Somwhere to call home. During World War II, Stalin resettled about 100,000 Meskhetian Turks in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. For the past 60 years, the struggle has continued.

Deported from their own country more than 60 years ago, Meskhetian Turks have faced a long, hard struggle.

About 70 of these refugees are working to make Indianapolis their home, but they're struggling here as well. Y-Press talked with a few.

Firdas Abamislimov, 15; Abdullah Abamislimov and Yusuf Abamislimov, both 12; and Maleyka Musoyeva, 15, were born in Russia and miss their friends and family still there, but they consider themselves lucky.

"We like it (here), because it has more freedom than Russia and democracy," said Firdas, one of the most outspoken members of the group. "Everybody in Russia wants to come here."

The Meskhetian Turks are referred to as Turkish people, but not those who originated from Turkey. Their ancestors were born in Meskhetia, a country between Turkey, Armenia and Georgia. It's now part of Georgia.

During World War II, Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin ordered 100,000 Meskhetian Turks into cattle cars for resettlement because he saw them as opponents.

About 15,000 died from the adverse conditions and hunger. The survivors were relocated to Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

Five decades after his death, many Meskhetian Turks are still struggling. In 1989, 100 Meskhetian Turks were killed in fighting with Uzbeks in Uzbekistan. Those living in this region were moved again, this time to Russia, where they were denied basic rights.

Because of this discrimination, Meskhetian Turks were allowed into the U.S. as refugees. Since last year, about 9,000 have resettled in 33 different states and Washington, D.C.  

Before coming to America, the kids Y-Press interviewed spoke Russian at school and with friends. In their homes, they speak an eastern dialect of Turkish but can understand those who speak standard Turkish.

The youth, in particular, are learning English quickly. They enjoy playing soccer and volleyball on school teams. Many of the children and their families live in a Northside apartment complex where other refugees have settled.

They said American customs have taken getting used to. When some of the youths arrived in America a few years back -- on Oct. 31 -- they were surprised to see skeletons and other masked figures, since they knew nothing of Halloween.

And their parents and other adult refugees have had their own share of unsettling experiences. Adil Mazmanov, who first settled in Indianapolis and recently moved to Seattle, specializes in fixing up houses and reselling them.

He remembers how confusing it was traveling from Russia to the U.S. Adil believed he and his family were going to settle in New Hampshire.

First, they were at a New York airport, then flew to Chicago and weren't quite sure why. Communication was hard because they didn't speak English. The family ended up in Indianapolis because of a ticket mix-up.

When Adil's father, Firudin Mamanov, decided to settle in America, he didn't know what to expect.

"The main information that we were given was that America represents capitalists, who exploit workers and make life miserable for them," Firudin said through an interpreter.

He quickly learned instead that America was a good place to live and wishes he would have moved his family here earlier, even though this is the third time he's had to start over in life.  

"What I had to do was for our youngsters, and because they like it here, we like it here," said Firudin, who also recently moved to Seattle.

Born in Uzbekistan, Firudin has college degrees in engineering and managed a highway engineering company before losing his job when the family was forced from Uzbekistan in 1989 to live in Russia.

There, he worked his way up from a truck driver to building and owning a rice-processing plant. But all along the way, he said, he and his family experienced discrimination.

Adil, 27, has been in the United States 21/2 years and is eager to read and write English well.

"When I come first day, I understand I can do nothing if I can't speak English. . . . I want English and I trying to learn everywhere," he said.

It's not easy to be in America, but he says he's being treated fairly. "In Russia, I have good life but I have big discrimination. And here no discrimination, no nothing, just you concentrating on your job, just make money for your life. So America is 10 times better than Russia."

Most Meskhetian Turks believe they're treated better here than they were in Russia, but they still face difficulties.

Cigdem Balim meets weekly with Meskhetian Turks for her research. Balim is director of undergraduate studies and language instruction in Indiana University's Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures.

"The majority of these people are educated people; they have diplomas from Russia, Uzbekistan and central Asia. They speak several languages, and they are just not fluent in English," she said.

Several want to attend college, but need to learn English first to take the necessary exams. "They cannot find places to teach them English without paying for it. They don't have jobs," Balim said.

Indianapolis refugees were promised five years of government help with housing, language, health care and employment, but that hasn't happened, Balim said.

As relieved as many Mesketian Turks are to be in America, many still feel the pull of their homeland. Adil remains hopeful about returning some day.

"Without discrimination, I want to go back there. We don't forget tradition; we don't forget language; we don't forget religion. When I grow old, I want to die over there, not somewhere else in the world like a lot of my family (were forced to do)."

ASSISTANT EDITOR: Afton Waddell, 14. REPORTERS: Joi Officer, 13; and Ariana Gainer, 12.

Copyright 2007 Y-Press