The attitude of Slovenian emigrants in Canada towards homeland after the second World War

ABSTRACT:

Based on archival sources and a synthesis of existing literature available in Slovenia, the article presents a survey of the attitudes of Canadian Slovenians towards their native land, which were conditioned by the motives and reasons for emigration as well as by their experience of life in Canada. In addition to collective experiences, it is also focused on personal perspectives which are placed into the context of a contemporary political and social outline of both countries. Moreover, it contains several considerations that should be taken into account when researching emigration and emigrants. The article exposes a great shortage of scientific literature about Slovenian emigration to Canada and thus shows numerous grey areas that should be studied within the whole history of Slovenians and nevertheless also in the context of the history of Canada.

KEY WORDS: Slovenian emigrants, refugees, repatriates, Canada, Canadian Slovenians, homeland, 20^th Century

SUMMARY

Based on archival sources and a synthesis of existing literature available in Slovenia, the article presents a survey of the attitudes of Canadian Slovenians towards their native land, which were conditioned by the motives and reasons for emigration as well as by their experience of life in Canada. Qualitative sources, which are being used more and more within the field of history, should be used to complement quantitative sources in order to shed light on certain aspects, since a too one-sided application of any of these two methodologies may quickly lead to false generalizations and simplifications which distort a reality that is already hard to put into words. some of the considerations which deserve to be taken into account when researching emigration and emigrants include the question of a sharp time-frame, the definition of the community of Slovenian emigrants and the question of what is a homeland. At the same time the extraordinary variety of attitudes towards the homeland, which complement the general idea of a fundamental ideological division in these attitudes among Slovenian emigrants, should also be noted. The author presents emigrants’ attitudes towards their homeland in light of the different phases of emigration to Canada, the phenomena of refugees and repatriates, religious beliefs, Slovenian and Slovenian-Canadian celebrations, and humanitarian and political actions of Slovenians in Canada. In addition, individual emigrants’ perspectives are used to transcend simple black-and-white understandings of the issues.

The article exposes a great shortage of scientific literature about Slovenian emigration to Canada and thus shows numerous grey areas that should be studied within the whole history of Slovenians and nevertheless also in the context of the history of Canada.