Jenny aka Yenni has written several books in English, including two of an autobiographical nature, a remarkable achievement for someone who arrived as a refugee in Hobart in 1969 with no English.
In fact Jenny is certainly not the first or last migrants I've spoken to who has achieved great things despite initial language barriers. But of course, it's important to remember, that Jenny, like other refugees from Eastern Europe at the time ( and elsewhere ) was a well-educated person in her own country. Yet for many migrants when they come to Australia, all their education and experience can often mean little ( even more so in the 1960s) and they are forced to start from scratch. I think many Australians just need to bear this in mind when trying to understand the migrant experience and remember that lack of English is not a sign of lack of intelligence !
But Jenny's story before coming to Australia was really interesting on so many other levels. First was her quite poignant recollections of the Russian soldiers arriving in her hometown towards the end of World War 2 and then the experience of being a part of the first generation of Socialist Youth. These recounts made me realise the importance of personal stories. I have read about the history of Czechoslovakia and what what happened in this period, but it is another thing to hear about a first-hand personal account of what it was like. Although every personal experience will be a little different, everyone experiences these big historical events differently, I feel it does make these dry events from the pages of history book come alive and become relatable.
I was particularly taken by Jenny's account of her experiences as a socialist youth, as often this period of Eastern European history is portrayed as unremmitingly dark, yet, in Czechoslovakia at least, it started with a certain amount of optimism, which turned dark in 1969 when the Soviet tanks moved in again, another event that Jenny describes so poignantly, but this time they didn't come as liberators but as occupiers and after what Jenny describes as the "exhilirating" days of the Prague Spring, it seems that hopes for a better future were crushed. Nevertheless, it was interesting to hear Jenny talk of the early days in the Socialist Youth when there was a sense of solidarity and shared purpose, making the events of 1969 perhaps all the more tragic.
I was particularly taken by Jenny's account of her experiences as a socialist youth, as often this period of Eastern European history is portrayed as unremmitingly dark, yet, in Czechoslovakia at least, it started with a certain amount of optimism, which turned dark in 1969 when the Soviet tanks moved in again, another event that Jenny describes so poignantly, but this time they didn't come as liberators but as occupiers and after what Jenny describes as the "exhilirating" days of the Prague Spring, it seems that hopes for a better future were crushed. Nevertheless, it was interestting to hear Jenny talk of the early days in the Socialist Youth when there was a sense of solidarity and shared purpose, making the events of 1969 perhaps all the more tragic.
But this was not just a recount of Slovakian history, having the opportunity to talk to an older migrant really gives you a window into the Hobart community of the late 60s and 70s. Of course, Czechoslovak and Hungarian Clubs were much stronger in those days, but we can see similar parallels with how other ethnic associations in Hobart play a role in helping new arrivals that have arrived more recently from places such as Nepal, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, India, Latin America and so forth.
Listening to Jenny's story also highlighted to me the fluidity of borders within Central and Eastern Europe and how determining where somebody comes from can become a little grey. Jenny was born into a Hungarian family in an area that had historically been part of Hungary ( Hungary lost a large amount of its territory after World War 1), but at her birth, was within the territory of Czechoslovakia. Since 1990 it has been part of the Republic of Slovakia. As a result of all these influences, Jenny left school being able to speak her native tongue of Hungarian, as well as Slovak and Russian ( which everyone was compelled to learn).
For those interested in learning more, I also recommend Jenny's book Yenni : A Life Between Worlds, which I purchased at the Hobart Bookshop, but which can be purchased through various onlines stores. Link here.