 | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 414,714[1]–1.2 million+ (est.)[2] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Pennsylvania,Illinois,Ohio,California,North Carolina,Pacific Northwest,New York,Wisconsin,Indiana,Michigan,Florida,Georgia,Tennessee,Louisiana,Missouri,Nevada,Colorado andMinnesota. Relatively few also live inMontana,New Mexico,Delaware,Texas orSouth Carolina. | |
| Languages | |
| American English andCroatian | |
| Religion | |
| PredominantlyRoman Catholicism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Slavic Americans,Croatian Canadians,European Americans,Czech Americans,Polish Americans,Serbian Americans,Italian Americans,Slovak Americans,Lithuanian Americans,Slovene Americans,Hungarian Americans |
| Part ofa series on |
| Croats |
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Croatian Americans orCroat Americans[a] (Croatian:Američki Hrvati) areAmericans who have full or partialCroatian ancestry. In 2012, there were 414,714 American citizens[1] ofCroat orCroatian descent living in the United States as per revised2010 United States census. The figure includes all people affiliated with United States who claim Croatian ancestry, both those born in the country andnaturalized citizens, as well as those withdual citizenship who affiliate themselves with both countries or cultures.
Croatian Americans identify with otherEuropean American ethnic groups, especially Slavic Americans and are predominantly ofRoman Catholic faith. Regions with significant Croatian American population include metropolitan areas ofChicago,Cleveland,New York City,Southern California and especiallyPittsburgh, the seat ofCroatian Fraternal Union,fraternal benefit society of theCroatian diaspora.[3][4]Croatia'sState Office for the Croats Abroad estimated that there are up to 1.2 million Croats and their descendants living in the United States.[2]
According to the 2007 U.S. Community Survey, there were 420,763 Americans of full or partial Croatian descent.[5] According to the1990 United States census, there were over 544,270 Croatian Americans who identified themselves as being of Croatian descent or being born in Croatia.[6] As of 2012, there were 414,714 American citizens.[1] It is estimated by theCroatia'sState Office for the Croats Abroad that there are around 1,200,000 Croats and their descendants living in the United States today.[2]
In the 2006–2010American Community Survey, thestates with the largest Croatian American populations are:[7]
Croatian-born population in the U.S. from 2010 to 2017 according to theAmerican FactFinder numbered:[12]
| Year | Number |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 47,740 |
| 2011 |  41,484 |
| 2012 |  45,295 |
| 2013 | 39,026 |
| 2014 | 43,067 |
| 2015 | 36,978 |
| 2016 | 39,747 |
| 2017 | 35,962 |
The first major immigration of Croats was recorded in 1715.[13] At the time, approximately twelve hundred Croatian Protestants, whose ancestors had left theAustrian Empire afterunsuccessful peasant revolts in 1573 and anti-Reformation edict of 1598, arrived in the American colony ofGeorgia. They settled in the valley ofSavannah River.[13] Those settlers introduced silk-worm cultivation in Georgia. The community prospered for 150 years, until it was demolished during theCivil War.[14]
In 1683, a Croat Jesuit, named Ivan Ratkaj (Juan Ratkay) established a mission in northwestNew Spain. In 1746, another Jesuit, Ferdinand Konšak (Consago Gonzales), drew the first dependable map ofBaja California. Beginning in 1783, Joseph Kundek, a Croat missionary, helped to develop several midwestern towns, includingFerdinand andJasper, both inDubois County, Indiana. In the 1830s, various groups in the Austrian Empire sent financial aid to America to support missionary activities.[14]
Many early Croat immigrants settled inNew Orleans,[13] and were employed as traders, artisans and fishermen. By the 1860s, there were around six hundred Croat families in New Orleans. Several families settled permanently inAlabama. During theCivil War, some three thousand Croats resided in the South, mostly inLouisiana,Alabama andMississippi. Hundreds of them volunteered for theConfederate Army andNavy. After the defeat of theConfederacy in 1865, many Croats who had served in the Confederate military moved to the West.[14]
Significant emigration from what is now Croatia dates from the mid-late 1880s and early 1890s, peaking around 1905-1910, when many Croatians, the majority of themRoman Catholics, began emigrating to the United States. Many wereeconomic immigrants, while others considered themselvespolitical refugees.[15][16]
Like otherimmigrants of that period, they migrated to findemployment. Many of them, mostly single young men but, often, married women with or without their families, settled in small towns in Pennsylvania and New York as coal miners or steelworkers. Many also settled in factory towns and farming areas in Midwestern states such asWisconsin,Minnesota,Indiana,Illinois, andIowa. For most of the single men, the stay was only temporary. Once they had saved enough money, many Croatian men returned to Croatia. However, those who did choose to stay found permanent residence.[13][15][17]
