As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Milan returned home to Croatia after living and working in Germany for eleven years. He moved his family and construction company to his native town of Imotski, in the rugged Dalmatian hinterland.

“It’s definitely a final thing. I missed my homeland, Imotski, Zagreb… all of that so much, and I want to be there now. It isn’t necessarily that Croatia has improved so much, it’s more than Germany is collapsing. Salaries increased by 10 to 15 percent, but alongside that, everything became abnormally expensive,” stated Milan Katanušić for RTL.

Among the Croats in Germany not planning to return home is Marija from Zagreb, who has been living in Munich for a decade now and plans to stay there. In addition to having a good and secure job in finance, she and her colleagues also developed a mobile application (app) with advice for those moving to Germany.

“I finished college in Germany, started a family, started two businesses… If someone had asked me where I would be ten years ago, I wouldn’t have been able to say with certainty that it would be Germany,” stated Marija Šimić.

“There are still plenty of Croats in Germany, but many can’t live there with their average German pensions, so it’s a little easier for them to go back to Croatia at that point,” explained Katanušić.

For the first time in a decade, more Croats emigrated from Germany than immigrated

Last year, far fewer foreigners immigrated to Germany than in previous years, and the number of Croatian citizens who immigrated to Germany fell for the first time, the Federal Statistical Office announced. “Germany recorded a decline in the number of immigrants last year. While 2,665,772 foreigners arrived in Germany in 2022, last year that number stood at 1,932,509,” the Federal Statistical Office claimed in a statement.

At the same time, considering that 1,269,545 foreigners emigrated from Germany, the net number of immigrants fell to 662,964, which is a noticeable drop compared to 2022, when the net number of immigrants was 1,462,089.

This decline is primarily associated with the record number of refugees from Ukraine who immigrated to Germany back in 2022, and whose number dropped significantly in 2023.

For the first time since Croatia’s entry into the European Union (2013), in 2023, more Croats emigrated from Germany than immigrated to it. That means that last year, 20,604 Croats immigrated to Germany, which is the lowest number since 2013, when Croatia acquired full EU membership. Last year, 24,241 Croats emigrated from Germany, which means that in 2023, the number of Croats living in Germany dropped by a significant 3,637.

A total of 434,035 Croats were registered as living in Germany at the end of 2023. A few years earlier, in 2016, 332,605 Croats were registered in Germany.

The post More Croats Leave Germany Than Move There appeared first on Total Croatia.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, estimates on how many Croats live abroad by Croatian diplomatic missions and consular offices across the world, as well as by Croatian Catholic missions, reveal the number of ethnic Croats who live abroad.

These latest figures have also been aided by various censuses carried out in countries where Croatian emigrants and their descendants reside, as well as estimates taken by Croatian communities in some of these countries. As such, it is currently estimated that around 3,200,000 Croatian emigrants and their descendants live outside Croatia in various nations around the world. This was announced by the Central State Office for Croats outside the Republic of Croatia.

Based on the estimates of individual countries around the world, the number of Croats who live abroad, as well as their descendants, is as follows:

Argentina: about 250,000
Australia: about 250,000
Austria: about 90,000
Belgium: about 7,000
Brazil: about 70,000
Bolivia: about 5,000
Chile: about 200,000
Denmark: about 2,500
Ecuador: about 4,000
France: about 40,000
Ireland: about 20,000
Italy: about 60,000
South Africa: about 8,000
Canada: about 250,000
Luxembourg: around 3,000
The Netherlands: about 10,000
Norway: around 2000
New Zealand: about 100,000
Germany: about 500,000
Paraguay: about 5,000
Peru: about 6,000
United States of America: about 1,200,000
Sweden: about 40,000
Switzerland: about 80,000
Uruguay: about 5,000
Great Britain: about 5,000
Venezuela: about 5,000

According to the latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Croatia has 3,855,641 inhabitants, while estimations suggest that there are over 3.2 million Croats and their descendants living abroad.

The post Around 3.2 Million Croats Live Abroad – Here’s Where appeared first on Total Croatia.

Radovich, a 41-time Emmy Award winner and producer of the Super Bowl, is one of the world’s most prolific television producers. By birth, he is an American, whereas his father is from Kapri near Šibenik, and his mother is from Pašman.

