Sometimes that is true, not always, my German ancestors came here to gain wealth by buying property, developing it and selling it. I see it all the time in the records. As for my Croatian relatives, I don't know for certain. Father said we were descended from nobility. Though I've not found a connection yet, it is possible. I think that for the most part, people were looking for opportunity. Not necessarily oppressed. Dave On Mon, 25 Apr 2005 20:06:14 -0500 palocat <[email protected]> writes: > Our ancestors came to the US or Canada because they did not have > enough > to eat -- it is as simple as that, period. No one leaves their home > > region (or country) without a reason that is usually tied to > economics. > They were dirt poor; they were peasants with a life so difficult > that > we cannot imagine it today living in the mostly comfortable > conditions > of our times. Sure, they were recruited, but because the reward was > > enough food to eat and generally an absence of the Crown that made > life > so harsh -- we sometime like to glamorize their difficult journey, > but > please always remember those words on the Statue of Liberty -- > they > say it was like it was -- miserable and oppressive in their home > area. > People do not leave their home if everything is comfortable and > economically well -- our ancestors had the guts to try to better > themselves!!! > > Matt > > PS -- The above does not only refer to Croatians, but to all those > who > came here in the past and to those that are still coming by the > thousands each and every day -- legally and illegally. And, yes, I > > have been to Croatia (I speak the language), and to most of the rest > of > Europe and Asia. > > > > On Apr 25, 2005, at 1:45 PM, Karen Heiser wrote: > > > Okay , you raise a valid issue: why did our ancestors leave their > > > homes to > > come to America? > > In MANY, MANY cases, the reason is not noble. Many came because > they > > were > > lied to by recruiters from America who were looking for cheap > labor in > > their > > mines and factories. And on top of that they had to put up with > > discrimination to boot! (Does the term BOHUNK come to mind?) > > Karen Heiser, > > Weed, Siskiyou, CA > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "ashley tiwara" <[email protected]> > > To: <[email protected]> > > Sent: Monday, April 25, 2005 10:57 AM > > Subject: [CROATIA-L] family discussion > > > > > >> The strength of this list to my mind is the family discussion, as > > >> Margaret > > said. Occasional old boy comments about golf are acceptable as > long > > as the > > golf duffers consider it appropriate for women to make postings > about > > matters like voting rights and union organizing. Women and men > died > > so that > > we could have the right to vote, to organize, and I don't mean > died > > only on > > the picket line. > >> Many of those who have fought in America's declared wars > would say > > they fought for the rights guaranteed them by the Constitution and > > > Bill of > > Rights. If their deaths have no meaning, it comes when free > speech is > > denied their descendants. > >> Were your Croatian ancestors looking for freedom of religion? > > >> for the > > right to own property and pass on an inheritance to their > children? > > Serfdom > > survived in parts of Europe notably including Austria until the > post > > WW1 > > years. Public schools were common in the USA by 1900, they were > still > > rather unusual in Europe then. Maybe your grandparents or great > - > > grandparents left Europe to go to New Zealand or Argentina or the > USA > > so > > that their children's children could learn to read. > >> So that they could someday use the internet. > >> So they'd have access to the resources this mailing list > >> represents. > > Instead of being locked into a medieval world where neither they > nor > > their > > children had the right to choose their religious preferences, or > the > > right > > to an education, or the right to vote for their rulers, inherit > the > > land > > they worked, or even the right to move on if the life they lead > was > > unsatisfactory to them. > >> So they would have the possibility to eat roast lamb when > they > >> wanted > > to or golf when they chose to instead of lamb once a year and > sports > > and > > games for little children only. > >> > >> Genealogy is more than dates and facts. > >> Ashley > >> ----- Original Message ----- > >> From: William F Kane > >> To: [email protected] > >> Sent: Sunday, April 24, 2005 4:06 PM > >> Subject: [CROATIA-L] Re: Girls and boys > >> > >> > >> There is another old Croatian saying that was true 100 years > ago and > >> maybe even just a few years ago in some rural parts of Croatia. > "a > >> woman holds down three corners of the farm and helps her > husband > >> with > > the > >> forth." I think we are all aware of how hard our mothers and > >> grandmothers worked with out much recognition. Things have > changed > >> however. Lets get back to genealogy. I apologize for sending > one > >> e-mail > >> in reply to the golfing inquiry. I don't even golf. > >> Bill Kane > >> > >> > > > > > > >