About Lanenur

Lanenur grew up in Erzurum until going to medical school in Ankara. After coming to Philadelphia in 1996 to be with her long-time school friend Osman, they got married and came to Washington. She had her daughter shortly after and moved back to Turkey with her in order to get into a medical residency, staying there for a couple of years before coming back to Seattle in 2000. She briefly lived in New Orleans for a medical residency and came back a year later. After a few years of moving for work constantly she settled in Bellevue with her family and found a job with Swedish Medical Center. Her involvement in the Turkish community has made her transition to the U.S. more comfortable because of her shared culture with others. She feels the most proficient when she speaks Turkish, although her children often use English around the house. Lanenur finds it important to teach her son Turkish and bring him to Turkey in order to familiarize him with the culture. She has worked on the committee of the Turkish American Children’s Festival with her husband and enjoys preserving her culture within the community. She identifies as Turkish and has felt judgment from certain parts of the U.S., although she recognizes the open attitude of many Americans she has met.