HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Bosnian Americans are
Americans Americans are the Citizenship of the United States, citizens and United States nationality law, nationals of the United States, United States of America.; ; Law of the United States, U.S. federal law does not equate nationality with Race (hu ...
whose ancestry can be traced to
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
. The vast majority of Bosnian Americans immigrated to the United States during and after the
Bosnian War The Bosnian War ( / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. Following several earlier violent incid ...
which lasted from 1992–95. Nevertheless, many Bosnians immigrated to the United States as early as the 19th century. The largest Bosnian-American population can be found in both
Greater St. Louis Greater St. Louis is the 23rd-largest metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in the United States, the largest in Missouri, and the second-largest in Illinois. Its core city—St. Louis, Missouri—sits in the geographic center of the metro area, ...
and in Greater Chicago which boast the largest number of Bosnians in the world outside of
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
. While official census reports from the 2010 Census indicate that there are 125,793 Bosnian-Americans in U.S., it is estimated that as of 2020 there are some 350,000 Americans of full or partial Bosnian descent living in the country.


Demography

According to estimates from the
American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...
for 2015–2019, there were 103,900 immigrants from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The top counties of residence were:


History


Early period

The first Bosnians settled in
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, joining other immigrants seeking better opportunities and better lives. As the former
Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...
continued to find its identity as a nation over the last century, the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina sought stability and new beginnings in the city of Chicago, many intending to return to their homeland. Those who were of the Islamic faith were early leaders in the establishment of Chicago's Islamic community. In 1906, they established the Dzemijetul Hajrije (The Benevolent Society) of Illinois to preserve the community's religious and national traditions, as well as to provide mutual assistance for funerals and illnesses. The organization established branches in
Gary, Indiana Gary ( ) is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 69,093 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it Indiana's List of municipalities in Indiana, eleventh-most populous city. The city has been historical ...
, in 1913, and
Butte, Montana Butte ( ) is a consolidated city-county and the county seat of Silver Bow County, Montana, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. The city covers , and, according to the 2 ...
, in 1916, and is the oldest existing Islamic organization in the United States.


Post World War II

Chicago's Bosnian community received a new influx of migrants after
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
who were displaced by the war and the communist takeover of Yugoslavia. This new wave of refugees included many well-educated professionals, some of whom were forced to take low-skilled jobs as taxi cab drivers, factory workers, chauffeurs, and janitors. As the population increased in the early 1950s, the Muslim community invited Shaykh Kamil Avdich (Ćamil Avdić), a prominent Muslim scholar, to become the first permanent imam (religious minister). Under Imam Kamil's leadership, the Bosnian Muslim Religious and Cultural Home was established to raise funds for a mosque, which opened on Halsted Street in 1957. In 1968, the organization's name was changed to the Bosnian American Cultural Association, and in the early 1970s it purchased land in Northbrook to build a larger mosque and cultural center. The Islamic Cultural Center of Greater Chicago has remained an important center for Bosnian Muslim religious activity, serving Bosnians and non-Bosnian Muslims in the
Chicago metropolitan area The Chicago metropolitan area, also referred to as Chicagoland, is the largest metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. state of Illinois, and the Midwest, containing the City of Chicago along with its surrounding suburbs and satellite cities. ...
.


Bosnian War (1992–1995)

The
War in Bosnia and Herzegovina The Bosnian War ( / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. Following several earlier violent incidents, the war is commonly seen as ha ...
from 1992 to 1995 brought the largest influx of Bosnians to St Louis, which became the most popular United States destination for Bosnian refugees. It is estimated that 40,000 refugees moved to the St. Louis area in the 1990s and early 2000s, bringing the total St. Louis Bosnian population to some 70,000. In Chicago, the Bosnian community has largely settled in the northern part of the city, between Lawrence and Howard, from Clark to
Lake Michigan Lake Michigan ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and depth () after Lake Superior and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the ...
. Many refugees suffered from
post-traumatic stress disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that develops from experiencing a Psychological trauma, traumatic event, such as sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, warfare and its associated traumas, natural disaster ...
as a result of gruesome experiences in concentration camps and the death of family and friends. The Illinois Department of Human Services founded the Bosnian Refugee Center in 1994 with the help of public and private agencies to assist the newcomers, and in 1997 it became the nonprofit Bosnian & American Community Center. Staffed by Bosnian refugees from all backgrounds, the center serves all refugees by providing community services that include educational and family programs, counseling, and cultural activities.


