“Everyday is my favorite moment. When I am in Turkey though, I miss Vienna a lot. I miss Kärtnerstrasse! And not for the shopping, but for the flair and atmosphere. I love Vienna!

My father came here as a guest worker. Later my mom, my grandparents followed. Until they could find a flat, they had to live in a car for a few days.

My parents are my role models. What they went through to provide for us a secure future, is amazing.
I was born here and felt like part of Austria, until one day a man told me I was not an Austrian because I didn’t look like one and my name was not Austrian. I had just gotten my citizenship on that day. It was very distressing. That’s when I became more aware of my roots. As a child, you don’t have an awareness about your background. You live here, you are Austrian and that’s it. The older you get, the more awareness you develop for your roots.

It is changing now for young people, but the elders are still at a diff. level of empathy. It’s the same in other cultures.

Eser Ari- Akbaba: born in Austria, parents Turkish