Dear Valerie,
There are a couple of ideas that jump to mind about researching Slovenians. I
grew up in a region that has (at least it did a decade or two ago) the largest
population of South Slavs in the US, that is, south Chicago and northwest
Indiana. I know from my own work that this region is for many a kind of
cultural center if not US “homeland” for Croats, Serbs, Macedonians, and, of
course, Slovenians; for the most part they were attracted to this region
because of the steel mills, refineries, and Great Lakes shipping.
I have been surprised many times talking with South Slavs in other parts of the
country only to learn that they have relatives or have lived in that region at
one time or the other. So, I wonder if there is a similar relationship with
Bethlehem. The reason I bring up the S Chicago-NW Indiana connection is that
among those large populations of South Slavs various organizations were created
to aid the immigrant societies and some of them were national in scope. One
such organization is the Slovenian Sloga Fraternal Life Insurance Society. I
don’t know where they are headquartered but I do remember seeing their
buildings in that region; for example, there is one in Milwaukee where I lived
for a while not far from the three-dome botanical gardens.
Insurance companies may be able to provide statistical information such as who
arrived, when, from where, where they lived in the US, and where they worked.
There most likely are other types of organizations also, not the least of which
would be religious. In spite of the antagonisms among the South Slavs in the
Old World, there was a good bit of intermarriage here in the New World, so it
may behoove you also to check out related Serbian and Croat institutions in the
US for their Slovenian membership roles. I’m not sure how you aim to start
your investigation into Slovenian organizations, but the Internet is a good
place to begin.
Also, you must visit the Immigration History Research Center’s web site; IHRC
is located at the University of Minnesota, St. Paul. I know they have a
Slovenian Collection of materials from various parts of the US. Better still
would be if you could travel there to examine documents, but even if can’t,
check out there website for bibliographic information which should give you
some good ideas and directions. For all I know, they may have Sloga materials
in the collection too.
Finally, there are those wonderful South Slav summer time picnics of spring
lamb barbecues with folk music bands in the Chicago area. I really miss those
tremendously. Does the Bethlehem community have similar activities?
Rich Vidutis
============================================================
From: Valerie Pawlewicz <[log in to unmask]>
Date: 2004/01/05 Mon PM 04:00:17 EST
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Assistance please--re: Bethlehem, PA
Dear Museum list serve,
I am doing research in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, specifically on the
Slovenian community who live on the southside. I am writing the listserve
for two reasons: one, I am looking for researchers and institutions who have
information about this community that I could access; two, as I gather
information and materials, I am looking for sites to archive and/or to share
this history.
Any information would be appreciated.
Valerie Pawlewicz
<[log in to unmask]>
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Richard Vidutis
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