Ida Prester responds to criticism of marriage to a Serb: 'How many more generations will grow up hearing who is 'ours' and who is 'theirs'?'

Renowned musician and activist Ida Prester has publicly challenged divisive sentiments by celebrating her marriage to Serbian husband Ivan Vanja Peševski, referring to their children as "simply children" of two nations. Prester used her platform to counter a critical comment suggesting that "mixed marriages lead to marginalized families" and create offspring with a "lack of belonging."

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We are a Croat and a Serb. Our children are simply – children. They know both languages, both cuisines, both sides of the family, we celebrate holidays according to all calendars, and they know well what a treasure that is.

Prester shared a screenshot of the comment received under a photograph from the "Balkan Love" exhibition, which features couples transcending ethnic divides. She questioned how many more generations would be subjected to hearing who is 'ours' and who is 'theirs,' and how often people would need to explain that they are simply 'human.' Prester lamented the growing divisions not only in the region but also in Europe and America, posing a rhetorical question about whether an external threat, like aliens or robots, is needed for humanity to unite.

"We are a Croat and a Serb. Our children are simply – children. They know both languages, both cuisines, both sides of the family, we celebrate holidays according to all calendars, and they know well what a treasure that is," Prester wrote in her post. She expressed a strong hope that such comments would eventually be met with ridicule and disgust rather than likes, concluding her message with lyrics from John Lennon's "Imagine."

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How many more generations will grow up listening to who is 'ours' and who is 'theirs'?

Prester's post resonated widely, garnering thousands of supportive comments. Many shared personal experiences from their own "mixed" marriages, emphasizing the enrichment such unions bring. Some pointed out the absurdity of labeling a marriage between a Croat and a Serb as "mixed," given the cultural and linguistic similarities. One user remarked on how "small" someone's world must be to consider a Croat-Serb marriage a "cultural stretch."

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I hope that one day such comments will be ridiculed and met with disgust, not likes.