| Abstract | Iseljavanje Hrvata u Sjevernu Ameriku složen je proces koji počima još od doba 15. stoljeća i otkrivanja Novog svijeta, no od tog vremena, pa sve do 19. stoljeća, ne govorimo o planskom i masovnijem iseljavanju, već o induvidualnim pothvatima, najčešće kao rezultat avanturizma. Intezivnije iseljavanje započima u drugoj polovici 19. stoljeća, točnije od 1880. godine i traje do 1914. godine. Tada se iselilo više od 250,000 Hrvata, i to samo u Sjevernu Ameriku. Razlozi seljenja su brojni, no ipak prevladavaju oni ekonomski i politički. U prvom razdoblju, dakle do Prvog svjetskog rata, radi se mahom o migracijama potaknutim teškim gospodarskim stanjem područja što su ih zauzimale hrvatske zemlje s kraja 19. i početka 20. stoljeća. U ovom ranom razdoblju, najviše ljudi emigriralo je sa područja priobalne Dalmacije, a iz unutrašnjosti sa područja Zagrebačke županije. Dolaskom u SAD i Kanadu, Hrvati su se bavili najtežim fizičkim poslovima, da bi s vremenom napredovali i zauzimali važnija mjesta ekonomskog i društvenog života. U kasnijem razdoblju, za vrijeme Kraljevine Jugoslavije i za vrijeme nakon 1945. godine i postojanja SFRJ, dogodio se novi egzodus, praćen podjednako ekonomskim i političkim razlozima. Hrvati su prisutno u gotovo svim državama SAD-a, kao i u svim pokrajinama Kanade. U novoj domovini, Hrvati su težili međusobnom okupljanju i osnivanju raznih humanitarnih i društvenih zajednica, od kojih je najvažnija Hrvatska bratska zajednica. Osim društvenog života, Hrvati su njegovali i svoju katoličku vjeru, te osnivaju brojne župe i domove. Hrvati su tijekom razdoblja od stolječa i pol očuvali svoj identitet i tradiciju, a kada su god mogli pomagali su svoj narod u Hrvatskoj. U SAD-u i Kanadi danas živi gotovo miljun stanovnika hrvatskog porijekla. |
| Abstract (english) | The Croatian emigration to North America is a complex process which had begun in the 15th century during the exploration of the New World, but since that time there had been no evidence for the planned and mass emigration, yet rather individual ventures, which were usually result of adventurism. More intensive emigration started in the second half of the 19th century, more precisely since 1880, and lasted until 1914. During that time, more than 250 000 Croatians emigrated solely to North America. The reasons for emigration were numerous, mostly economic and political. During the first period, which lasted until the WWI, the migrations were usually triggered by harsh economic condition of the Croatian territories during the late 19th and early 20th century. In this early period, the majority of emigrants were from Dalmatia, while the other majority of Croatians from Croatia’s inland were from Zagreb county. Upon the arrival to the USA and Canada, Croatians mostly worked as manual labourers, while they later advanced and occupied more important place in the economic and social life. During the later period, when the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was established and during the post-WWII era of the SFR Yugoslavia, the new exodus happened, triggered equally by economic and political reasons. Croatians live in almost every state in the USA, as well as in the Canadian provinces. In their new homeland, Croatians tended to mutually gather and to establish different humanitarian and social communities, among which the most important is the Croatian Fraternal Union. Besides the social life, Croatians also nurtured their Catholic faith, and they found numerous counties and Croatian unions. During more than 150 years, Croatians preserved their identity and tradition, while also helping their fellow countrymen in Croatia. Nowadays, there is almost one million people of Croatian origin in the USA and Canada. |
