St. Petersburg, Russia
Moved in 1988
Moved in 1988
My name is Sofia Jouravel. I was born in St. Petersburg and lived there for a little over a year. Then we spent 4 months in Ladispoli on the way to the US and have since lived in New York and California before moving to Chicago.
Unfortunately, I don't remember much, but my parents told me about immigration in detail.
Of course, it was a very significant experience. My parents were about 21 - 22 years old. The Soviet regime made life very difficult for them and at the first opportunity, we left Russia. At our first stop in Austria, they had the choice of going to Israel or America and chose America, but at that time you couldn’t travel to the US directly, so we stayed in Ladispoli (Italy) for several months, where we waited for our American visas, and ended up in New York because we had contacts there. We arrived in New York 32 years ago: on July 20, 1988.
Sofia about the move and her keepsakes
My dad graduated from the St Petersburg State University of Refrigeration and Food Processing Technologies. Upon immigration, he worked in a Russian restaurant and eventually went back to school to study IT and has been in IT ever since, eventually getting a Masters in the field as well.
My mom was an editor. Of course, it is difficult to work in this field as an immigrant, so she has not been engaged in editing for a long time. She actually also used to give tours of the Hermitage! Growth opportunities for her as a Jew were limited, which contributed to our decision to leave.
My mom was an editor. Of course, it is difficult to work in this field as an immigrant, so she has not been engaged in editing for a long time. She actually also used to give tours of the Hermitage! Growth opportunities for her as a Jew were limited, which contributed to our decision to leave.
When we arrived in America my mother's first job was at a deli. There, she did not work for Russian speakers, if I recall correctly, her boss was from India. She quickly began to learn English, because she needed to know the different varieties of fruit, vegetables, and cuts of meat. And how to cut, because she cut and sold everything there. Her boss did not speak very clear English, it was New York, so the customers didn't speak clear English either, so thanks to the variety of accents and the volume of food, which she had to constantly explain, she quickly began to master the language. So
I'd say the assimilation process, especially in New York, went pretty fast.
Then, she went to NYU and worked for a real estate agency. With every new job, the American dream came closer. After almost 10 years, we moved to California. By that time, everyone had already assimilated to America. The rest is history.
I'd say the assimilation process, especially in New York, went pretty fast.
Then, she went to NYU and worked for a real estate agency. With every new job, the American dream came closer. After almost 10 years, we moved to California. By that time, everyone had already assimilated to America. The rest is history.
