It Took A War To Make Us Ukrainian by Maya Ellenbogen

Maya's mom and grandma were born in what is now Ukraine. But when they immigrated to the US in the '80s, it was easier to identify as Russian. That's how the Soviets wanted them to think of themselves, and that's how American-born Maya grew up thinking of her family. Before middle school, she couldn't even find Ukraine on a map.

That all changed in 2022 when Putin invaded Ukraine. In their horror at his atrocities, Maya's mom and grandma started calling themselves Ukrainian. In this podcast, she talks with them about the change. As she does, 11th grader Maya grapples with her family history with friends and teachers, and considers what to call herself.