Akron Life February 2022

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[ Assistant Editor | Alexandra Sobczak | asobczak@bakermediagroup.com ]

Family Record

History can come alive through stories.

While I’ve only scratched the surface, I’ve learned so much from Babi already. For instance, she loves Christmas Eve because her parents would decorate the tree and surprise her and her siblings with it on that day. My mom and uncle went sledding dur ing their Christmas spent in Austria. In the United States, a community of Czech immi grants helped them find housing and jobs. Babi and Papa had to go back to the Czech Republic to gather more of their belong ings — some that are family heirlooms — because they couldn’t pack much at first. My list of questions kept growing. As a storyteller, I felt anxious at the idea that I hadn’t written any of this down. And on top of that, Babi is 79. I’m hoping for many more years with her, but I also had to think logistically: How am I going to pre serve all these stories before it’s too late? Then I learned about the Akron Stories project. Founded by Miriam Ray in part nership with Art x Love and various Akron institutions, the project has grown into a rich collection of oral stories from Akron rubber workers and their descendants, with over 100 personal accounts. Together, they create an auditory mosaic of Akron history. The project amazed me, and I realized that recording Babi’s stories as she tells them aloud in her own words is the perfect way to preserve that history for my family. It’s been incredible hearing more of her stories. They’ve given me a renewed appre ciation for the opportunities and privileges I’ve experienced by simply growing up in a place where I knew the language. It wasn’t an easy process for Babi and her family, and it makes me even more grateful that they selflessly embarked on that journey to give our family a better life.

Many of my family members are from the Czech Republic — and I don’t have to go very far back to learn about my family’s heritage. To me, the story begins with my grand mother, who lived in the Czech Republic until she was 26 years old. I call her “Babi,” an informal Czech word meaning “grandma.” Her name is Cindy — before she arrived in America in 1968, it was Zdenka — but to me, she’s just Babi. At the time of her move, the Czech Republic was under Soviet occupation, and she and my late grandfather, John, who I called Papa, were searching for a better life for their family. They left their parents and siblings behind, which devastated Babi. They left the Czech Republic with their kids — my mom, Romana, who was 5, and my uncle, Alex, who was 7 — under the guise of going on vacation. They spent some time in Austria before moving to the United States. They didn’t know any English, so my mom and uncle started school with out understanding what was being said, and Babi and Papa did the same at new jobs. They eventually picked up English and moved to Cleveland, and the rest is history. Despite learning that through school proj ects and random inquiries throughout the years, I realized my understanding of the whole process was still lacking. I began wondering about the details: What was life like for them in the Czech Republic? What did they pack, and what did they leave behind? How did they find housing? Did they have a sense of community when they arrived here, or did they feel alone?

photo by Romana Sobczak

And she is only one of many who have great stories to tell. Check out the Rubber Soul story on pg. 24, which shares the unique history of Akron rubber workers throughout the years. Consider supporting the Akron Stories project by buying merchandise or a commemorative brick for the side walk near the project’s kiosks and rubber worker statue by Alan Cottrill on the cor ner of Main and Mill streets. If you or your loved ones have stories about working in the rubber industry, consider tell ing them. Find out more at akronstories.com. Digging into your own history can be eye opening, whether it be about your family or the place you live. And as Babi contin ues to teach me more, I know one thing — I’ll never get tired of learning about my family’s story.

[ Assistant Editor Alexandra Sobczak is passionate about inclusivity, correct grammar and pop music. ]

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