Dreaming Of A Better Life

Danijel Kristo was born in Zenica, Croatia, in 1982. His father, Smilion Kristo, was an electrician and worked in a factory located in Zenica. His mother, Anda, is a traditional housewife taking care of the children and household duties.  Danijel is their first child; beautiful and cute Mala, Danijel’s younger sister, is a lovely girl; Danijel always helped his mother take care of Malala when she was little. Before Danijel was born, his parents bought a new house in the city. They bought this house after working very hard in a small town, saving enough money to move.

When Danijel was born, he brought happiness to his family because they had a son. Traditionally, Danijel could carry on the family name. Danijel and his family lived a busy and fulfilling life in Zenica; his father was the family’s backbone, and his father helped his mother around the house after getting off work every day. Childhood memories of his kind mother always accompany him with a generous smile. As time passed, he went to elementary school; Danijel’s life was peaceful and happy; he lived in a community of people who cared for and loved him. 

Life started to change for this little boy in 1991 as the war was developing in his country. In 1945, the Yugoslav Trade Union, under Tito’s leadership, established the Federal People’s Republic of Yugoslavia. A federal system consisted of Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, and two autonomous provinces-Kosovo and Volkswagen, composed of a total area of “​​255,800” square kilometers. In 1963, it was renamed the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. After Tito's death on May 4, 1980, relations between the various ethnic groups in Yugoslavia became increasingly tense. On June 25, 1991, Slovenia and Croatia announced their separation from the Yugoslav Federation and became independent sovereign states; fierce fighting broke out soon between the two sides.  The beginning of the war started. The action initiated by the independence of political power and the land brought great disasters to the ordinary people and brought infinite fear and helplessness to Danijel’s family. As the troops entered, artillery fire and gunfire continued to sound, Kristo’s whole world plunged into panic and chaos. Due to the war, factories were shut down, schools were closed, and people would hide to escape the fighting.  As the war intensified, uncertainty, starvation, and sometimes death made them desperate. Croatians started fleeing to Germany; Germany supported the Croatian regime and accepted them as refugees in this war.

In April 1994, when Danijel was 11years old, Danijel’s whole family, relatives, and friends fled to Frankfurt, Germany, by train. “I am very grateful that my parents decided to escape; otherwise, many of us would be dead. Many older generations did not want to leave their homes. “After the war, there were not a lot of people in our city who survived,” Danijel said. “We didn’t have food; we could only scavenge for wild vegetables and the few small animals left around the city. In the meantime, we did receive relief foods, in unlabeled cans that we later found out to be cans of expired dog or cat food.” 

When Danijel’s family and relatives got to Germany, they rented a few apartments in the low rent area; this is where they started their new life in an unknown country. “Our group always stayed together after we left our country; we always helped each other throughout the difficult time, even up until now,” Danijel said happily. At the end of August 1994, and after their parents figured out free school for them, Danijel, his sister, and a few other relatives started to go to the school near the apartment they rented. Danijel first went to a language school to learn German, the local language. Then a few months later, he transferred to a regular school finishing up high school in Germany. His father started some low pay construction jobs because of language barriers and worked hard every day to raise their rent and necessary living expenses. Although Danijel’s life in Germany was difficult, he enjoyed the experience because he knew many local children and made many friends. He always played with them, doing what boys typically do at that age.  

After receiving a letter from their cousin explaining their happy life in the United States, clean air, the beautiful and safe environment, daily walks by the beach, and ease in finding work. Soon after receiving this letter, Danijel’s parents began to submit immigration documentation to the US. Their cousin’s stories of their lives in the US deeply attracted his parents and fellow elders. They started the US migration process while enduring endless interviews, investigations, and long-term waiting, waiting for a better future. Danijel said, “Our immigration investigation documents were several inches high. We did not have any privacy during that time, and we must answer any questions about family members honestly when interviewing or investigating.” Nerveless, this was a seven-year process of waiting to immigrate to the US. Finally, Kristo’s family and friends received permission from the US government to enter the country; By this time, Danijel was 18.

In August 2000, Danijel Kristo and his family flew to the US and landed them a new home in Hayward, California. Danijel’s family rented a room with their cousin’s help and started their new life. Danijel believes that he has grown up by then and should help his father take on some of the family’s responsibilities; his first step was to learn how to drive along with looking for work.  Two months later, Danijel got his driver's license and bought a used car with his father’s support, and he found work as a mechanic in small private machinery business. Danijel’s lack of English skills made his job search difficult, but it was made easier when he found a job with a distant relative; working in a Croatian-speaking environment is his first choice.

A few months later, Danijel felt that his current career was not what he expected for the future; it was tedious, dusty, and dangerous. It had no potential for development and would cut off his fingers or arms if he didn't pay attention. Danijel also understood that there would be limited job opportunities for him if he did not speak English because he stays.  He began to study English as a way to prepare for a better future. Danijel worked during the day and studied by himself at night. One year later, Danijel has developed enough English skills to communicate smoothly with others. He decided to work as a construction worker. Being young, intelligent, and a quick learner, He worked hard and responsibly. He quickly became a desirable employee and well-valued by his boss. Danijel’s life continued to develop in the right direction.

In 2004, Danijel’s family-owned their first home in Hayward, CA. That same year, Danijel received his US citizenship and met a Croatian girl, working as a salesperson in the wine industry. They fell in love and married two years later. Soon Danijel and his wife bought a new house in Tracy, CA.  He drove more than two hours each way to work every day. In the second year of marriage, they welcomed twin sons. His son motivated him to work even harder, leaving early in the morning, returning late in the evening, and sometimes working without rest on weekends, all in the hope for a better future for his family.  As children grow up, their lives are getting better and better.  When Danijel’s children were seven years old, his wife suddenly asked for a divorce; he thinks it was because he was busy with work every day, and she may have thought he ignored the family.  The sudden incident overwhelmed Danijel. He had lost everything he had worked for. The house and both of his sons were awarded to their mother. He moved back to live with his parents, and he only had the right to spend one day with his sons every Wednesday. Danijel currently has lost faith in any future marriage.

Danijel is 38 years old now and has lived in the United States for 20 years.  "I live in peace now. I work eight hours a day and spend weekends with my parents and two children. My sons are very close to me now and stay with me every other week." Danijel said, "I regretted it when I first arrived in the United States because of the language barrier and the pressure of real life. But now, I am very fortunate to be here. The United States is fair to everyone. As long as you work and study hard, you will get the life you want." Danijel’s parents plan to move back to Croatia after they retire because Croatia’s cost of living is lower. Their retirement funds will bring them a higher quality of life during their retirement years.  Danijel doesn't know exactly what his future may look like. He is still young and still working hard for a bright future in the US.