My dad was the first one to leave the country in 1984. He was the chief engineer (mariner) and while the ship was docked (Port of Los Angeles) he applied for political asylum. My mom and I were allowed to join him in July 1986.
Do you still have a Romanian citizenship? What is your relationship with Romania now, and would you ever consider going back there?
I do. I visit every 1-2 years. Still have family living there - mainly for that reason. My husband (67) has retired last year & we’re actually considering relocating to Romania (Borșa - Maramureș area). He loves the Romanian mountain countryside. I do too, though I was born and raised at the other end of the country (Constanța area - seashore).
That sounds wonderful! I have some extended family in Romania, but I never visited. Would love to go!
What’s your opinion on communism
Very negative. The only reason my family lived a comfortable life during that time is cause due to the nature of my dad’s job he was making profit / procured goods as a smuggler. But I remember the long cues which started at 4-5 in the morning for small food rations (bread, flour, sugar, eggs, milk, etc), the limited electricity / heat hours, the Securitate (political police), the fact that you couldn’t even choose your own job as they’d send you wherever they needed, you needed a special ID to live in Bucharest, censorship, authoritarianism, propaganda (all the portraits and praises of Ceaușescu in school for example). Just awful. You didn’t own anything, the state owned everything. You were just a slave who was given stuff to use if you were obedient (apartment for example).
Do you worry the Russians/Soviets will return to subjugate the free nations of eastern Europe if they defeat Ukraine?
