Mapping Czech Ancestry in the United States

Richard BorutaPenn State UniversityGEOG 596A: Individual Studies(Summer 2015)Advisor: Deryck Holdsworth

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Czechoslovakia 1918-1992

Czechoslovakia was a multinational state of Czechs, Slovaks and other minorities like Germans, Poles, and Hungarians. Carpathian Ruthenia was ceded to the USSR in 1945. The Czech Republic was established after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993.

What is Czech ancestry? Define scope and geographic extent

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Czech crown lands in 1600

Czech lands 1526-1918

Austria-Hungary in 1890

1. Bohemia, 2. Bosnia, 3. Carinthia, 4. Carniola, 5. Croatia, 6. Gorizia, 7. Hungary, 8. Lower Austria, 9. Lower Lusatia, 10. Moravia ,11. Silesia, 12. Styria,13. Transylvania,14. Tyrol, 15. Upper Austria, 16. Upper Lusatia, 17. Vorarlberg

Holy Roman Empire

1. Küstenland, 2. Bohemia, 3. Bosnia and Herzegovina, 4. Bukovina, 5. Carinthia, 6. Carniola, 7. Croatia and Slavonia, 8. Dalmatia, 9. Galicia, 10. Hungary, 11. Lower Austria, 12. Moravia, 13. Salzburg, 14. Silesia, 15. Styria, 16. Tyrol, 17. Upper Austria, 18. Vorarlberg

Historical background and geographic context within Central Europe

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1930 German Population of Bohemia and Moravia

Czech-German marriages were common. In 1900, according to the U.S. Census, there were 14,584 households with a Czech-German/Austrian wife or husband.

First migrants were classified as a German, and until 1870 as an Austrian.

Understanding challenges and limitations

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Until 1910, the U.S. census Czech population was recorded as Bohemians and Moravians. The present administrative division of the Czech Republic does not follow medieval boundaries. Only Catholic Church, to a certain degree, respects the historical provinces of Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia.

Bohemia and Moravia in 2015

Recognize how historical definitions change over time

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ACS 2010 data estimate 1,533,826 individuals with Czech Ancestry and 68,301 born in the Czech Republic or Slovakia.

Total Czech Ancestry Reported in 2010

Locate areas in USA with significant Czech ancestry

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1990 Census Facts:o 87,020 Czechoslovaks borno 1,012,576 Czechs and

Czechoslovaks ancestries reported

o 772,087 Czech ancestry only

o 95.5% Czechs lived in metropolitan area

Czech Ancestry and Czechoslovak Born in 1990

Present material how the Czech ancestry was established within USA

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Moravian Church and Austrian Immigrants

1850 and earlier:• First settler arrived

in 1633• Moravians settled in

Colonies around 1730s-40s.

• Mass migration from Austria started after 1848 Revolution

• Prior censuses and immigration data are counted as a German

• Many Czechs were attracted to California due to the Gold Rush

Gather data from oldest possible government sources

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Bohemian & Moravian Immigrants in 1870-1900

Chicago emerged as the main hub for Czech immigrants. Iowa, Wisconsin and Nebraska were popular for settlers arriving after the Civil War.

Identify first geographic regions with significant Czech population

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Bohemian and Moravian Population 1910

By 1900 the majority of Czech speakers were born in the USA. The 1910 census differentiated Slovaks from Czech speakers.

Analyze population dynamics and pattern change

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1910 Czech Population by Birth and Nativity

Czech rural communities in the Midwest ceased to attract new arrivals, who settled in NY, PA, and NJ. Texas emerged as another state with large Czech communities having both new immigrants and 2nd & 3rd generations of Czech speakers.

Capture trends and understand geospatial distribution

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1900-1925 was the peak of Czech immigration, which started to assimilate in the second and third generation. The Midwest remains an area with a large percentage of people claiming Czech ancestry 100 years after settling.

