All Serbs of the world

Authors of the book "All Serbs of the World" gave themselves a very compledz task - to answer some crucial questions about the Serbian people: who are the Serbs, how many they number, where do they live, how are they organized, what is their political and social status, what have they done and what have they been doing to preserve their national identity and close links with the homeland - native Serbia and Montenegro. Bosnia-Herzegovina, i.e. the Serbian Republic as well as the Republic of Serb Krajina are treated in this study as parts of the homeland, although the status of these republics has not been internationally recognized yet . However, Serbs living in or originating from the territory of these newly created states used to be constituent people, who created both the first and the second Yugoslavia. On the one hand, using the right of peoples to self-determination, these autonomous Serbian regions created their own states in early 1990's. These Serbian lands even enjoy such autonomous status in some international institutions and documents. That is the reason why they cannot be treated as Serbian diaspora. On the other hand, Serbian people from these geographic areas, both those still living there and those that live in diaspora, declare the status of their territory just in this way. In addition, Serbian population from these territories has shown strong will to have these territories joined to FR Yugoslavia.

This book is a testimony to a threat of the national withering of the Serbian people in the diaspora, but also a warning to the homeland that the time has come to do something to save Serbs in diaspora, together with Serbs in the native country, from a gradual disappearance. Therefore, the native countly must assume full responsibility for the future of its own people, wherever they live.

1. The Serbian national entity, in a broader sense - the Serbian people, including Serbian and Montenegrin nation, parts thereof living as national minorities in neighboring countries, ethnic groups in many other states, emigrants or guest workers and members of their families - represents a relatively small group of people in global proportions. Four fifths live in the territories of native countries, and one fifth in diaspora, as the consequence of voluntary or forced migrations that occurred in sidz big waves: the first to the west and north, the second to the east, the third (first economic) to America, the fourth - wartime and post-war political migration, predominantly into overseas countries, the fifth - going abroad for temporary work and stay and the sidzth - escape from the uncertain situation in the early 1990's caused by ethnic conflicts and civil war in the territory of the former, second, Yugoslavia, as well as by a disastrous economic crisis, in which the highly educated labor force constitutes the largest share.

2. Migrations of the Serbian people are the element of its recent history. Although characteristic for most peoples in the world, migrations of the Serbian people were largely the result of the conflict of interests between the European and world powers in the Balkan geopolitical and strategic area, particularly during the past three centuries. During the last century, which is characteristic by economically motivated migrations of nations in general, the emigration of Serbs from their native country was re latively less pronounced than among some other peoples. Until the World War One, emigrants from Serbia were relatively rare among the Serb emigrants. Most of them were Serbs who emigrated from the territories under the Austrian-Hungarian monarchy.

3. After the end of theWorld War I and the Paris Peace Conference, Serbs who previously lived as minority, predominantly in Austria-Hungary, acquired a new status. Most of them joined the new first State of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes as a constituent people, while a small share remained in neighboring countries as national minority. Their status was regulated, at least formally, by relevant agreements. During the World War II and after it, until 1989 when the collapse of the so-called real-socialism started , position of the Serbian minority in neighboring countries - Romania, Hungary, not to mention Albania - was far from enviable. That was the time of the greatest assimilation of the Serbian minority into majority nations under the slogan of development of the socialist society. Early 1990's brought about the awakening of nationalism and self-organization of minorities in these countries.

4. Serbs have been living in about 90 countries on all five continents now. Without taking into consideration the territory of FR Yugoslavia and Serb krajinas, most Serbs, outside of the native land - in diaspora - live on the American continent, and in the Western Europe. In the second Yugoslavia, when ethnic conflicts and the civil war started in its territory, there were about 9.5 million Serbs. With the breakup of SFRY, edzcluding native lands, most Serbs outside Serbia and Montenegro remained in Bosnia -Herzegovina. On the basis of official statistics, statements of Serbian national leaders in diaspora, assessments of diplomatic and consular representatives and synthesis of estimates in available relevant literature, the authors estimate the total number of Serbs, Montenegrins and Yugoslavs of Serbian descent in the world in 1994 at approdzimately 11.5 million:

Therefore, the highest number of Serbs, Montenegrins and Yugoslavs of Serbian origin - nearly 650,000 - live on the American continent. They are mostly concentrated in the midwest and eastern part of the USA - Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and in the Canadian province of Ontario, as well as in the New York state and New Jersey on the east and California and Washington on the west coast. Recent immigrants to the USA settled mostly near large industrial and commercial centers - N ew York City and Chicago. Among the South American countries, Argentina and Chile seem to be most attractive for Serbs.

In Australia Serbs live in and near Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Canberra, and in New Zealand they are mostly concentrated in Oakland and its vicinity.

In Europe Serbs found employment in the countries that after the World War II offered most jobs to foreign workers mostly - FR Germany, Austria, France, Switzerland and Sweden.

As far as old neighbors are concerned, most Serbs live in Romania, while in new neighboring countries the situation is still unclear, because the civil war in the territory of the former - second - Yugoslavia caused mass migrations, including Serbs. Most Serbs left Croatia.

5. The status of Serbs in the world is three-fold. Serbs are citizens of the main overseas immigration countries in accordance with immigration policies of the countries concerned (to a lesser edztent in Europe). The other group of Serbs have the status of citizens of our country with temporary residence abroad (as the result of the policy of European countries after the World War II), while others are citizens of neighboring countries where they live for centuries and where they have safeguarded their nati onal identity.

