. “My friend’s her father lived in America, and my aunt was still in America, so we ran away from home. We took the train and the bus, we made it to another town. I was wearing cowboy boots, and she was wearing a little Super Girl outfit.” We laugh hysterically at her story, as she almost made is back to the States. “Finally, somebody stopped us. A conductor at a train station asked us, ‘Where are your moms?’ and we replied, ‘Oh no. We’re going to America. We’re fine.’” The girls didn’t quite realize their American dream at that moment and were safely sent back home.

For the next few years, Dr. Joanna got into the routine of settling back into school in Chicago, then back in Poland. After four times of moving, her family settled in permanently. I asked her what it was like from a lingual standpoint to have to learn and re-learn English again. We joked that it was a Lingual Rat Race. “Everybody was always telling me that I have a different accent. In America, I always had a Polish accent, and I kept going back and forth, and then I would go back to Poland, and people would say, ‘So, we see you have an American accent now.’ In America, it was a negative perception. In Poland, it was cool at that time because everybody wanted to come to America,” she says.

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In sixth grade, Dr. Joanna was able to call Park Ridge her home. Since she was gone for two years during her last move, she did not have any friends that she kept in touch with and had to start all over again. “People weren’t really accepting me. They weren’t really talking to me. Within a matter of a week, finally, this really, really sweet Puerto Rican girl named Esme, the only Hispanic girl in school, basically adopted me as her little sister. Esme, also a first generation American, grew up with a strong cultural background and taught Dr. Joanna how to cook all of the traditional meals, dance salsa, and even speak some Spanish. The two are still good friends to this day.

Throughout high school, most of Dr. Joanna’s friends were American of Italian, Greek, or Russian descent. She says, “We didn’t have that big of a Polish circle. Therefore, I think I had just adopted to those other cultures and found a little bit of theirs in my own, and inhibited theirs.

She maintained the Polish language at home with her mother, cooked Polish dishes, and preserved the culture. However, her lunches did not consist of pierogi and kapusta. “They wanted to Americanize me, so I always got a normal sandwich that looked good and healthy, and nothing that I ever took to school was Polish food.” She mentions this during our interview with Gino Bartucci, our Italian-American friend who recalled brining giant Italian subs with a side of sardines.

After graduating high school, Dr. Joanna started working full-time at her aunt’s furniture store, Vogue, and tended to all of the business responsibilities from sales, to managing the office, to interior decorating, and everything in between. “It gave me a whole different perspective on a private business, on ownership.” At that time, she was also attending a community college and was inspired by an acquaintance to pursue a career in eye health.  She transferred schools and moved forward with bigger dreams.

Dr. Joanna Slusky attended Northwestern University, and graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Illinois College of Optometry. Her academic merits include the Tomb and Key Honor Fraternity, and Beta Sigma Kappa International Honor Society academic honor recognition.

She then opened Halsted Eye Boutique, providing comprehensive eye examinations. Dr. Joanna has a special interest in pediatric vision care, and the management of the anterior segment of adult eyes. Ocular allergy, dry eye, and specialty contact lens care are the emphasis of her vision and ocular health care in our community. Dr. Joanna has been recognized by the leaders of the contact lens industry for her recommendations for the best vision care options for her patients.

Dr. Joanna welcomes new patients, whether insured or uninsured. “With dedication, dignity, and knowledge, I look forward to serving you and your family’s vision care needs as your eye care specialist. You are more than a patient in our practice; you are part of our family.”

To connect with Dr. Joanna Slusky and learn more about Halsted Eye Boutique, stop by Halsted Eye Boutique located at 2852 N. Halsted Avenue in Lakeview or visit http://visionsource-halstedeyeboutique.com/

First Generation American Project “Drinks & Dialogue” Event at Pint Chicago

Each month, First Generation American Project hosts live meet-up events at local venues throughout Chicago and the suburbs. We invite FGA’s from all cultural backgrounds to join us in an open dialogue, focusing on the experiences of growing up first generation in the US. The environment is always casual and we have been so thankful to see our network of FGA’s evolve over the past year.

Francis Son Photography

This month we were excited to visit Pint Bar & Restaurant in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood. The location itself is a testament to the diversity of our great city. Next to Pint’s patio, you can find a retro phone booth that is reminiscent of England. Inside, you definitely get a feel for their motto: “A home away from home. Pint’s relaxing atmosphere, delicious meals, tasty beer selection and ‘old world’ charm will make you feel as comfortable and welcome as any public house in Chicago.”

The eclectic crowd of artsy entrepreneurs and Blackhawks fans filled the public side of the venue, while our group enjoyed a private room in the back. Pint’s staff was kind enough to provide complimentary appetizers and drink specials for our group, and even set up a massive projector to watch the Hawks dominate Detroit in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Right as we began, the roar of the national anthem filled the air, and we waived our American flags with pride. And yes – it was BYOF: Bring Your Own Flag!

Francis Son Photography

The first part of the event started off with drinks and networking. Familiar faces and new faces introduced themselves to each other, while learning about how they heard about FGA Project and why they joined. A few attendees brought American and immigrant friends, all welcomed to be part of the event.

After an hour of meet and greet, we began our dialogue session. Each attendee received a sheet with questions and topics points, and everyone partnered up with a new connection. We asked our partners questions from each category: defining First Generation American, how and why our parents came to the US, food, language, second school, traditions, and cultural identity. We then went around the room sharing what the person across from us discussed. Some had the same interpretation of what being FGA means, others weren’t quite sure how to define it. The openness and honesty of the group made for solid dialogue and really highlighted the purpose of our meet-ups: to catalyze the conversation of what this experience is all about.

Francis Son Photography

Our event photographer, Francis Son, invited his roommate Jo, who turned out to be a first generation Cuban-American. She was excited to jump into our dialogue and share how her family left Cuba because the struggle with Communism in the country. This was the first time I had met Jo, and it was amazing to connect with her on a personal level. Despite coming from different countries, our parents had a similar story, and we felt an instant bond as we continued our conversation.

As we were winding down, a group of locals sat down at the bar in our private section to escape the packed house on the other side of the venue. The Hawks game was playing in the background, but the volume was turned down to allow our guests to share their stories. One of the locals asked why it was so quiet and whether they were interrupting anything. Immediately, our guests welcomed them and shared the purpose of our meet-up. A Korean-American man from the group raised his hand and asked if he counted as FGA. He wasn’t sure of the definition, since he was born in Korea and came at a young age. To his surprise, he did in fact count, and we could all tell he felt right at home with our group.

Francis Son Photography

It’s been so great to meet total strangers and help them better understand their cultural identify. Though our families may come from totally different parts of the world, there are so many nuances that we can relate to. We would love to connect with you and hear about your experiences too. Be sure to join us at our next live event at Vertigo Sky Lounge on Tuesday June 25th from 7pm-9pm.

To learn more about Pint Bar & Restaurant visit www.pintpub.com

Summer Kamp

Coming soon:  This is a story is about First Generation Americans spending the summer in the Motherland.