During this part of the Croatian Radio New York podcast, Radovich spoke about how busy he has been preparing for the Super Bowl. “It’s fortunate that the Super Bowl is held every three years instead of every year, as I wouldn’t have stayed at CBS otherwise,” says Radovich. In addition, he said it has been an honor to work on the Super Bowl. Radovich discussed his Croatian heritage and how he handled any situation during the early stages of his career. According to him, he was able to take advantage of the situation he grew up in.

Podcast host Sreċko Mavrek interviewed Radovich about the popularity of soccer in America and the significant contributions Croatian athletes have made towards the promotion of their country. In their opinion, soccer in America has a brighter future and will gain popularity, especially during the FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico in 2026. Radovich also produces CBS’s UEFA Champions League, travels to London twice a month, and regularly visits Zagreb for coffee with friends. CBS data shows soccer is currently the third most popular sport, even more popular than baseball, said Radovich. Besides Petar Musa, who recently signed with Dallas, he also mentioned Luka Modriċ’s potential to finish his career in America.

Radovich was asked what he thought was the reason Croatian athletes were so successful. “I believe it’s genetics, and Croatian people are fierce and have a heart and something indescribable. If I had that answer, I would sell it all over the world. Thank God it’s that way!” said Radovich. Patriotism is another significant motivator for Croatian athletes, according to Mavrek and Radovich. When Vida and Lovren play for the Croatian national team, Radovich said, they give much more of themselves than when they play for their clubs. A common love for Croatia and a common unity for the country binds Croatian athletes together, Radovich concluded.

It should be noted that Radovich often stays in Croatia. CBS must allow him to spend five weeks in Croatia each summer as part of his employment contract. Besides acquiring Croatian citizenship in 2023, he is currently producing “Football Must Go On”, a film following Ukrainian Shakhtar players during the Champions League season. As a result of the tragic shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs’ celebration parade, in which one person died and 22 were injured, Radovich has also begun considering moving to Croatia.

You can watch here.

The post Croatian Radio New York podcast ‘Croatia and Sport’ features Pete Radovich appeared first on Total Croatia.

Author Joe Orovic articulates his feelings and thoughts on the returning diaspora experience, having swapped the glamour of New York City for the tiny Dalmatian paradise of the island of Iz. 

“Home.”

Funny word, especially to an immigrant. Reaches beyond the familiar cozy metaphor, or a sense of belonging; it can evoke warmth balanced with pain. Home hurts for those who never wanted to leave theirs.

Those who escaped famine, conflict, or tyranny then constructed a new existence in a foreign land.

Most of Croatia’s diaspora lists one of those reasons for leaving this paradise.

Dire economics led to empty bellies. Despotism limited freedoms. Shelling threatened lives. Under better terms, fuller wallet and safer skies, perhaps some would have stayed.

Some may still fancy giving life here a second go. Why not? Croatia has entered the EU; the most recent economic recession is a distant memory. Democratic habits have progressed, at times at a halting pace.

Even complaints have been diluted; from deserted island gulags and mortars, people now complain about petty bureaucracy and corruption.

Demographic trends suggest Croatia’s quite literally running out of Croats, but maintaining its potential.

You may be among the diaspora considering a return “home”. To live and work, or perhaps your kids suggested giving it a try.

All good decisions require a balance sheet of pros and cons. Well, here are the top five cons to moving back, and how to handle them.

You will be declared mentally insane behind your back

This diagnosis, by even the best-intentioned of relatives and loved ones, is well-meaning. The headlines do, in fact, sound too dire. Young folks are leaving in droves. Economic competitiveness remains paltry and the investment climate seems awful.

A bit of perspective cures this perception. Consider the source of the criticism; those most likely harangued by 70-hour work weeks in a windowless cubicle, trapped in a rat-wheel existence lacking afternoon macchiatos and weekends on the shore.

Be “insane” enough to jump off the rat wheel.

People will welcome you home, but be wary of your intentions

The modern theory of Croatian demographics states the best leave, only to be replaced by the worst. If at all.

Your return, as a member of the diaspora, will be suspect. Chatter will include various theories about your reasons for returning, none positive.

Unless the chatterbox in question has some influence over your business or personal life, let it go. If someone asks “Why did you come back?”, smile and say, “Because you don’t know how good you have it here.”

