NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Croatian American

Croatian Americans are citizens of the United States of Croatian descent. This article is about the U.S. State. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... This article is about the state. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Languages Croatian Religions Predominantly Roman Catholic Related ethnic groups Slavs South Slavs Croats (Croatian: Hrvati) are a South Slavic people mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. ... Slovenian Americans or Slovene Americans (Slovenian AmeriÅ¡ki Slovenci, literally American Slovenians) are Americans of Slovenian origin. ... // Possession of Citizenship U.S. citizens have the right to participate in the political system of the United States (with reservations for prisoners, ex-prisoners, and naturalized persons), are represented and protected abroad by the United States (through U.S. embassies and consulates), and are allowed to reside in the...

Demographics

Numbers

According to the 2004 US census, there are 412,418^[1] Americans of full or partial Croatian descent. According to the United States Census Bureau of Statistics (1990) there were over 544,270^[2] Croatian Americans who identify themselves as being of Croatian decent or being born in Croatia. In addition to that, many Croatian Americans identify themselves as Yugoslavs, Slavs, Dalmatians, Bosnians, Austrians, or Austro-Hungarians. Based on other historical sources there are approximately 3 million^[3] Croatian Americans in the United States. The states with the largest Croatian-American populations are: A U.S. state is any one of the 50 states which have membership of the federation known as the United States of America (USA or U.S.). The separate state governments and the U.S. federal government share sovereignty. ...

This article is about the U.S. State. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... This article is about the state. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ...

History

It is very difficult to establish when the first Croatian people came to the US continent. Some written documents indicate that individuals or small groups of Croatians(notably seafarers from the Dalmatian coastal regions) landed on this continent two or three hundred years ago. But in the late 1890s and early 1900s, many Croatians, the majority of them Roman Catholics, began emigrating to the United States. Many were economic immigrants, while others considered themselves political refugees. Like other immigrants of that period, they looked for employment wherever jobs could be found. Many of them, mostly single young men but, often, married men with or without their families, settled in small towns as coal miners or in larger cities as steelworkers. Within a comparatively short period of time, Croatians could be found all over the United States from New York to California, from New Orleans to Minneapolis-St. Paul. A new wave of Croatian immigrants began to arrive after World War II. These were mostly political refugees, including orphans whose parents had been killed during the war, individuals and families fleeing Yugoslavia's Communist regime. Most of these Croatians settled in established Croatian colonies, often among relatives and friends. It was assumed that this would be the end of Croatian immigration. But, beginning in 1965, America saw a new influx of Croatians, some of them political refugees, most of them younger families seeking economic security and a prosperity impossible to find in Yugoslavia. Those arriving in the 1960s and the decades that followed settled mostly in larger cities. These immigrants were better educated and more liberal than their forebears in America, but they were also influenced by the new European standard of life and opposed to the Communist ideology forcefully imposed upon them in the totalitarian state of Yugoslavia. They sought "the good life"-a decent job, a balanced education for their children, good housing and utilities, the ability to be vocal in their political views in democratic America, and the freedom to live out their deeply rooted religious convictions. Gradually this new wave of immigrants joined Croatian Catholic parishes and organizations, and soon became the contemporary bearers of Croatian culture and tradition in the United States. Currently, only a small number of Croatians continue to emigrate, mostly those who have relatives already well established in America. Dalmatia, highlighted, on a map of Croatia. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... This article is about the human activity. ... Right of asylum (or political asylum) is an ancient judicial notion, under which a person persecuted for political opinions or religious beliefs in his or her country may be protected by another sovereign authority, a foreign country, or Church sanctuaries (as in medieval times). ... Immigration is the movement of people into one place from another. ... This article is about work. ... New Orleans is the largest city in the state of Louisiana, United States of America. ... Minneapolis-Saint Paul is the most populous urban area in the state of Minnesota, United States, and is composed of 188 cities and townships. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from 1945 to 1992. ... This article is about the form of society and political movement. ... This article is about a type of political territory. ...

