The Tsarnaev brothers
were born in Kyrgyzstan, and are ethnic Chechens and Muslim. The father, Anzor Tsarnaev and his
younger son Dzhokhar first came to the United States legally in
April 2002 on 90-day tourist visas.
Once in this country, the father applied for political asylum, claiming he
feared deadly persecution based on his ties to Chechnya. Dzhokhar, who was 8,
applied for asylum under his father’s petition. The rest of the
family (Mother, brother Tamerlan and 2 sisters) came to this country in 2002 and applied for refugee status. In March,
2007, the family was granted legal permanent residence status. They settled in a working-class part of
Cambridge, where the father Anzor, opened an auto shop. Their mother
worked as a Beauty Consultant, giving Facials.
Tamerlan failed and flunked out of college and made an attempt to
become an Olympic boxer, but also failed in this quest. It was at this time that Tamerlan said he didn't understand Americans and didn't have any American friends. In 2009, he started following various Islamic
sites on the internet and following a strict interpretation of the Islamic
religion.In 2009, he was arrested and charged with beating his then-girlfriend. This arrest prevented him from achieving citizenship status.Their fighting was rooted in his wanting her to wear Islamic clothing and follow strict Islamic rule. The FBI was warned by Russian intelligence that Tamerlan was frequenting terroristic type websites on the internet. The FBI questioned Tamerlan and his family, but found no deeper connection.
The father, who was ill, returned to Dagestan in 2011. With the father
gone, the older brother Tamerlan assumed a
paternal role. Tamerlan went back to Russia in Jan, 2012 for 6 months. The FBI
is currently investigating what he did during that period.
Back in America, the family struggled with money. The
mother lost her job and began giving facials out of her home. She was having difficulty making ends meet. She started listening to Tamerlan and the various Anti US Government conspiracies he read about on the internet. She also started
following a strict interpretation of Islamic rule and started wearing Islamic dress. She talked her daughters
into arranged marriages and tried to do the same for Dzhokhar, but he said no. In mid-2012, she was arrested for shop-lifting
at Lord & Taylors. She later returned to Dagestan to join her husband.
Tamerlan returned
to the US in mid-2012, maintaining the father role with his family. He is married
to a woman from Rhode Island and convinced her to wear Islamic clothing and follow
strict Islamic rule. They have a daughter.
Reports indicate Dzhokhar did well in high school and in
sports. He played video games, used the internet, Facebook, Twitter, was a wrestler and was popular with his
friends. He became a citizen on 9/11/2012. He also loved and followed his
brother. In late 2012 and 2013, Dzokhar was flunking out of
college, but remained popular with his friends.
Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarmaev perpetrated the evil bombings at the Boston Marathon. Tamerlan is now Dead, run over by his brother as they
were being pursued by law enforcement. Dzokhar apparently attempted suicide as
he was hiding in a boat in a suburban backyard. Their mother claims her sons were innocent and the FBI is really responsible for their crimes.
The Tsarmaev brothers expected instant riches and wealth in America. They didn't understand what WE AMERICANS understand. The American Dream doesn't mean instant riches or power.The American Dream allows us the freedom to pursue our Dreams, based on hard work, persistence, resilience and love of our country.