You will lead a double life

This may rank among the hardest aspects of returning home: you’re never fully here. Much as you may try to break ties with your life back in Canada, the US, UK or Australia, some matters remain overseas.

Family, business, friends and all the sentimental issues rank high and are expected. But you may find your complaints cross into the mundane: stiff toilet paper; an inability to find a proper and fair butcher; and a strong distaste for Pelinkovac.

Remember the cardinal rule: Don’t compare. Moving back doesn’t mean universal improvement.

Every bump along the way might trigger some doubt

This one sneaks up on you: some unforeseen calamity you never anticipated lays your pristine plans to waste. Everything seemingly goes to hell. And for a brief moment, you consider the ease with which you could’ve solve this problem overseas.

This is normal. This is fair. But use the frustration and doubt to demand more of yourself and those stopping your progress.

Each minor victory will feel like a massive triumph

A decade or so away isn’t a quick sojourn, it’s a complete revolution. And like every immigrant experience, even the most minor of victories can feel like a mastery of life in this wily country.

“Returning” diaspora, especially those who have spent a prolonged period overseas, tend to forget they are, in a sense, newly-arrived immigrants. Again.

Never forget, even though you were born here, you’re still the new guy in town.

The post 5 Things People Won’t Tell You About Moving Back to Croatia appeared first on Total Croatia.

As Nikolina Demark writes, pretty much any mention of Susak island in a conversation will usually have people citing massive emigration and ‘that pretty costume’. While both are true, and we’ll get to that in a minute, Susak has a fascinating history and culture whose features go far beyond the folklore and diaspora. Let’s delve into the many aspects of this unique destination:

Susak is a small island located in Kvarner bay on the northern Adriatic, southeast off the coast of Istria. It neighbours the islands of Lošinj, Unije, Vele and Male Srakane, and Ilovik. It’s approximately 3 kilometres long and 1.5 kilometres wide, covering a surface of 375 hectares with the highest elevation point (Garba) at 98m above sea level.

Susak island is known for its unique geological features: it has a limestone rock base covered with fine sand of Aeolian origin, the latter presenting somewhat of a mystery, as it hasn’t yet been precisely established how the layer of sand came to appear on the entire island, with none of the neighbouring islands sharing the same trait.

The history of Susak island

The name ‘Susak’ is said to be derived from the Greek word sampsychon (marjoram), a term which Romance languages later adopted and transformed into multiple variations such as sansegus and sansicus. Since the Middle Ages, the island has been commonly referred to as Sansego in Italian; this particular variation of the name was first mentioned in Venetian chronicles written by John the Deacon in the early 11th century. This historical source features an account of a naval battle between the Saracens and the Venetian fleet in 844, with the latter seeking refuge near Susak after having been defeated at sea. From that point on, Sansego was mentioned several times in official Venetian documents in the 13th and 14th centuries.

Having been subjected to numerous rulers and regimes in the past, Susak has a long and tumultuous history. The entire story has proven hard to piece together, supposedly owing to the lack of formal education on the island prior to the 20th century. Considering that hardly any historical documents have been found on the island itself, Susak island’s history was mostly reconstructed on the basis of other historical sources that mention the island, as well as within the context of historical development of the wider geographical and cultural area.

Susak was first inhabited by the Illyrians, Greek sailors, and wealthy Romans who reportedly used the island as a summer resort. Even though no historical evidence to those facts has ever been found on Susak, neighbouring islands house ancient remains such as architecture, mosaics and sarcophagi which support the possibility of Susak having been inhabited as early as in ancient times. In the early Middle Ages, the island would have been ruled by the Byzantine Empire, followed by the Croatian Kingdom in the 10th and 11th centuries. Around 1071, Croatian King Krešimir allowed Benedictine monks to build an abbey on Susak, giving way to the Benedictine order governing the island until the late 13th century. Susak was part of the Osor diocese at the time.

In 1267, Istria was taken over by the Republic of Venice, leading to Susak ceding to Venetian rule as well. The island was governed by Venetians until 1797, when the gradually declining republic came crumbling down, with most of its territory divided between Austria and France. Napoleon Bonaparte ceded the area between Istria and Dalmatia – Susak island included – to Austria.