Rural Population in 1920 and 2000 Ancestry

Construct rural pattern from secondary sources

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Chicago had the largest Czech community in the USA with 50,000 people in 1920. This community had numerous social organizations, schools, and businesses, but began to move to the suburbs by 1930.

Evaluate population dynamic in leading urban areas Czechoslovak Population in Chicago 1920-1930

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WWII and the Cold War prevented repopulation of the community, which preferred living in Cicero, IL. The Czechoslovak population declined by half in 1950 from its peak in 1920, and was mostly gone by 1970.

Hypothesize long-term population change within metropolitan areasCzechoslovak Population in Chicago 1950-1970

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Czechoslovak Born Population 1940-1970

The Czechoslovak-born population decreased after 1940 as a result of limited immigration due to WWII and the Cold War.

Methodology: Trend Analysis

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Czechoslovak Ancestry Change 1960 from 1910

People of Czech and Czechoslovak heritage continued to grow in middle of the 20th century, and increased by 380,000 since 1910.

Methodology: Map a population change over time

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Czechoslovak Ancestry Change 1960-1980

People of the Czechoslovak ancestry followed general trends established after WWII: flight to suburbs and moving to cities in the Sun Belt.

Methodology: Visualization

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Czechoslovak Born versus Ancestry 1980

1980 Facts:o Separate census ancestry for

Slovakso Chicago and New York

remained top cities with Czechoslovak-born population

o Immigrants and ancestry have not shared the same geographic areas

o Immigration increased by 11,000 between 1970-1990

Methodology: Hot Spot Analysis

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Phases of the Capstone Project

Project Plan

Propose Capstone

Project Idea

Establish Objectives

Research Background Information

Identify Primary

Source of Information

Gather Secondary

Sources

Identify Spatial

Methodology

Peer Review Presentation

Analyze Feedback

Capstone Project

Dissemination

Peer Review

Dissemination

Workshop

Compose Document

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Change of Ancestry (Single) 1980-2000

Population with Czech and Czechoslovak ancestry increased to one million by 1980, and became much more scattered across the USA.

Anticipated Result: Population migration and urban growth

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2000 Census – Czech/Czechoslovak Population

The census of 2000 provided the last accurate information on distribution of the Czech and Czechoslovak ancestry. Immigration increased after the end of the Cold War with 27,000 new arrivals since1990.

Anticipated Result: Urban assimilation versus rural heritage preservation

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Timeline of Immigration - Summary

Immigration is affected by events in both parts of the world. This correlation was already noticed in the19th century.

Conclusion

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ReferencesQuestions?

• Capek, T. (1920). The Cechs (Bohemians) in America. Boston and New York: The University Press Cambridge.

• Directory and almanac of the Bohemian population of Chicago (1915). Chicago

• Dillingham and Bennet (1911). Reports of the Immigration Commission. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

• Hutton, J. (1922). A History of Moravian Missions. London: Moravian Publication Office.

• Minnesota Population Center. National Historical Geographic Information System: Version 2.0. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota 2011. Retrieved June 8 through July 17 from http://www.nhgis.org

• Neal, C. (n.d.). Guide to the Czech Communities in Texas. Retrieved June 22, 2015 from: http://www.czechheritage.org/communities.html

• Pánek, J. (2009). A history of the Czech lands (O. Tuma, Ed.). Prague: Charles University.

• Samanova, G. (2005). Nationality in the census in Czech lands/ Národnost ve sčítání lidu v českých zemích. Retrieved June 7, 2015 from http://cvvm.soc.cas.cz/2005-1/narodnost-ve-scitani-lidu-v-ceskych-zemich.

• U.S. Census Bureau. (1910, April 15). Volume 1: Population: General Report and Analysis. Retrieved June 22, 2015, from https://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html.

• U.S. Department of State. Report of the Visa Office 2013. (n. d.). Immigrant Visas Issued (by Foreign State of Chargeability or Place of Birth) Fiscal Year 2013. Retrieved June 8, 2015, from http://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/Statistics/AnnualReports/FY2013AnnualReport/FY13AnnualReport-TableIII.pdf.

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