Settlements

Large populations are found in Chicago, Cleveland, New York City and Los Angeles. The first Croatian settlements were in Mississippi estuary in Louisiana and in California. First Croatian immigrants to those places were sailors who left their ships out of economic reasons and also because of the news and rumors about war in Europe, various contagious diseases on ships, bad conditions of the ships, etc. There was already a considerably large group of them in 1835 that easily assimilated and started working in the fields of commerce and catering industry. These men usually married American women, which greatly contributed to their fast and easy assimilation. From the middle of the 19th century a lot of Croats were involved in the oyster business. Luka Jurisic was a pioneer in establishing the large-scale cultivation and marketing of oysters. By the late 19th century the Croats controlled the oyster business. In San Pedro there is even a stretch of street called "Croatian Place". There are reportedly more than(today) 35,000 Croats in San Pedro, making it the biggest Croatian community on the Pacific. California had Croatian immigration colonies even before the wave of new immigration, but even greater immigration occurred during the period of gold rush in that area. Many of them established stock corporations in case they made more significant discoveries. One of the most important companies established by the Croats was “The Slavonian Gold and Silver Company”. San Francisco became the center of Croatian social life in California, where they established the first Croatian emigration society in 1857. A great number of Croats emigrated from California and settled in Arizona and Nevada after the gold rush. In Nevada Croats first worked in gold and silver mines, and later became engaged in service trades. In Arizona they usually worked as coalminers, office-workers, storekeepers, cooks, butchers, waiters, restaurant or hotel owners, etc. There were several Croatian settlements in Washington. A small Croatian fishing village existed back in the beginning of 19th century, where greatly experienced Croatian fishermen contributed to the development of modern fishing trade. Two main Croatian centers in Washington were Seattle and Roslyn. The high percentage of Croats can be illustrated by the fact that inn 1922/23 there were 23% Croatian pupils in Rosalyn schools. Some of the first groups of immigrants settled in Pennsylvania as well. As the center of the State, Pittsburgh employed a lot of immigrants from Croatia. Many of them were working in the heavy industry. In the beginning of the century there were around 38 000 Croatians in Pittsburgh. It was estimated that there were more than 200 000 Croatians and their descendants living in Pittsburgh in the early 1990s. First Croatians in Detroit appeared around 1890, settling usually in the region of Russel. In Illinois the Croatians started concentrating mostly around Chicago. Although it was created a bit later, the Croatian settlement in Chicago became one of the most important ones in the Untied States. The settlement especially started developing after WWI and Chicago became the center of all Croatian cultural and political activities. It is calculated that there were roughly 50 000 Croats in Chicago in the 1990s, while there were altogether 100 000 Croats living in 54 additional Croatian settlements in Illinois. Furthermore, Croatian settlement in Kansas City played an important role as well. This settlement, too, was founded in the last decades of the 19th century, with the first neighborhood west of Armour Packing Co. and along James Street. The Strawberry Hill neighbourhood of Kansas City is an example of a city quarter almost entirely founded by Croats. First Croatian Settlement in St. Louis started forming very early. It generally consisted of immigrants who came from Louisiana along the Mississippi toward the north. According to Ante Tresic-Pavic, who visited the US in 1907, there were around 4-5 thousand Croats in St. Louis. The majority of them lived in boarding houses and had low paid jobs at that time. New York served merely as a station on their way further into the United States. Later, during the mass immigration of Croats, this city became the most important center from which they moved into various parts of the US. In 1906 a real Croatian settlement did not yet exist in New York. Incorporated City in 1834. ... For other uses, see Chicago (disambiguation). ... Cleveland redirects here. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area City 1,290. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... | Come and take it, slogan of the Texas Revolution 1835 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A professionally catered event Catering is the business of providing food service at a remote site. ... For other uses, see Oyster (disambiguation). ... Look up Pioneer in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... San Pedro is connected to Los Angeles by a thin strip of land called the Harbor Gateway which roughly follows the 110 freeway. ... For other meanings, see Gold rush (disambiguation) A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers into the area of a dramatic discovery of commercial quantities of gold. ... For other uses, see Stock (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Corporation (disambiguation). ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... 1857 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Official language(s) English Spoken language(s) English 74. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Nevada. ... This article is about mineral extractions. ... For the capital city of the United States, see Washington, D.C.. For other uses, see Washington (disambiguation). ... Categories: Stub ... City nickname Emerald City City bird Great Blue Heron City flower Dahlia City mottos The City of Flowers The City of Goodwill City song Seattle, the Peerless City Mayor Greg Nickels County King County Area - Total - Land - Water - % water 369. ... Downtown Roslyn Roslyn is a city located in Kittitas County, Washington, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 1,017. ... Students in Rome, Italy. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... City nickname: The Steel City Location in the state of Pennsylvania Founded 1758 Mayor Tom Murphy (Dem) Area - Total - Water 151. ... Heavy industry does not have a single fixed meaning compared to light industry. ... This article is about the year. ... Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes - this motto was adopted after the disastrous 1805 fire that devastated the city) Nickname: The Motor City and Motown Location in Wayne County, Michigan Founded Incorporated July 24, 1701 1815 County Wayne County Mayor... Year 1890 (MDCCCXC) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar). ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... Nickname: Location in Wyandotte, County in the state of Kansas. ... Strawberry Hill (Kansas City, Kansas) is a mainly Slavic community that was established around the 1890s near where the Kansas River and Missouri River merge. ... The Gateway Arch, shown here behind the Old Courthouse, is the most recognizable part of the St. ... Boarding House is a privately owned house,in which individuals or families on vaccation, holidays, deputition,transfered on temporary duties, on some particular training,short&mediun tenure visitors,working professionals & lodgers,rent one or more rooms sets for one or more nights,sometimes for extended periods of weeks, months and...