Things progressed at a faster rate from this point on: event though Susak technically belonged to Austria at the time, it was still under jurisdiction of Napoleon’s Illyria until 1815 when Austrians annexed most of the region, continuing to rule the island and the surrounding territory until the end of World War I. After the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, the region was given over to Italy. Mussolini’s government swiftly launched a process of Italianisation, enforcing Italian as the official language and forcibly changing the spelling of several surnames on Susak island.

In the middle of World War II, the Nazis took control of the area and established the Operation Zone of the Adriatic Littoral; after the end of the war, Susak became part of Yugoslavia. The island has been a part of Croatian territory since Croatia proclaimed independence in 1991. The only inhabited place on the island is Susak town which consists of two parts: Gornje selo (upper village), the older part of the settlement that houses the church, and Donje selo (lower village) located on the coast and housing a small port.

Culture

The political turmoil in the last couple of centuries alone resulted in a variety of cultural influences which left a mark on the population of Susak. The islanders call themselves Sansegots and speak in a local dialect that is best described as a blend of Old Croatian, Italian, French, and German; Susak’s isolated position allowed for the language to develop without major linguistic influences from the neighbouring islands or the mainland.

Another specific facet of the island’s unique culture is its folklore: Susak is widely known for its traditional costumes. Women of Susak used to wear two different types of outfits, one called ‘po susacku’ (the Susak way) and the other ‘po losinsku’ (the Lošinj way). The former consists of a knee-length black skirt (kamizot), white linen shirt (kosula) topped with a sleeveless vest (bust) and a scarf (bravaruoul). This type of clothing has gone out of fashion in recent decades and is rarely to be seen on the island, instead getting replaced by the more festive ‘po losinsku’, mostly worn by girls and young women on special occasions such as festivals and feast days.

‘Po losinsku’ features what is arguably the shortest traditional skirt in Croatia: layer upon layer of ruffled white petticoats, topped with a colourful pink apron and a matching pair of vibrant tights. The skirt is paired with a tight shirt made of artificial silk (zabajka), and a brightly coloured scarf that’s folded over the chest and tucked into the skirt.

The men’s costume is way less flashy, consisting of black trousers with a knitted rope belt, a white linen shirt, a black vest lined with colourful embroidery, and a cap.

Apart from the traditional clothing, songs, and dances, the folklore of Susak island also involves a notion of mythological evils. Even though the population is predominantly Catholic, some of the ancient superstitions survive to this day, and it’s believed that predatory dark beings reside on locations named Obis and Puntina. An evil named Mora (nightmare) is believed to attack people during night time, while another named Mrak (darkness) is said to strangle people to death. Save for physically fighting them off, one can only defeat the threatening evils with fire – including cigarettes.

Economy and migration

In the past, the inhabitants of Susak island mostly made their living from farming, fishing, and wine making. The economy flourished until the middle of the 20th century; a fish cannery was operating on the island until the 40s, and a Cooperative wine cellar was running from 1936 to 1969, processing 1400 tonnes of grapes each year and producing close to 90% of red wine and 10% of white. The island even has an indigenous red grape variety called Sansigot, supposedly brought over by the ancient Greeks. Almost a third of the entire island’s surface was planted with Sansigot which flourished on the sandy soil; the variety later spread to the islands of Krk, Cres and Lošinj where it was used blended with other local varieties. (Read more here.)

The island’s economy – including the unfortunate Sansigot – fell victim to a massive exodus that took place in the 60s. The Communist regime launched a nationalisation process and an agricultural reform, and the majority of the population decided to leave the island for political or economic reasons. During the 60s, the number of Susak’s inhabitants dropped by 1395; from that point on, the population continued to decrease to the current number of around 150 residents.

Most Sansegots fled via Italy to Hoboken, New Jersey; others have moved to France, Canada, Argentina and Australia. Nowadays, the largest number of families originating from Susak reside in New Jersey and the wider New York City area, and it’s estimated that the Susak diaspora based in the US currently counts between 2500 and 4000 people. Here’s a list of surnames indigenous to Susak, with spelling variations noted in the brackets:

Busanić (Bussanich, Bussanic)
Hrončić (Hroncich, Hroncic)
Matesić (Mattessich)
Mirković (Mircovich)
Morin
Picinić (Picinich, Piccinich, Picinic, Piccinic, Picini, Piccini)
Skrivanić (Scrivanich)
Tarabokija (Tarabocchia, Tarabochia, Tarabokia)

In 1948, an emigrant from Susak named John Matesić founded the Society of St. Mikula from Susak (Društvo Svetoga Mikule od Suska) in Hoboken, aiming to provide support to all families from the Croatian island who were immigrating to the US. Since 1985, the society has been based in Fairview, New Jersey. Other associations founded by Susak emigrants include the Sansego Soccer Club (Hoboken, 1960) and the Susak Klapa (Hoboken, 1981).

