Bernadine Van Kessel
Where are you from?
I am from the Netherlands (“Holland” is the other name for my country)
What was it like growing up?
Wonderful, the Netherlands is a very rich country and has a strong safety net with excellent healthcare and low-cost universities to name a few benefits
What brought you to Cleveland?
Initially an athletic scholarship to play D-1 field-hockey in college. I then returned to the Netherlands and came back again because my husband is American.
What were your first thoughts about coming to America? Did those change?
I came to Ohio with ambivalent feelings, life was good in my home country and I had no economic reason to move. I consider myself more an “international” or “expat”. However, I have come to appreciate Northeast Ohio very much, people here are polite & easy going and the cost of housing is low
What challenges did you face transitioning here?
Ignorance:I have had to combat the notion that, somehow, I must have come from a disadvantaged country…. some people that are not well-educated and don’t travel internationally still view the US as the only viable nation to live a good life and do not realize that there are other great countries to live, work & play. People have options. The US is a great nation but there are other great countries to live as well.
What is your occupation?
I am an economic developer charged with promoting Northeast Ohio to the rest of the industrialized world to attract new foreign business investment
How have other Clevelanders made you feel welcomed?
Everyone has been very nice.
What traditions or customs do you continue to practice?
Many, including holidays, dining and cultural traditions. I helped found the Cleveland Dutch School for instance.
What do you love about Cleveland?
It has a rich industrial history and was the Silicone Valley of yester-year; the old industrial wealth & history of invention & innovation are remarkable and make Cleveland special
Why is it so important to welcome International Newcomers?
Stagnant water becomes putrid: new people from different parts of the world, willing to work hard & provide different ideas will enrich any community, especially those that have enjoyed a good education and can help transfer that knowledge and apply it locally
What suggestions do you have to make Cleveland a more welcoming community?
Truly embrace all internationals and include the expat community, not just those that came here for a better life
Cleveland Welcomes the World
Last week our city, our Championship City, on the heels of a parade, a year, a decade of unparalleled growth, our Cleveland welcomed thousands of newcomers to our amazing region. From Indiana to Indonesia, from Andorra to Alabama, we did the most radical thing you can do, we welcomed.
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Global Partners in Diplomacy
On Tuesday, July 19, Global Cleveland welcomed roughly 80 international ambassadors to its Global Partners in Diplomacy reception at Severance Hall. The event, coordinated in partnership with the 2016 Republican National Convention and the U.S. Department of State, introduced the ambassadors to nearly 200 of Northeast Ohio’s civic and corporate leaders.
My Experience Meeting Asian Diplomats in Cleveland!
We attended a cool program hosted by Global Cleveland entitled “Global Partners in Diplomacy” in Severance Hall on July 19 as part of the RNC Convention. As we took up the flight of stairs into the hall, we were warmly greeted by a traditional Punjabi message of “Sat Sri Akal Sardarji.” Unbelievable, Cleveland was going global!
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We Need More Not Less
It was a pleasure and a thrill to host a panel discussion on Migration last week featuring two Global Cleveland board members, Radhika Reddy, Founder and Partner of Ariel Ventures, LLC and Ariel International Center and Dr. Hiroyuki Fujita, Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Quality Electrodynamics (QED) as well as auto dealership mogul, Bernie Moreno, president of Bernie Moreno Companies, and Harvard professor, Carlos Diaz Rosillo. Global Cleveland partnered with a Partnership for a New American Economy (PNAE), a national organization founded by Rupert Murdoch and Michael Bloomberg with a similar mission, which is to demonstrate the impact Migration has had, and will have in America.
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Migration in America
On Wednesday, July 20th, we went to the Eastman Reading Garden of the Cleveland Public Library on Superior Avenue for a program concerning "Migration in America" which was just one in a series of programs in the Cleveland Public Library's "America's Civic Square" series taking place from July 18th-21st.
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Northeast Ohio’s First International Language Immersion School
History will be made this fall when Global Ambassadors Language Academy (GALA) opens its doors to students on August 3, 2016. GALA is proud to be the first dual language immersion school (offering both Mandarin and Spanish) in Northeast Ohio, the only Mandarin immersion school in Ohio, and a supporting partner of The Cleveland Plan.