Religion

Croatian priests, mostly diocesan clergy, came in precious few numbers with the earliest immigrants towards the end of the 19 century. They were true missionaries. They traveled from place to place wherever their people settled, preaching parish missions and organizing religious, cultural, and benevolent societies. Often the priest was the only educated member of the Croatian colony, and thus they had to assume leadership roles; moreover, they were among the first to learn English well and often served as translators and interpreters. Their primary responsibility, however, was the organization of Croatian Catholic parishes in the urban centers with substantial Croatian populations. Thus, at the beginning of this century there were Croatian churches in Pittsburgh and Steelton Pennsylvania, New York, Chicago, and other cities. The oldest parish is St. Nicholas Church in Pittsburgh, founded in 1894; several others were erected in the early 1900s. Even before being officially established in 1926, the Croatian Franciscan friars traveled throughout the United States, establishing and assisting in Croatian parishes and keeping alive the religious and national sentiments of their people.Croatian Roman Catholics in America form a vital part of the American Catholic Church. This is due in large measure to the pioneering and ongoing efforts of their priests and sisters, whose witness has enabled the Croatian immigrant community and their children and grandchildren born in the United States to remain faithful to their Catholicism and their Croatian roots. Today there are altogether 32 Croatian parishes and 3 missions in the US. This article is about religious workers. ... For other uses, see Missionary (disambiguation). ... A parish is a type of administrative subdivision. ... Various Religious symbols, including (first row) Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Bahai, (second row) Islamic, tribal, Taoist, Shinto (third row) Buddhist, Sikh, Hindu, Jain, (fourth row) Ayyavazhi, Triple Goddess, Maltese cross, pre-Christian Slavonic Religion is the adherence to codified beliefs and rituals that generally involve a faith in a spiritual... For other uses, see Culture (disambiguation). ... For a characteristic of many gods, see omnibenevolence For the phrenological faculty, see Benevolence (Phrenology) Look up Benevolence in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Leader redirects here. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Steelton is a borough in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, three miles (5 km) southeast of Harrisburg. ... 1894 (MDCCCXCIV) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Äž: For the film, see: 1900 (film). ... Year 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... A friar is a member of a religious mendicant order of men. ... The American Catholic Church in the United States is an Old Catholic Christian denomination. ...

Social association

Croatian Americans have been closely connected to one another almost since the day they left their home country. Chain migration contributed to the creation of settlements of Croats coming from the same regions of Croatia. They were connected because of their similar occupations that they had, equal social status, catholic religion and many other bonds that are sometimes much stronger than formal organization. The most popular informal meeting points of Croatians were the saloons. They were usually engaged in various charity organizations, and were among the first Croatian immigrants who learned to speak English. A great number of them had a very harsh daily routine, which largely appeared to be bed-factory-bed. But the positive side of the saloons cannot be denied. Beside these informal gatherings, Croatian Americans established several thousand organizations of different importance. In his work, “Early Croatian Immigration to America After 1945”, George Prpic states that there were around 3 000 organizations founded between 1880 and 1940 in the United States. Croatians first started founding charitable, cultural, educational, religious, business, political, sporting or athletic organizations. All these organizations were firmly rooted in the settlement where they were initiated. Croatians were a minority group both in relation to Americans and other nationalities. Furthermore, the Croats came with the latest groups of immigrants, which lead to a further feeling of insecurity. Moreover, most of them did not speak English and had low paid jobs, which created an inferiority complex as well. Therefore, they found security within an organization of their own ethnic group. Another special type of gathering was happening around tamburica, which was often among the necessary items that a person from Croatia took to America. Tamburica and Singing clubs were not joined until March 1949 in Cleveland, where the “American-Croatian Singing Association” was founded. Croatian Americans had strong feelings about their homeland and they frequently demonstrated them publicly. For other uses, see Country (disambiguation). ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... Year 1880 (MDCCCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The tamburitza (tamburica; diminutive of tambura) is the most popular instrument in Croatian and Serbian folk music. ... Year 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Cleveland redirects here. ... A homeland is the concept of the territory to which one belongs; usually, the country in which a particular nationality was born. ...

