A Charming Fulbright Story

From Janice Irvine, Professor of Sociology at the University of Massachusetts and currently a U.S. Fulbright Scholar affiliated with Babeș-Bolyai University of Cluj

„In addition to my research and teaching, I recently had an extraordinary Fulbright experience I wanted to share. My mother was born in Tătărești, a tiny, remote village near Satu Mare, and my sister was here last week for a short trip we had planned to Maramureș. We managed to find Tătărești on the drive up, and stopped for what we thought would be a brief visit. We were standing outside the church and the priest came out of his house to talk with us. Before I knew it, he was on the phone with someone and then said to us, ‘Your relatives will be here in five minutes.’ Soon we were surrounded by several cousins, all of us hugging and weeping. We visited with them and some other newly-discovered relatives in Satu Mare all afternoon, with the priest translating for us. My sister and I had no idea we had relatives in România, and we are still in shock. It has been a life-altering experience to find this out.

This is a picture of me with my newly-discovered Romanian family. They plied us with food and drink, and sent me off with a jug of homemade ‘whiskey’. They also invited me for Christmas. We are standing outside of my grandfather’s home in this photo.

My Romanian Fulbright semester was already productive and exciting. This experience of finding Romanian family has made it even more extraordinary.”