Ruslana

Diversity. It is defined as the composition of different elements in one. This word is famous for encapsulating the United States and even more so, New York City. This was a foreign topic to Ruslana prior to 1992 where she grew up and began a family in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. With her son, Alex, who was measly two years old and husband, Dmitriy, Ruslana suddenly found herself in the Big Apple, a transition that caught her by surprise.

Settled in Great Kills of Staten Island, it’s hard to believe how remarkably different her life was only less than three decades ago. Although she did have a degree in accounting, Ruslana was a stay at home mom with their son while her husband proudly went to work everyday. They were surrounded by family. It was cozy. Until an event occurred that instantly changed their lives.

In the midst of a nuclear explosion in Chernobyl, Ruslana found her son, husband and herself in danger. Dmitriy immediately made it his job to take his family to a safe place and start over. “The decision was ecological, not political,” she said. I would have never found myself moving to the states if it wasn’t so crazy over there. And I honestly never wanted to. But, I knew that I had to, especially for Alex.”

Unlike many other immigrant stories, Ruslana was fortunate enough to travel in a large, familial group, including her husband, son, grandmother, great aunt and her husband’s parents. It was a total of ten people. Their first exposure to a different culture began in Moscow’s airport where international students landed to begin their studies. At that moment, little Alex spotted an African American student and cried out “Who is that and what are they doing here?” This minor interaction demonstrates how sheltered the lifestyle is in the Ukraine. Imagine how coming to New York was for them.

Any transition comes with its hardships, but for Ruslana, the transition was the hardship. From an unfamiliar neighborhood to an unfamiliar language, she constantly found herself begging her husband to move back. “My first impression of the city were the shitty subway stations,” she exclaimed. “I did not understand how New York City was known for their transportation when it looked like that.” Honestly, her impression was justified. Graffiti filled the walls alongside the garbage that piled the floors. On the other hand, Moscow is famous for its elegant and ample subway stations, capturing one of the cleanest, most efficient modes of transportation in the world. Decorated with gold, frescoes, marble columns and ornate chandeliers, any rider becomes encompassed with a feeling of grandeur.

Ruslana made it her goal to make New York City a home. Her New York City journey began in a small apartment in Harway Terrace, found in South Brooklyn. Dmitriy’s cousin had already lived in Brooklyn for a while, so Ruslana was able to settle in well. That, however, was only a temporary resolution while her and her husband endlessly searched for a more comfortable area to live. In her spare time, she tried to take a walk around the Belt Parkway where she stumbled upon more “deal breakers” of New York. “I couldn’t even walk!” she complained. “There was just garbage everywhere.” The task to find a more permanent home became more difficult due to the fact that Dmitriy’s family wanted to stay close to them. Accidentally stumbling across an ad in the newspaper, the group of 10 found themselves in the midst of Bensonhurst only forty days later. Luckily, they stayed in touch with Dmitriy’s cousin, who helped them assimilate into the Brooklyn community.

“Banking?” was one of the first questions Ruslana queried as she settled in Brooklyn. This was an exotic concept to her as everything in the Ukraine was dealt with purely in cash. Additionally, one of her many tasks entering the city was overcoming the gap the language barrier made. Although taking English as a second language growing up, it never stuck. “I never had to speak English for more than 40 minutes a day and it just left my mind every time.” Knowing that she would have to find an occupation in the future, Ruslana was forced to become confident in her educational credentials. In her case, it was her bachelor’s degree in accounting that led her to her first job here in 1994 for Women’s Apparel. The more she worked, the more she acculturated to the English language, which led to making her the fluent speaker she is today. However, that did not last long before she found another job 6 months later where she transferred to NBR (responsible for establishing a joint venture between the US and Belarus) and worked there for ten years. Her personal responsibility was selling upholstery fabrics to manufacturers. This lasted for approximately ten years with an unexpected pregnancy in 1999. The news of a child forced Ruslana to quit her job and search in dire need of a house. “A house? In Brooklyn? Good one.” Alongside her husband, Ruslana extended her house search to the (infamous) Staten Island borough where housing was affordable and neighborhoods were reputable.

In 2006, this family of four settled in to where they are now, in Great Kills. 10308 is home to Great Kills Swim Club where regional swim teams gather every year for their annual summer season meets as well as Great Kills Park with an ample amount of boats at the harbor to ride, a trail to get lost in and interminable sights to see. This is where Ruslana witnessed what the “American Dream” captures. “If there is one thing I can say about New York City, it is that I’ve seen so many people change and evolve and flourish. It is true when people say this city is full of possibilities. You can achieve anything if you put your mind to it.”

New York neighborhoods are constantly evolving. Ruslana witnessed herself Bensonhurst’s transformation from an all-Italian neighborhood to a unique mix of Asian and Arab culture. Great Kills of Staten Island was also introduced to Asian culture as well, adding on to the diverse Italian, Russian, Indian community. “Although I did not appreciate it at first, it was fascinating to see all of these drastic changes happen in one place. It is truly amazing how you see people travel in a group and settle in one area, and before you know it, it becomes their workplace and their home.” Little did she know, Ruslana described what seemed to be an ethnic enclave. Ethnic enclaves encompass a strong sense of national identity while defining a typical New York City neighborhood. “It became to be that the street I was on resembled a different city. Italy was walking distance from India. It was strange but I loved it!”

“We go to the Poconos in Pennsylvania to a place called Eagle Lake where many Russians go to in the summer. That was honestly my only sense of a Russian community. But it was nothing like home. But I didn’t need it to be. I became comfortable enough to call New York my home. New York is everyone else’s New York. We are a community.” Ruslana never realized how crucial diversity is to a community until she became a part  of one. She was not only exposed to diversity in the city but contributed to it as well. Her history in the Ukraine is only another perspective others interact with and respect. Valuing diversity recognizes difference those of other backgrounds and acknowledges these differences as an asset. Diversity is a mosaic that a plethora of places outside New York cannot paint.