Organizations

The Croatian American organization Croatian Fraternal Union is a society with long roots in the USA. It was started in 1897.^[4] During World War II, it sent money to aid Croatia.^[4] The CFU contributes to Croatian Americans by scholarships and cultural learning.^[4] The Croatian Fraternal Union Logo The Croatian Fraternal Union (Hrvatska bratska zajednica) is a fraternal benefit society of the Croatian diaspora based out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ...

Croatan Indians

Legend is that the Croatan Indians, who lived in what is today North Carolina, were partially of Croatian origin. Historians prescribing to this theory submit the story of Croatian sailors shipwrecked of Cape Hatteras in 1498 who remained to live in the vicinity, assimilating with the native Americans in the area. They also refer to the tree carving found by an English expedition in 1593, in what was at the time the Roanoke Colony. The tree had the inscription "croatoan," which is recognized among American historians as an Algonquin Indian name.^[5] Croatoan Island is an island near Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. ... Official language(s) English Demonym North Carolinian Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Largest metro area Charlotte metro area Area Ranked 28th in the US - Total 53,865 sq mi (139,509 kmÂ²) - Width 150 miles (340 km) - Length 560[1] miles (900 km) - % water 9. ... An aerial view of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse prior to its 1999 relocation. ... 1498 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Events May 18 - Playwright Thomas Kyds accusations of heresy lead to an arrest warrant for Christopher Marlowe. ... Lost Colony redirects here. ... This article is about the Native American tribe. ...

Well-known Croatian-Americans

Well-known Croatian-Americans past and present include Democratic politician Dennis Kucinich, Republican political consultant Mary Matalin, video game developer and cryptography expert Elonka Dunin, professional baseball player Roger Maris, actors John Malkovich and Jenna Elfman, Elfman's uncle and lead singer of vocal group The Lettermen Tony Butala, oil industry pioneer Anthony Francis Lucas, mathematician William Feller, winemaker Mike Grgich, and Franjo Vlasic, founder and namesake of Vlasic Pickles. This is a list of Croatian Americans: John Abramovic - basketball player Nenad Bach - Musician [17] Nick Begich - Alaska congressman[1] Bill Belichick - football head coach[2] Fred Couples - golfer, Croatian mother David Diehl (1980 - ) football player and offensive lineman in the National Football League[3] William Feller - mathematician[4] Mike... Dennis John Kucinich (IPA: ) (born October 8, 1946) is an American politician of the Democratic party and a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in both 2004 and 2008. ... Mary Joe Matalin (born August 19, 1953) is an American political strategist and consultant. ... Elonka Dunin (born December, 1958) is an American game developer, writer, and amateur cryptographer who maintains a website dedicated to the Kryptos sculpture/cipher located at the CIAs headquarters. ... Roger Eugene Maris (September 10, 1934 â€“ December 14, 1985) was an American right fielder in Major League Baseball who is primarily remembered for breaking Babe Ruths single-season home run record in 1961, a record that would stand for 37 years. ... John Gavin Malkovich (born December 9, 1953) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor, producer and director. ... Jenna Elfman (born September 30, 1971, in Los Angeles, California, USA) is an American television and film actress. ... Anthony Francis Lucas (September 9, 1855â€“September 2, 1921) was responsible for the first successful oil well at the Spindletop oil field in Southeast Texas, which made Beaumont, Texas one of the first oil boomtowns. ... William (Vilim) Feller (July 7, 1906 - January 14, 1970) was a Croatian-American mathematician specializing in probability theory. ... Mike Grgich (born Miljenko Grgich on April 1, 1923) is a Croatian-American winemaker. ... Vlasic Pickles grew out of a Detroit creamery and fresh pickle business begun by Eastern European immigrant Joe Vlasic in the 1920s. ...

Contents

Demographics

Numbers

History

Settlements

Religion

Social association

Organizations

Croatan Indians

Well-known Croatian-Americans

See also

References

External links

Contents

Demographics var ACE_AR = {Site: '756743', Size: '300250'};

Numbers

History

Settlements

Religion

Social association

Organizations

Croatan Indians

Well-known Croatian-Americans

See also

References

External links

Demographics