Scenes from a village 37 - Migrations and homecomings, part one (HD)

Live performance by the Milwaukee CFU Jr. Tamborizars, Zagreb, June 2011.
Thanks to Robert Jerin, www.croatianmuseum.com for all the documentation regarding John Domšić.
Picture copyright with owners

Writing in 1905 from the nearby village of Lipa, a Croatian school teacher observed, "Today they are telling in the village that 15 are going to Fiume tomorrow by the early train on their way to America." Fiume was the Italian name for the Croatian port of Rijeka. Poverty in the village was the key reason that spurned many young men to take the train to Rijeka in order to migrate abroad. This teacher continued, "It is hard to till the fields, for there are no workers to be had. Whoever has strength and youth is at work in America. At home there are only the old men and women, and the young wives with their children..." Around the time that he was writing the steam ship La Bretagne was leaving the French port of Le Havre heading across the Atlantic for New York. The ship's manifest reads like a village school register but where only the young boys are listed. On deck stood a certain Marko Fuduric travelling with a relative, Jure. Both married and in their mid-20s they left behind their families and their village of Bukovlje. Their destinations were to relatives and at least one was a member of the Domsic family already resident in America.

The close ties that existed in Bukovlje between the Domsic and Fuduric families clearly crossed the Atlantic intact.

Just three months later another Domsic from Bukovlje, Jvo, having made his way from our village to the port of Bremen in Germany, boards the ship, the Kronprintz Wilelm. It, too, sails for New York and on its final approach passes the Statue of Liberty, surely a welcome sight for all those on board after a month at sea. Not long after his arrival he naturalises his name to John and makes for his destination, to a certain uncle Fuduric, resident in Ohio. John Domsic was just 21 and single. 6 years later, in 1911, he is married to Eva and in the census returns for 1920 the father of three children, Paul, John and Annie. By the time of the following census, in 1930, we note that in the meantime another daughter, Mary, has been born. These documents show that he served in the army in both the 1st and 2nd WWs. Here is where he worked as a labourour and one can quite easily imagine him walking down these streets each morning. John is eventually granted citizenship in 1933. He died at the end of 1960 and a service was held in this church, St Paul's, not far from his home. His obituary notes that he was a grandfather of 9 and a brother of 7 back in 'Yugoslavia', Here is his picture as a man of 46. He seems to have been a model citizen and made a comfortable life for himself in Cleveland

The waves of migrants that left Croatia and spread across the world all had one thing in common. They carried with them their culture and where ever they settled formed societies to keep alive and pass on their traditions. So that now we find Croatian citizens being entertained with their own songs and dances as performed here by a visiting American company. These performers are, perhaps, 3rd , 4th or even 5th generation children of migrants. Proving that one's ancestral roots go very deep indeed.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Milwaukee CFU Jr Tamborizars
• zagreb
• Gornje Bukovlje
• Zvecaj
• Zvečaj
• mreznica
• mrežnica
• fuduric
• fudurić
• domsic
• domšić
• andrew norris
• village life
• croatia
• migrants
• migration

[MargaretAMG]

I enjoyed part one. Felt like I was watching my own ancestor's story. My grandparents immigrated to the USA during the same time in the early 1900s. For the past 5 years I have researched this part of their lives that was hidden & not discussed. My journey of exploration has taken me to their villages in Croatia & in search of documents tracing their steps in time. In learning about them I unexpectedly discovered many things about myself rooted in their lives in Croatia. Waiting for part 2

[andrewnorris2]

@MargaretAMG Thanks Margaret for sharing your story. I can understand just what a journey of self discovery can have on the individual, it can really be a profound experience. Part two touches on just this theme and the person around whom part two is based made such wonderful discoveries after many years of searching. I am particularly pleased with this film which I shall publish in 3-4 weeks. All the best

[GAIASDREAMER]

I really enjoyed watching your video  Thank you Andrew. The dancing, costume and music was really good to see and as always, your videos are very informative, full of colour and interesting.

[andrewnorris2]

@GAIASDREAMER Yes, the music is particularly good. I have heard it a hundred times and it still stirs something in me. Thanks for watching, I appreciate it.

[xyzllii]

Lovely capture...

[andrewnorris2]

@xyzllii Thanks, glad you liked it.

[andrewnorris2]

@HerAeolianHarp Yes, I was really lucky to capture this folklore group. Somehow music certainly manages to capture the spirit of one's homeland.

[HerAeolianHarp]

Really moving and compelling to start with folklore, music and all the ties those that left had to presumably sacrifice or distance themselves from -- if only physically, for the memories were held deep within.

[andrewnorris2]

@DarkmoonRising69 So glad you thought so, thanks

[andrewnorris2]

@12eaj Kind of you to say.