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Q&A with Chrysanthe Loizos of International Orthodox Christian Charities
Chrysanthe Loizos, program coordinator for International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), is heavily involved in assisting Displaced Personss who migrate to the Greek islands. Recently, Ms. Loizos sat down with Global Cleveland to share her story.
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Alassane Fall
What is your name?
My name is Alassane Fall and I was named after my Mom's Dad
Where are you from?
Senegal, West Africa
What was it like growing up?
I grew up in a very safe, welcoming and pleasant environment. Senegal is a model of democracy in Africa and around the world. With 95% of the population Muslim and only 4% Christian, Senegal has elected for 20 straight years a Christian president. Senegal is known for “ TERANGA" meaning Hospitality in Wolof. Wolof is a lingua Franka, member of the Niger Congo language group. And Tolerance, Non-Violence and Peace (Jamm ReKK “ peace only”).
What brought you to Cleveland?
I had family in Cleveland; My wife MLF is from Cleveland so I came to join her after we got married in 2014 but I immigrated to the United States from Senegal in 2001. I obtained my degree in International Studies from the University of Kansas in Lawrence, in 2004 and went to teach at KU, Lawrence, Academie Lafayette MO and UNC, Chapel Hill. I have also been involved with the United Nations-Geneva, the Foreign Ministry of Senegal, the American Red Cross (NEO), the International Institute of Humanitarian Law-Italy, the International Services center of Cleveland and others.
What were your first thoughts about coming to America? Did those change?
I was excited to come to the US to further my studies in International Relations as a graduate student at the University of Kansas. I was really fascinated by the way that people identified themselves not as an american but as from their states and their schools. You could tell where people were from by there t-shirts ( Kansas, NC, Nebraska, OH) and their schools. CSU, Case Western Reserve University, KU, NC, etc.. I love the university alumni system. Is it what I thought it would be NO, I thought the whole country would be like “Hollywood-Red Carpet” but still, the United States of America is a great country. Something else that fascinates me is the infrastructures, roads and bridges, the artificial lakes, the parks, local and nationals. Conclusion, it’s a great country with great people with issues that need to be addressed.
What was your first impression of Cleveland?
I loved it very much because the people are very welcoming. My wife showed me Cleveland and explained the rich history and invention that has been done in Cleveland. The first time she took me to the public library, I found older documents from West Africa in French, it was memorable. Cleveland is an easy place to be in love with particularly downtown and Edgewater park. It’s a very fine city; I am glad I moved here. I remember also walking downtown wearing a NC shirt, and Cleveland police chief, Calvin Williams, stop, shook my hand and talked to me. After a short conversation, he said ”welcome to CLE, we need good people like you.” However, I use to confuse Euclid and Cleveland…Long story
What did you enjoy about Cleveland the most?
My wife, Edgewater park, the art institute -particularly “ Egypt Room”, University Circle, the cost of living, and the cultural diversity. Also, I like the fact that everyone call me coach. If you are looking for me in Cleveland, if you say ”coach” you have 80% of chance of finding me. I also love the Case Western Reserve University soccer field and the international community who plays there.
Anything you would like to say about Cleveland?
I am a Board of Trustees member- International Community Council- Worldwide -Intercultural Network (ICC-WIN) of Northeast Ohio. One thing I am sure of, is that I am one of the best ambassadors that this city has. During the RNC, I gave two media interview this week with NPR LA and with Voice of America and praised the city.
What challenges did you face as an International Newcomer transitioning here?
1. It was lonely at first, then the language barrier. Even though we have 36 languages, English is not one of them.
2. The food, I have learned to cook Senegalese food here since men don’t cook back home…
What are some cultural differences?
Community life versus individualism -I missed the tea gathering that I use to have with my friends and large family. Here it was just me and my wife but I had soccer at Case Western Reserve University and made countless friends. We have a very international and diverse group.
What is your occupation?
I am an International Consultant, a Lecturer, a Volunteer Coordinator, and a Public relations specialist, however, the title, I love the most is coach.
Why is Global Cleveland a great resource?
It connects Cleveland with the rest of the world; it globalizes Cleveland.