Within a comparatively short period of time, Croatians could be found all over the United States from New York to California, fromNew Orleans toMinneapolis-St. Paul.[15] As it went through its most rapid expansion during the time of the 1890-1914 Great Migration and shortly thereafter from the onset of the First World War to the general clampdown on immigration in 1924, Croats and other South and West Slavs and members of other groups peaking in influx at the time were prominent in the history of the mining industry in theIron Range of Minnesota; much the same is the case with the forestry-related industries there, elsewhere in Minnesota and in much of Wisconsin. A notable Croatian-American from the Iron Range wasRudy Perpich, the 34th and 36th Governor of the state representing the Democrat/Farmer-Labor Party; he served terms in office from December 29, 1976, to January 4, 1979, and from January 3, 1983, to January 7, 1991, spans of time which add up to make him the longest-serving governor in the state's history. In private life, Perpich was a dentist and after leaving office in 1991 assisted the post-communist government of Croatia. He was born in Carson Lake, Minnesota (now part of Hibbing) on June 27, 1928, and died of cancer inMinnetonka, Minnesota on 21 September 1995.[citation needed]
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 fleeingYugoslavia'scommunist authorities.[15] Most of these Croatians settled in established Croatiancolonies, often among relatives and friends. Beginning in 1965, America saw a new influx of Croatians.[15] 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.[16]
Croatian immigrants also settled inTexas,Oklahoma andMissouri (esp.Kansas City andSt. Louis).[18] A Croatian community developed inMobile, Alabama[19] and another similar community inPueblo, Colorado.[20]
Mississippi andBiloxi declared22 September Croatian Heritage Day on 22 September 2023.[21]
The first recorded Croatian immigrants to the United States arrived in 1850, often via the resettlement from nations that are presently known asAustria,Italy,Greece,Spain, andPortugal, and southernFrance. During this period many Croats, who were employed inmanufacturing themaritime sector of theMediterranean states, began emigrating to theAmericas. This first wave arrived in regions of the United States where employment opportunities were similar to where they had arrived from. By the middle of the 20th Century, the metropolitan areas ofChicago,Cleveland,Pittsburgh,New York City,San Francisco Bay Area and the region ofSouthern California had the largest populations of people with Croatian ancestry.[22][18]
Croatian immigrants first settled in theWestern United States in the second half of the 19th century, mainly in what were then growing urban centers ofLos Angeles,San Pedro,San Francisco,Phoenix andSanta Ana.[23] It is estimated that more than 35,000 Croats live inLos Angeles metropolitan area today, making it the biggest Croatian community on the Pacific coast.[23] San Francisco became the center of Croatian social life in California, where they established the first Croatian emigration society,Croatian American Cultural Center of San Francisco, in 1857.[15][24]Tadich Grill in San Francisco is an example from the era, the oldest continuously running restaurant in the city.[25] The Los Angeles metropolitan area was a major destination for the post-1980sYugoslavian immigration, including Croats andBosnian Croats fromBosnia and Herzegovina who escaped theBosnian civil war in the 1990s. They formed several communities inOrange County,San Diego andSan Fernando Valley.[15]
An unspecified number of Croats also settled inWashington state andOregon, particularly metropolitan areas ofSeattle andPortland respectively.[15][23]
Some of the first groups of immigrants settled inPennsylvania as well.[15][16] As a major industrial center of the state,Pittsburgh employed a lot of immigrants from Croatia, many of them were working in theheavy industry. At the beginning of the century there were an estimated 38,000 Croats in Pittsburgh. It was estimated that there were more than 200,000 Croatians and their descendants living in Pennsylvania in the early 1990s.[4]
The first Croatian settlers inMichigan appeared in the late 19th century.[15][23] InIllinois, 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 United States. The settlement especially started developing after World War I 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. Croats form a large community inIndianapolis inIndiana since the 1910s, as well inGary,Fort Wayne andSouth Bend.[15][16]
While at first New York City served merely as a station on arriving settlers' way elsewhere into the United States, mainly theMidwest,East Coast saw an influx of Croatian and other European settlers in early 19th, before and followingFirst World War; mainly the cities ofHoboken and New York, the latter of which is the site ofSS. Cyril, Methodius, and Raphael's Church, a Roman Catholic parish, part ofRoman Catholic Archdiocese of New York.[26][27]
During theKlondike Gold Rush, a group of 3,000 Croatian immigrants settled inAlaska andCanada.[23]
There is a Croatian community inLas Vegas.[28]