To this day, the American branch of the Susak diaspora sticks together, keeping the tradition and the language alive. In fact, Susak island is one of few emigration hotspots in Croatia that are regularly visited by their former inhabitants: the island has been celebrating the Day of Emigrants every last Sunday in July since 1985. Former Sansegots and their families gather on Susak to pay tribute to their heritage and keep in touch with the remaining population.

Sources: Priča o Susku, Susak Klapa, Island of Susak

The post Diaspora Roots – Susak Island appeared first on Total Croatia.

As Nikolina Demark writes, Ilovik is the southernmost inhabited island in the Lošinj archipelago. It has a surface of 5.8 square kilometres, with a coastline of 15 kilometres that is accessible from all sides. A smaller islet of Sveti Petar (St. Peter) is located north of Ilovik; the two are separated by an inlet named the Strait of Ilovik which is 2.5 kilometres long and 300 metres wide, making it a perfect spot for mooring as it’s naturally shielded from most winds. 

It’s exactly the favourable position of the inlet between the two islands that has brought the first inhabitants to Ilovik and Sveti Petar. Their history can be traced back to the Ilirian tribe of Liburnians, followed by the ancient Romans who have left behind an extensive fund of preserved remnants of buildings, mosaics, coins, and an underwater archaeological site.

Sveti Petar is home to several objects that bear witness to the islands’ historical development. It used to serve as a quarantine for passengers on their way to Venice, with a preserved Venetian castle built by Filippo Pasqualigo in 1600 to defend the area from pirates. The islet also houses remains of a Benedictine monastery which used to be under jurisdiction of the Susak abbey, with an adjacent burial site enclosed by walls originating from the 11th century. This particular location of Ilovik island’s only cemetery gave way to a poetic burial rite: after the service for the departed is held in Ilovik’s church of Saints Peter and Paul, the body is taken to its final resting place on Sveti Petar on a boat, making for a symbolic notion of one’s last journey.

The first Croatian inhabitants arrived on Ilovik island back at the end of the 18th century, moving to the south from its bigger neighbour Lošinj. The favourable Mediterranean climate provided optimal conditions for a thriving agricultural activity to develop, along with fishing and sheep herding. All three have remained the main economic activities of Ilovik’s population to this day, with tourism having developed in the last couple of decades owing to the island’s unspoiled nature and dreamy secluded bays. The entire island is covered in lush Mediterranean vegetation, including oleander, bougainvillea, palm trees and two century-old eucalyptus trees, getting Ilovik its nickname of ‘the island of flowers’.

Enchanted by that lush vegetation and pristine beaches, it’s easy to forget about the harsh reality of island life. In the 1960s, when the residents of Ilovik island were first granted passports by the Yugoslav government, a good part of the population was quick to escape to Italy where they were granted asylum as political refugees; most have headed on to the US, where the Ilovik diaspora nowadays counts three times more people than their island of origin.

Here’s a list of common surnames indigenous to Ilovik, with italianised and anglicised versions noted in the brackets:

Baričević
Belanić (Bellani, Belanich)
Budinić (Budinis, Budinich)
Mezić (Mezzich, Mezich)
Radelić
Raguzin
Simičić (Simicich)

The only inhabited place on the island is Ilovik village which had a population of 85 as of the 2011 census. While Ilovik now has a grocery store, a post office, a local primary school and several restaurants, more or less providing basic services and goods its residents might need in their daily lives, a public water supply system wasn’t introduced until 2013 – water had to be ordered and brought to the island on a cargo ship from Mali Lošinj. Going to the dentist or a pharmacy entailed an hour-long boat trip to Lošinj as well, with the service available only twice a week. Getting back to Ilovik island would have taken you up to two hours, as Jadrolinija’s passenger ship, Ozalj, operated on a route connecting the islands Susak, Male and Vele Srakane, and Unije, with Ilovik island as the very last stop.

