Tsarnaevs’ uncle experiences an immigrant’s shame - By Joan Walsh

[DonViejo]

Suspect's uncle Ruslan Tsarni tells an old American story: A newcomer's shame when one of his own becomes notorious

To angry, anguished Ruslan Tsarni, his nephews Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev had a simple motive for allegedly bombing the Boston Marathon: “Being losers. Being unable to settle.”

Tsarni’s rant wasn’t exactly what law enforcement might have advised: A soothing person giving young Dzhokhar a reason to come out of his hiding place alive, and to cooperate with officials in revealing whether there may be more hidden bombs as well as what his and his late brother Tamerlan’s motives were.

But it was a window on an ancient American story: the anguish of immigrants when one of their own becomes notorious, and shames not only his family, but his entire ethnic group.

“He put a shame on the Tsarni family. He put a shame on the entire Chechen ethnicity,” the uncle raged. “It has nothing to do with Chechnya.” To reporters questions, he answered: “We’re Muslims, we’re ethnic Chechens,” and he went on: “Of course we’re ashamed. They’re children of my brother. Who had little influence of them.”

This wasn’t the classic testimony of a family member, declaring love for the accused and shock at the accusation. Although he hadn’t seen his nephews since 2009, Tsarni declared flatly:

full article:
http://www.salon.com/2013/04/19/tsarnaevs_uncle_experiences_an_immigrant%E2%80%99s_shame/