Why is it so important to welcome International Newcomers and Displaced Personss and how can we make Cleveland a more welcoming place?
International Newcomers and Displaced Personss enrich Cleveland in every single aspect. Interacting with an International Newcomer makes you a better person and makes him/her a better person as well. Having more cultural events, shows, summits, forums, local TV’s covering cultural events, guest speakers in educational institutions ( elementary school, HS, Universities….) and make sure that International Newcomers have access to find jobs.
Alex Gertsburg
Where are you from?
I was born in a town called Bender (pronounced Been-dair), which is in the country of Moldova, which borders Russia, Romania, Ukraine and the Black Sea.
What was it like growing up?
Tough to assimilate. Tried hard to. Hated being different.
What brought you to Cleveland?
I came over with my family in 1979 at the age of 4, settled in Cleveland along with thousands of other Soviet Jews who immigrated to Cleveland that year as part of a Soviet program that opened the gates for a limited period of time, and eventually and slowly (like most of my fellow International Newcomers) made the trek eastward from inner city East Cleveland to Cleveland Heights to South Euclid to Lyndhurst and then eventually Chagrin Falls (hard to go further east than that…).
What were your first thoughts about coming to America?
Did those change? Since I was only 4, all I could think about was fitting in. I recently wrote about it in a book I’ve been chipping away at for a few years: “That feeling of being different and being judged, meanwhile, would follow me for years. Most International Newcomers have felt it, and if you’re a kid, all you ever want to do is fit in, so you feel different and like a total idiot for years. And after awhile, after you’ve mimicked your friends well enough and watched enough tv and feel finally assimilated, and after you think your friends finally see you as one of them, as no different than them, and as you finally start getting into their stupid little made-up clubs and start getting invited to places, your parents show up. And they open their mouths and talk. And instantly everyone knows they’re International Newcomers, and they automatically know that you’re an International Newcomers, too. And there’s nothing in the world that will prevent you from feeling different because you are different and you’ll always be different. You’re certain you’ll never be one of them. You’ll never really be accepted. You’ll always be different. You’ll never really be in the club. And then after that tidal wave of shame washes over you for being different, a second, even greater tsunami of shame knocks you down for being ashamed of your parents, because deep down inside, although you hate them for sticking out like a sore thumb and outing you in front of your friends, you know they’re the greatest people in the world and would cut off their own arms and legs for you if that would make you feel more accepted.”
What challenges did you face transitioning here?
Again, as a kid, it was all about assimilation. I learned the language pretty quickly. Our family had little money, though, so we went without the finer things for awhile. That was also a plus, though, as we learned growing up that you could survive just fine without those things.
What is your occupation?
I am a business lawyer and owner of the Gertsburg Law Firm. For more information visit: https://www.gertsburglaw.com
How have other Clevelanders made you feel welcomed?
Not sure. It’s been so long… I’m sure everyone was helpful though.
What traditions or customs do you continue to practice?
We drink vodka! Seriously, though, we go to the various Russian restaurants in town pretty frequently. We stay close with other Russian friends that we’ve been friends with my whole life. We go to bar mitzvahs and weddings and funerals, all of which have their own Jewish and Russian rituals associated with them. My own family – my wife and 3 children – are not very religious and don’t maintain a lot of Russian traditions. My wife does more than I do anyway.
What do you love about Cleveland?
It’s growth in recent years. It’s “comeback” story. It’s lakeshore. It’s communities – Chagrin Falls, Tremont, Waterloo, downtown.
Why is Global Cleveland a great resource?
Networking and job listings are key for International Newcomers coming to the US. There is no question that making a living and feeding your family are top of mind for newcomers.
Why is it so important to welcome International Newcomers?
Diversity, definitely. We live in a bubble. The best minds are those that expand their perspectives and apply different experiences. There is a reason why so many entrepreneurs are foreign-born, and why so many employers benefit from foreign-born employees.
What suggestions do you have to make Cleveland a more welcoming community?
I would create a board made up entirely of business owners who immigrated here from abroad, have them meet once a month or once a quarter to brainstorm the answer to that question, then create specific action items and a 1-, 2- and 5-year strategic plan.
