Serbians in Michigan

Introduction

1 Introduction T he story of Serbian immigrants in Michigan is one of integration and ethnic retention. The core of Serbian identity derives from their adherence to the Orthodox faith. While Serbs, Croats, Slovenes, and Bosnians all descend from the same ancient peoples, their modern counterparts have embraced Orthodoxy, Catholicism, and Islam, which has helped to separate the populations into distinct ethnic groups. For Serbs, their religious beliefs defined and helped to preserve their ethnic identity through centuries of occupation by the Ottoman Empire. During that period, three key elements emerged that defined Serbian ethnic identity. These included Orthodoxy (Svetosavlje) and kinship (kumstvo), along with nationalistic ideas maintained through the repeated sharing of epic folk stories that commemorated important events such as the 1389 Battle of Kosovo, which led to Ottoman domination and the 1804 Serbian Revolt that finally paved the way to independence. Serbian children memorized and recited or sang the stories, along with their catechism lessons as they grew into adulthood. When they too had children, the process continued, even to this day. In this method, Serbian heritage has been preserved through several generations of Americanization. That did not mean that Serbian immigrants were without any internal disputes among the members. The strongest and longest-lasting conflict erupted between political liberals and conservatives in communities around 2 Paul Lubotina 2 the United States, including Detroit. However, the line between liberals and conservatives blurred over time. In the early twentieth century, there was a distinct difference between the socialists and communists on the left and those who adopted American political traditions of supporting the Republican or Democratic parties. By the 1950s, that line had blurred as a communist revolution in Yugoslavia resulted in large numbers of ardent anticommunists coming to America. Their arrival heralded a new round of liberal and conservative debates, only the conservatives of the early twentieth century were labeled liberals by the newly arrived immigrants. In 1963, the conflict resulted in a religious schism between the two groups that would last for nearly thirty years. The Serbian Orthodox Church resolved the differences SERBIANS IN MICHIGAN 3 in 1991, which brought a reunification of Serbian American communities. In so doing, the church continued its role of uniting Serbian people, even in America. However, other issues such as interethnic marriage, religious disputes, or a myriad of other personal choices have created a situation where people of Serbian heritage have lost contact with the greater Serbian American community . This book was written to give anyone with an interest in Serbian immigrant history a broad perspective of the Serbian American experience in Michigan. It also includes information on immigrant participation in national organizations and interactions with other enclaves around the United States. For those who no longer participate in Serbian American activities, the text provides details on important holiday traditions and enough recipes to hold a feast that usually accompanies any celebration. Additionally, the chapters include cultural material that illustrates the diversity of the Serbian diaspora in Europe, which also carries over to America. Therefore, it also provides an interesting contrast for the reader to evaluate the changes that have occurred since the arrival of the immigrants. When completed, the reader should know the difference between a “kolo” and a “Sarma.” From there, readers have enough information to decide if they would like to learn more about the Serbian American community. ...