NWNY volunteer profiles: Vesna Jaksic Lowe, blog editor
Meet Vesna, the editor behind our blog and a newsletter that selects works by immigrants and children of immigrants who write about identity, belonging and multicultural life
Volunteers are the driving force of our workforce development, community building, and storytelling programs serving immigrant women in New York City. They lead, manage, and operate all key programs and activities of the organization, and are an integral part of New Women New Yorkers’ cross-community vision. This week, we would like to introduce you to Vesna Jaksic Lowe, one of our blog editors. In her hole, she makes sure that every single text we publish is nice to read and meets the highest editorial standards.
Originally from Croatia, Vesna had an award-winning journalistic career before working as a communications consultant at leading human rights nonprofit organizations. She has written on issues of identity, belonging and multiculturalism for The New York Times and The Washington Post, among others. She is also the editor behind Immigrant Strong, a newsletter on immigrant writing that is a must-follow to anyone interested in good literature, new authors and stories about how immigrants float between multiple cultures. “The newsletter came out of my personal interest in these subjects, as well as wanting to do something to support and elevate immigrant writers”, says Vesna.
Sign-up to Immigrant Strong and read the full interview with Vesna below.
Please tell us where you are from, and how long you have been living in New York City.
I grew up in Croatia when it was a part of Yugoslavia. I moved to Canada with my family before coming to the United States for college and have been living in New York City since 2001.
What is one US or NY cultural habit that you picked up since you came to live here?Walking really fast. It’s not until I find myself in other cities and countries that I realize how fast I walk, even if I’m not in a hurry to get somewhere.
What inspired you to volunteer for NWNY? What has your experience working with NWNY meant to you so far?
I love that New Women New Yorkers does such concrete and practical work to help immigrant women. I wish it was around when I came here because even though I was in Canada for a few years before that, there were things I had to learn about applying for schools and jobs in New York.
During this anti-immigrant climate in our country and beyond, it’s also been helpful to surround myself with others who are welcoming to immigrants and volunteer their time to help ease their transition to New York.
What do you do in your spare time and what are your favorite places un NYC?
I love to read, sit down for a cup of coffee, and just hang out with friends and family. I’ve lived in New York for a long time so have a lot of places I enjoy, but I’ve always had a soft spot for Bryant Park. I like the mix of new and old architecture and all the activities that are going on in both summer and winter. And my daughter loves to visit the library there and go on the carousel.
Tell us about your Immigrant Strong newsletter. Why did you decide to create a newsletter focusing on immigrant writing?
As an immigrant, I often find myself confronting issues of identity, belonging and multiculturalism, and becoming a parent has made me even more interested in exploring these areas. I’ve written on these topics and also love reading about them – how immigrants are navigating their lives and floating between multiple cultures and languages. So the newsletter came out of my personal interest in these subjects, as well as wanting to do something to support and elevate immigrant writers.
It’s terrifying and heartbreaking that immigrants are constantly being demonized so I think it’s critical to empower them and promote their work. In both fiction and non-fiction, immigrants and children of immigrants are producing fantastic work, and I see my newsletter as one way to help push their narratives out into the world. For far too long, immigrant voices have been silenced — whether in literature, politics or other venues—and we all need to do our part to change that.
Reproduction/Immigrant Strong newsletter
Who are the most exciting immigrant authors you discovered recently?
One of my favorite books this year is “The Body Papers,” a debut memoir by Grace Talusan, who hails from the Philippines. It’s so raw and honest, I just devoured that book. I also liked Sofija Stefanovic’s “Miss Ex-Yugoslavia” – we hail from the same country so I related to many things in her memoir about coming from a war-torn country and trying to fit in your adopted home. Min Jin Lee, Viet Thanh Nguyen and Laila Lalami are not only fantastic writers, but powerful advocates for immigrants, refugees and others from marginalized groups.
At New Women New Yorkers we always like to talk about food, because we believe in the power of food to bring people together. What is a dish that you like to cook (or to eat) from your home country? Where do you find the ingredients to prepare it or the dish itself?
Gibanica, which is like a cheese pie. It mostly consists of ricotta cheese and phyllo dough, so I can get the main ingredients in any grocery store. But if I want to buy Croatian food or snacks, I head to EuroMarket in Astoria.
What is your great survival skill in NYC?
Find some peace and quiet. I love this city, but it can be loud and exhausting. I’m still learning to make sure that I don’t get wrapped up in work and motherhood all the time, but take some time to decompress. In a city of more than 8 million people, we all need to find a piece of solitude.
Do you have any advice you could offer to someone who is immigrating to NYC?Don’t be afraid to ask for help. There are lots of resources available for immigrants and women in New York, and you should not be afraid to seek them out.