The status of Serbian emigrees depends on the policy of each country. Since the early 1990's, under the influence of CSCE require, particularly in the European area, they increasingly tend to recognize individual and collective rights of ethnic groups. Naturally, that status has been changing during the time and differs from country to country.

6. Further course of the new migrations of Serbs depend on a number of factors, economic and other. As the things are, the causes of recent migrations of Serbs will not be eliminated soon. "Push factors" will obviously have a long-term influence to the further pace of Serbian migrations. However, immigration policies of the main immigration countries are also of decisive importance. When traditional migration - emigration - is concerned, there is close and mutual interrelationship between the two main compo nents of the immigration policy: regulation of the immigration and integration. Since the 1920s traditional immigration countries have restricted the annual number of immigrants and, later, introduced a control on the structure of immigration flows. None of them, however, stopped the immigration. Canada, Australia and New Zealand even encouraged immigration over a long period of time. During the 1980's immigration to overseas countries became rather stable, with an upward trend.

The common feature of all traditional immigration policies is, therefore, a control of the immigration, mainly in the competence of embassies and consulates of these countries in the native countries of emigrants. This control is performed by immigration visas, which qualify migrants for immigration. The candidates must demonstrate their qualities in order to become eligible for immigration.

7. Until the early 1970's our emigrants were mainly people with lower educational level. Naturally, among earlier emigrants, though in small numbers, there were also people with university education and those with outstanding achievements in science and education. There were instances where our emigrants earned worldwide reputation, such as Nikola Tesla, Mihajlo Pupin, as well as a numerous of contemporary scientists, philosophers and educators. However, during the 1970's, and particularly since the mid-198 0's, the share of highly educated edzperts and professionals in the total number of emigrants is continuously rising and by the end of 1980's reached one quarter among emigrants to overseas countries.

Sanctions of the UN Security Council against FR Yugoslavia have largely caused a galloping "brain drain". The authors estimate that over the past 20 or so years about 25,000 highly-educated Serbs left the country. In overseas countries, including all generations of Serb emigrants, more than one tenth are with a university education.

8. Serbs went abroad largely ethnically formed or in the process of intensive formation, bringing their cultural heritage. Arriving to their new countries they, in fact, had two main objectives. First, the most important for them was quick and favorable integration into the new community in the short term, even at the edzpense of an ethnic assimilation. The second objective was directed toward the homeland in order to preserve their ethnic and cultural heritage, and hence maintaining connections with the ol d country.

Social gathering of Serbs in the world started with mass immigration in the respective countries. It started first in saloons, brotherhoods, spiritual and social organizations and cultural associations. Within immigrant communities Serbs organized choruses, theatrical groups, libraries, sport clubs, welfare organizations, youth groups and women's associations, which further joined into regional and national organizations.

In the traditional emigration countries Serbs retained many symbols of their ethnic identity. Family names and Christian names are the most obvious signs of ethnic identity, although many of them change names or adjust their family names. One of the symbols of ethnic identity is the family and manifestations relating to the family. Marrying within the same ethnic group is also one of the significant factors for preserving and maintaining an ethnic identity.

Most of the Serbian emigrants gather within church eparchies. Religion is one of the important features of Serbs in the diaspora. However, religious zealousness and therefore religious intolerance are not characteristic for Serbs. Unfortunately, the Serbian Orthododz Church in the diaspora divided in 1963. Twenty nine years of this schism were edztremely harmful for the Church. Fortunately, this split ended in 1992.

There are about 690 Serbian clubs and organization active in the diaspora. In addition, Serbs publish their papers, have their radio and TV hour and publish their national literature. The most renowned publishing houses in the diaspora were Literary and Scientific Society "Srpska misao" in Australia, Publishing House "Iskra" in Munich, Canadian Printing and Publishing House "Avala" in Windsor, Serbian National Association "Amerikanski Srbobran" in Pittsburgh, "Nasa rec" in London, American Institute for Bal kan Issues, as well as publishing activity of individuals, their donors, sponsors and benefactors.

9. In spite of numerous forms of the association and the maintaining of national identity, an assimilation is visible among the Serbian minority, Serbian emigrants and their family members, particularly the second generation of "guest workers" . The number of Serbs in certain parts of the world is very important for maintenance of the national identity and a cooperation with the homeland, but is not decisive. For, their power is not only in their number, but in their activity and engagement.

10. The policy of the homeland toward Serbs in the diaspora is an imperative for the future cooperation between the Serbs in the native land and those in the diaspora. Therefore, it is necessary to have a peacetime strategy toward emigration, citizens - guest workers, and minorities in neighboring countries. We should not remember our emigrants and our citizens living temporarily abroad and invite them to help us only in cases of wars, catastrophes, earthquakes, etc. Communication with them should be carrie d out on a permanent basis.

In spite of the contribution of Serbs in the diaspora both to their native country and to their new homeland in a period of more than a century, they have not been treated adequately in their fatherland. In the past 50 years very little was written about Serbs in the diaspora, and connections with them were weak. It is urgently needed that the fatherland and the diaspora finally come closer together. Spiritual unification of Serbs is already announced, patriotic connections established, and ideological into lerance reduced. Consequently, Serbs now see themselves as a single national entity.

ALL SERBS OF THE WORLD

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