In this episode of Not an Alien, Dzemalj shares the story of his immigration from Montenegro to New York City shortly before the fall of the Soviet Union and the outbreak of war in the former Yugoslavia. Having faced ethnic bias in seeking further education, and fearing for his future in his own country, Dzemalj – who goes by “Jimmy” – found his way to the United States, and settled in New York City. He and his wife raised their American daughter in the City, and after decades of hard work in the service industry, Dzemalj is proud that his daughter is now a married, working professional in New York, and to have built a beautiful house for himself back in Montenegro. Still, New York feels like home to him today; he embraces the live-and-let-live attitude that makes New York City so special, and is thankful to have his American citizenship.
Not an Alien 