I was curious about it for a while, but now with immigration issues front and center, I thought it would be a good time to see how many among kossaks are immigrants. Yes, I know America is a land of immigrants, so let's limit it to relatively new ones...let's say you, your parents and may be grandparents.
Oh, and by the way, if you see any mistakes as you read this - I mean language wise - you should know it is not because I was a C-student like our president. I think my English is still better than his, however it is NOT my native language. My story is below the fold...and I'll try to be brief.
We emigrated to US from Russia (still Soviet Union back then) in 1991. Actually it started in 1989 when my husband (now ex-husband, but that's another story) defected during our trip to Spain. We looked at all our options and thought that this is the only one that may work, as we couldn't just walk over the border, living in Siberia and all.... So one morning we walked into American consulate in Barcelona - the most beautiful city on earth - and said that one of us wants to stay. Consul was very young, nice, helpful and genuinely interested. He also was bored to death by uneventful routine and endless siesta (it was summer after all!), so he got really exited and spent lots and lots of time talking to us and making necessary calls and arrangements. Good thing was that my ex-husband had a job waiting for him in North Carolina, which made everything easier for both consul and him. Bad thing was that I couldn't also stay, because our 5-years old son was back in Russia. It was a common practice in Soviet Union to keep children behind, so parents had no choice but to come back (defection-rate reduction measure of sort). Well, anyway, we got a US entry visa four months after I returned from Spain to Russia, but it took me and my son two years to get exit visas from Russia, which was a requirement at that time.
Because the first few years of immigration are all about adjusting, and surviving, and trying to find your place, I was not focusing on politics much. Republicans and Democrats were all the same to me. I started to pay attention during Clinton impeachment and couldn't believe what I saw. So, I run in the opposite direction from the Republican party as fast as I could and voted for Gore in my first election (after getting citizenship in 1999). Imagine my disappointment... By the way, what's up with half of the country not voting at all? How is that possible?
Now, I am sure that I am not the only one here. What is your story? Your parents' story? Grandparents?
And finally, take a poll!