Bosnia's Independence Day celebrated in Chicago: America gave us everything, but Bosnia is our heart

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The Bosnian-Herzegovinian community in Chicago, under the auspices of the association “Friends of Prijedor”, organized a ceremonial academy on the occasion of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Independence Day.

“We organized this event because we want, first and foremost, to pay tribute to all the generations before us who defended the independence of their homeland throughout their thousand-year history, then to be an example to our generation of how to love and cherish our homeland wherever we are currently located, and finally, the most important thing, to leave a signpost here in Chicago, but also in the USA, and to strengthen the connection with the homeland for the coming generation. We decided to organize Independence Day because Bosnia and Herzegovina is in our hearts. We came to the USA when we were all very young with few memories of our homeland. However, the love for our country is instilled in us from birth. America welcomed us kindly with open arms and made us feel safe. America gave us hope, freedom, and the ability to exercise our fundamental human rights, but Bosnia and Herzegovina is our heart, and as much as the reality of the political situation in BiH hurts us, we are loyal to our homeland and our first love,” said a group of young people from the association “Friends of Prijedor”. 

The member of the Presidency of BiH Željko Komšić was supposed to attend the event, but it did not happen due to Komšić's obligations.