Living the Russian-American dream

Julia and Alex Odintsova, who were married in 1998 in their native Moscow (left), now call Rome, Georgia, a small, tree-filled town near Atlanta, home (right).

Making a fresh start     Entrepreneur   Homemaker   Civil engineer   Writer   Introduction

While the governments of Russia and the United States wrangle over spy scandals and missile treaties, as though caught in a Cold War time warp, a new wave of Russian-speaking immigrants has quietly settled into suburbs, small towns and cities throughout America. They are diving headfirst into capitalism, driving new cars, buying homes, going to shopping malls and raising children who prefer English over their native language. The latest exodus of talented, energetic professionals from the former Soviet Union began in the late 1980s and only recently slowed down as U.S. immigration tightened its restrictions.

CNN.com visited with Russians who recently immigrated to Atlanta, Georgia, and its environs to find out why they left their beloved homeland and what they think of life in the United States.

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