A port was since established in Mrtvaška bay on the southern coast of Lošinj, enabling Ilovik’s residents to make the formerly exhausting trip in under 10 minutes owing to a service provided by the public company TIM-G. A primary school teacher can now easily commute to Ilovik to teach a combined class of eight pupils: one first-grader, three third-graders, two kids in 5th grade and two in 8th grade. Most subjects are taught by local teachers in Ilovik, while the older children keep up with chemistry and English with the help of a video feed of classes held in the main primary school in Mali Lošinj.

While the majority of Ilovik’s residents are of older age, the demographic situation has been looking up since the quality of life had improved. In the last decade or two, people have been moving to the island from all parts of Croatia: they have young newcomers from Zagreb, and the president of the local council Jadranka Matas moved to Ilovik from Rijeka more than fifteen years ago.

As the infrastructure continues to improve and more ferry lines are introduced to better connect Ilovik island with the neighbouring islands and the mainland, the island community is sure to continue to thrive. And who knows – seeing that many members of the Ilovik diaspora have kept in touch with their homeland, making it a habit to visit their island of origin in summer months, they just might decide to return to Ilovik once and for all.

The post Diaspora Roots – Ilovik Island appeared first on Total Croatia.

On Croatia’s international recognition anniversary, the Croatian Diplomatic Club and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs in Zagreb organised a ceremony. The event was attended by ambassadors and diplomats from 40 countries. The star of the evening was the Croatian national football team coach, Zlatko Dalic, from whom the editor of the Program for Croats Outside the Republic of Croatia Ivo Kujundzic received an exclusive interview. 

“The Croatian diaspora has been a great support for us. Everywhere we go in the world, Croats support us and cheer us on. They can’t wait to see Croatian athletes in their own environment, in their hometown, to support them. My sincere thanks go out to all of them for their great support! The expatriate Croatian community lives with us, cheers for us, and supports us. We give them a lot of strength, and what we receive in return is indescribable,” said Dalic. 

Emilio Milin, president of the Croatian Diplomatic Club, spoke about the importance of role models in sports for young people. Croatian athletes’ successes should motivate them not only to excel in sports, but also in other fields. 

The post Zlatko Dalic Thanks Croatian Diaspora for Support appeared first on Total Croatia.

Personal transfers consist mainly of money flows that immigrants send to households in their country of origin, writes Tportal.

In the last five years, a significant growth of transfers to countries outside the EU has been noticeable at the EU level. Since 2018, outflows have increased by 41 percent, while inflows have shown a much more modest growth of only 15 percent. As a result, the deficit in the transfer balance at the EU level increased significantly and reached almost EUR 30 billion last year.

Last year, personal transfers resulted in a surplus for nine EU countries, as their inflows exceeded outflows. Among these countries, four reported a surplus representing more than one percent of their gross domestic product.

Croatia found itself at the very top of that list, with a surplus of 1.9 billion euros, or 2.8 percent of its gross domestic product. This means that Croatian emigrants from countries outside of the European Union remitted significantly more money to Croatia than foreign temporary workers in Croatia sent to their countries.

Croatia is followed by Bulgaria (1.4 percent), Portugal (1.4 percent) and Romania (1.3 percent), who all recorded a surplus. Conversely, Cyprus showed the largest deficit in transfers (-0.9 percent), followed by Malta and Spain (-0.6 percent each), when expressed as a share of their gross domestic product.

The post Croats Working Outside the EU Send Significant Amounts to Homeland appeared first on Total Croatia.

We received the following from Gina Pilić, Council Member of the Republic of Croatia for Croats Abroad- Representative for the USA:

Croatia swore in 75 new citizens on Saturday, September 9, 2023 at 2:30 p.m. All these citizens attended the swearing-in ceremony in Los Angeles at the 72nd annual St. Anthony’s Croatian Catholic Church Festival in Los Angeles.

Some of these new citizens had been waiting for almost three years to receive their approval for citizenship. Those who were sworn in on Saturday were between the ages of 7 and 63 years old. Many of the new Croatian citizens had tears in their eyes as they finally realized their dreams of being recognized as Croats.

