My great-great grandfather was from a small Germanic village in modern day Ukraine. Much like what is happening in current times, Russia was having border disputes and was wanting to expand west, and potential violence was increasing day by day in his village. Him and two of his friends decided to make the journey to immigrate to America to find safety and better opportunities. The push of the Russian government led to the pulling of him away from his home village. Him and his two friends walked the long journey on foot all the way from modern day Kiev, Ukraine to France. They got on a ferry to England. His two friends stayed in England while he snuck onto a boat going to North America. My grandmother, who told me this story, does not know if he was a stowaway or if he was working for the crew for payment of being transported. Once he had finally landed in North America he was in Canada. He had come a long way but was still not done. Once he was in Canada, he had traveled to southern Canada lands that were right above North Dakota. He then moved to North Dakota. My grandma has since moved from North Dakota to California, then to Washington, and then back to California and with every move she has brought this piece of petrified wood that has was on the farm she grew up on as a child in the 1930’s, and the same farmland that my great-great grandfather had gone through a spectacular journey to reach. All because of border disputes in the Russia and Ukraine area. I’m sure that there will be many more stories like this one in the future as to what is happening in modern times. 

– Chris J Roteman

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more