Croatian Immigration: Business or Politics?

Matica Iseljenika Hrvatska

 

By Adam S. Eterovich

 

The Italian, Greek and Irish economies would have collapsed years ago if it were not for the overseas Italian Greek and Irish immigrants. Irish, Greek and Italian products flood the American market and in many cases, the importer is Irish, Greek or Italian American. About twenty years ago in Croatia, immigrants sent home approximately 1.2 billion dollars per year; tourism, at the same time, earned 1.2 billion dollars per year. There was no insinuation of corruption, stealing or politics in that the immigrant monies went direct to individuals in Croatia. No product was sold or consumed; no invoicing was necessary; just pure profit.

 

The Croatian immigrant is business; he adds financial stability to Croatia; he spreads the word and good reputation of Croatia in the country of residence; he is not political; he is a pure gold bar. It is the business class and those that are industrious or economically well off who send money to Croatia; in most cases they are apolitical. Croatian politicians in immigration produce nothing and are not an industrious or wealthy group; they send only bad advice to Croatia.

 

The monies sent home today  to Croatia are estimated at four Billion dollars.

 

What Croatia Owes the Immigrant

By J. Lupis-Vukic, Split 1934

 

Croatia does not understand its emigration problem nor the beneficent role that emigration plays in its economic and financial life.  Before the war the mass of emigrants, mostly from America, freed themselves from burdensome debt and sent savings, amounting to tens of million of gold Krone  to our banks.  War turned all these savings into nothing.  Fortunately, during the year, the emigrants in the America and South America made good earnings.  From 1919 to 1922 over 40,000 of these emigrants returned home, sending and bringing into the country, over 80 million dollars.  Those that remained abroad remitted yearly from 18 to 20 million dollars.  Since the establishment of Yugoslavia emigrants sent and brought to the country not less that 15 billion dinars.  Emigrant gold prevented the Dinar from following the course of the Austrian Krone and German Mark.  Emigrant money paid two thirds of all deficits in foreign trade and all  foreign obligations.  At the present moment our country receives no other gold except from emigrants.  The exceedingly passive trade balance with the America and South America is being settled by emigrants gold.  Yugoslavia has no statistics of emigrants’ deposits in our banks, but these certainly amount to more than a billion dinars.

Two-thirds of all new houses, built during the last 30 years in Croatia, Slovenia Dalmatia, Hercegovina and Montenegro, were built by emigrant money earned in  America or South America and the British Dominions.

 

MATICA ISELJENIKA HRVATSKA

Croatia “owes us”..Business is Business

I propose:

 

That Matica Iseljenika Hrvatska become an Institute and have American, Canadian, Australian and Latin American born Croatians on its Board of Directors before we all disappear in immigration. We have the capability and objectivity to take politics out of anything;

 

That the Institute be Business-Economic and Cultural in purpose and orientation; that the institute act as a Chamber of Commerce for immigrants with business interests; that the Institute act as an Agent for cultural groups going to various immigrant communities to perform; and that the institute provide cultural and historical material and information to immigrants;

 

That the Institute have as its official language Croatian, English, Spanish and German since over five million Croatians live outside of Croatia.

 

Austrian Studies in America

 

A number of years ago Austrian immigrants in America tried to collect money for an Austrian Studies Chair at an American University. They did not succeed. Someone hit upon the idea to appeal to the Austrian people in Austria for a donation of $1.00 apiece; they succeeded!

 

Hungarian Studies at Rutgers University

 

The Institute for Hungarian Studies is the center of all instructional and scholarly activities related to Hungarian society, history, culture and language at Rutgers University. Established by an agreement between Rutgers and the Ministry of Culture and Education of the Republic of Hungary and highly valued financial support from the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Hungary and the Hungarian Fulbright Commission.

 

Adam S. Eterovich

croatians@aol.com

www.croatians.com