The swearing-in ceremony was officiated by Consul General of Los Angeles Renee Pea. The Los Angeles Croatian Consulate accepts applications from more than ten American states. Over one-third of the new citizens traveled more than eight hours to attend the ceremony. According to the information we received, this was the largest swearing-in ceremony of Croatian citizens in the world to date.

Congratulations to all, and Welcome!

The post California is a Little More Croatian: 75 New Citizens in 1 Ceremony appeared first on Total Croatia.

As a national umbrella organisation, the NFCACF was founded in Chicago in September 1993.  The NFCACF continues to be a strong advocate for the Croatian American community, especially in American politics and diplomacy, thanks to the charter that was ratified by twenty Croatian American groups. Over the last decade, the organisation has undertaken many innovative cultural and educational projects of great interest to the community. 

The Assembly of Delegates of the NFCACF met this time with 28 delegates from a dozen Croatian American organizations to discuss a wide range of issues. Initiatives, such as the Congressional Croatian Caucus, the NFCACF-Croatian Fraternal Union (CFU), Croatian American Sports Hall of Fame (CAS-HOF), the new Youth Committee, the Art Donation Committee, and the History Speaker Series were a few of the major topics discussed. At the delegate’s meeting, the following Executive Committee officers were elected: Steve Rukavina-President, Biljana Lovrinovic-Abel, Executive Vice President, and three Vice Presidents: John Kraljic, Mario Spalatin, and Ron Zivic. National Treasurer Adam Radman was re-elected as the National Treasurer, and also, were Anna Maria Sicenica-Secretary and Mark Plavetic-Assistant Secretary, and with Officers-At-Large Bernadette Luketich-Sikaras and Carolyn Bruno.  There were seventeen Board Members elected too on Saturday. 

As a result of his incredible dedication to the NFCACF since its founding in 1993, Dr. Joseph Cindrich received the first ever “NFCACF Legacy Award.” The award was given to Dr. Cindrich for his service as former NFCACF president in 1998 and six-term member of the board. Unfortunately, Dr. Joseph Cindrich was unable to attend the event in person, but upon receiving the news at his home in Menlo Park, CA, he expressed his gratitude, stating, “As a dedicated Croatian, I was very proud in being co-founder the establishment of National Federation of Croatian Americans in the 1990s and later served as its President.” Dr. Cindrich was also honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 for his assistance to the Republic of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina and for all his Croatian activism, including his many years on the Board of Directors of the Croatian Scholarship Fund (CA). NFCACF president, Steve Rukavina, expressed his group’s intention to annually recognise and pay tribute to Croatian American activists who played a crucial role in the establishment of our national umbrella organisation.  

The NFCACF Anne Pavlich “Volunteer of the Year” award was presented to Joe Brajevich (San Pedro CA) for his contribution to the NFCACF Special Olympics Committee. The amount of funds raised by him set a record for Croatia’s Special Olympics organization and were used to fully sponsor Croatia’s twenty-member delegation at the Summer World Games in Berlin, Germany, which begins on June 17th with 7,500 athletes from 140 countries. 

A public session was held in the afternoon featuring the Croatian Ambassador Pjer Simunovic (US-Croatian Alliance), as well as Professor Edward P. Joseph of Johns Hopkins-SAIS (Southeast Europe regional issues); Sherry Ricchiardi (War Journalism/Croatia 1991), Richard Lolich (Croatian American Sports HOF and its inaugural ceremony in Cleveland in October 2022), Joe Foley (Washington Report-Congressional Croatian Caucus), and Steve Rukavina, NFCACF President (“40 Highlights Over 30 Years”). 

In celebration of this milestone anniversary, the NFCACF held a reception at the Croatian Embassy on Saturday night. The Cosmopolitan Grill catered the meal for the sixty guests, while Croatian Premium Wines provided Croatian wines, including Malvazija and Plavac Mali. Speakers at the evening reception included Michael Sawkiw from the Ukrainian Congress of America, and Pulitzer Prize winner Roy Gutman (author of A Witness to Genocide). During the Embassy reception, Maya Brlecic, an internationally acclaimed pianist from Zagreb, played to fill the air with celebration music while Croatian wine smiles flourished. 

The post Croatian Americans Cultural Foundation’s 30th anniversary celebrated in Washington appeared first on Total Croatia.