Croatian Americans maintain a close relationship with the region they come from.[15] The diaspora is considered to have played a pivotal role in securing Croatia's victory inCroatian War of Independence by providing substantial financial aid and advocating for American involvement in the conflict.[29]Chain migration contributed to the creation of settlements of Croats coming from the same regions of Croatia.[17] They were connected because of their similar occupations that they had, equal social status and Roman Catholic religion.[17] The most popular informal meeting points of Croatians were thesaloons. They were usually engaged in various charity organizations, and were among the first Croatian immigrants who learned to speak English.[30] Beside these informal gatherings, Croatian Americans established several thousand organizations of different importance. In his work, "Early Croatian Immigration to America After 1945", Prpic states that there were around 3,000 organizations founded between 1880 and 1940 in the United States.[30] 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.[26] Furthermore, the Croats came with the latest groups of immigrants, which led to a further feeling of insecurity. Most of early settlers did not speak English and held low-paid jobs, which created an inferiority complex. They found security within an organization of their ownethnic group.[26][30]
The Croatian diaspora is predominantly Roman Catholic.[15] Croatianmissionaries foundedparishes, churches and benevolent societies throughout the country wherever Croatian Americans settled.[15] Often, the priests were the only educated members of the Croatian colonies, and thus they had to assumeleadership roles; moreover, they were among the first to learn English well and often served as translators and interpreters.[17] 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 andSteelton,Pennsylvania, New York, Chicago, Cleveland, Saint Louis and other cities. The oldest parish is St. Nicholas Church in Pittsburgh, founded in 1894; several others were erected in the early 1900s, such as theChurch of the Nativity in San Francisco. Even before being officially established in 1926, the Croatian Franciscanfriars traveled throughout the United States, establishing and assisting in Croatian parishes and keeping alive the religious and national sentiments of their people.[15] Today, there are over 30 Croatian parishes inNorth America.[31] For example, in New Jersey there are St. Cyril and Methodius and St. Raphael Catholic parishes that also serve as Croatian Catholic missions.[32]
In 1973, Croatian Cultural Club Cardinal Stepinac was established inMontville, New Jersey at the land acquired by the Croatian community, parishioners of St. Cyril and Methodius and St. Raphael parishes, on the initiative of the Father Mladen Čuvalo.[32] Club gathers Croats of New York and New Jersey.[32]
City of Los Angeles Croatian Culture Week was held in LA from 19 to 28 May 2023., with Croatian Heritage Night hosted byLos Angeles Football Club and Southern California Croatian Bocce Ball Tournament.[39] Croatian Festival and Picnic of the Croatian Catholic Parish of St. Anthony in Los Angeles is traditionally organized on the feast day ofNativity of Mary.[40] Traditional picnic for the same occasion is also organized inNew York by Cultural Club Cardinal Stepinac.[41]
San Pedro, California is a host of the Croatian Tennis Tournament.[42] The annual Croatian Street Party is held at Croatian Hall in San Pedro.[43]
Radio Days of Vinko Kužina (Croatian:Radijski dani Vinka Kužine) premiered at the Croatian parish of ‘St. Cyril and Methodius’ in Manhattan, at the end of October 2023.[44]
Salads,sarma,börek andpolenta are popular among Croatian Americans.[45]
Croatian Radio New York was established inManhattan, in 1969.[46] Radio founders purchased the building in 1977, thus housing the radio station.[46] As of February 2024, 20 volunteers run the programm.[46]Croatian presidentKolinda Grabar-Kitarović awarded Croatian Radio Club New York with theCharter of the Republic of Croatia.[47]
Croatian American Media Association Corp runs "Croatians Online"digitalmedia platform in four languages (Croatian, English,German andSpanish) withradio,streaming,social media content andpodcasts with aim to "connect Croats around the world through their life experiences, customs, culture, history, music, art and gastronomy".[48]
Notable Croatian Americans, past and present, include:
•Tim Burton, director
John Grisham's novel "The Boys from Biloxi" is focused on the Croatian American community ofBiloxi. Grisham describes in considerable detail thefamily history of his protagonists, third-generation Croatian Americans, and the general development of the Croatian community in Biloxi.[50]
The CAS-HOF Selection Committee announced the following 2024 inductees: Ralph Cindrich, Bill Fralic, Kara Grgas-Wheeler Goucher, Tim Grgurich, Jim Laslavic, John Mayasich, Frank Sinkwich, Frank Solich, Rudy Tomjanovich, Paul Tomasovich and Ferdinand "Fritzie" Zivic.
Chapter 1
A hundred years ago, Biloxi was a bustling resort and fishing community on the Gulf Coast. Some of its 12,000 people worked in shipbuilding, some in the hotels and restaurants, but for the majority their livelihoods came from the ocean and its bountiful supply of seafood. The workers were immigrants from Eastern Europe, most from Croatia where their ancestors had fished for centuries in the Adriatic Sea. The men worked the schooners and trawlers harvesting seafood in the Gulf while the women and children shucked oysters and packed shrimp for ten cents an hour. There were forty canneries side by side in an area known as the Back Bay. In 1925, Biloxi shipped twenty million tons of seafood to the rest of the country. Demand was so great, and the supply so plentiful, that by then the city could boast of being the 'Seafood Capital of the World'.
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