Communities

The largest Bosnian-American communities in the US are found in
St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...
( Bevo Mill's "Little Bosnia"); followed by
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
,
Jacksonville Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...
,
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
,
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
and
Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
.
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
has Georgia's largest Bosnian-American community with over 10,000 in the metro area, most of whom can be found in Gwinnett County's Lawrenceville. An estimated 10,000 Bosnians live in
Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...
. 36.8% of the residents of East Utica, New York, report having Bosnian ancestry. Several small suburban towns in Missouri contain a Bosnian-born population that surpasses 10% of its population (not including those born in the U.S. or born in another country of Bosnian descent). There is a Bosnian community in
Bowling Green, Kentucky Bowling Green is a city in Warren County, Kentucky, United States, and its county seat. Its population was 72,294 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Kentucky, third-most populous city in the stat ...
, with a mosque. There is a Bosnian community in
San Jose, California San Jose, officially the City of San José ( ; ), is a cultural, commercial, and political center within Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. With a city population of 997,368 and a metropolitan area population of 1.95 million, it is ...
and the surrounding
Silicon Valley Silicon Valley is a region in Northern California that is a global center for high technology and innovation. Located in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area, it corresponds roughly to the geographical area of the Santa Clara Valley ...
region.


Politics

The early Bosnian-American community were generally inactive in domestic American politics. In the 2010s, Bosnian Americans became more active in politics and activism. In recent local and national elections, Bosnian Americans have mainly backed the Democratic Party due to the party's outreach efforts towards the community, support for Bosnia and Herzegovina, and support for religious and racial diversity. In the 2016 presidential election, the majority of Bosnian Americans expressed support for Hillary Clinton and disapproval of Donald Trump due to his anti-Muslim rhetoric, anti-immigration views, and his popularity with Serbian nationalists.


Impact of U.S. Anti-Muslim Prejudice on Bosnian Americans

Initially, Bosnian refugees in America faced many issues like adjusting to American life, struggling mental health, and access to quality healthcare.Bosnian Refugees in San Francisco: A Community Assessment
San Francisco Department of Public Health/International Institute of San Francisco. 2001
While Bosnian Americans still face significant social issues, the community is considered to be proactive and have positively impacted their local communities via economic contributions, charity, and outreach. While Muslim Bosnian Americans may not directly encounter
Islamophobia Islamophobia is the irrational fear of, hostility towards, or hatred against the religion of Islam or Muslims in general. Islamophobia is primarily a form of religious or cultural bigotry; and people who harbour such sentiments often stereot ...
due to their European appearance, as non-Muslim Americans often associate Islam with darker-skinned people, they are still often negatively affected by anti-Muslim prejudice, especially if they wear a
hijab Hijab (, ) refers to head coverings worn by Women in Islam, Muslim women. Similar to the mitpaḥat/tichel or Snood (headgear), snood worn by religious married Jewish women, certain Christian head covering, headcoverings worn by some Christian w ...
or mention their religious identity.


Organizations

* Bosnian-Herzegovinian Film Festival * Bostel * Zambak * Bosnians in Chicago * History of Bosnian Americans in St. Louis


Notable people


See also

*
Yugoslav Americans __NOTOC__ Yugoslav Americans are Americans of full or partial Yugoslav ancestry. In the 2021 Community Surveys, there were 210,395 people who indicated ''Yugoslav'' or ''Yugoslav American'' as their ethnic origin; a steep and steady decrease fro ...
*
European Americans European Americans are Americans of European ancestry. This term includes both people who descend from the first European settlers in the area of the present-day United States and people who descend from more recent European arrivals. Since th ...
* Bosnia and Herzegovina–United States relations *
Bosniak Americans Bosniak Americans () are Americans whose ancestry can be traced to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Sanjak region. The majority of Bosniak Americans immigrated to the United States during the Bosnian War which lasted from 1992 to 1995. Neverthele ...


References


Further reading

* Hume, Susan E. "Two decades of Bosnian place-making in St. Louis, Missouri." ''Journal of Cultural Geography'' 32.1 (2015): 1-22. * Miller, Olivia. "Bosnian Americans." ''Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America,'' edited by Thomas Riggs, (3rd ed., vol. 1, Gale, 2014), pp. 331–341
online
* Puskar, Samira. ''Bosnian Americans of Chicagoland'' (Arcadia Publishing, 2007).


External links


St. Louis Bosnian

BHAAAS
{{Authority control
America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
European diaspora in the United States Bosniak diaspora Serbian diaspora Croatian diaspora