Slovaks, along with other Eastern European immigrants, began to immigrate to Western Pennsylvania in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The primary reasons for their migration were economic opportunities along with religious and political freedom. During this time, the industrialization of Western Pennsylvania created a high demand for labor, particularly in the coal and steel industries – specifically for the Babcanec family, the steel industry has provided food on our tables for decades in the past.
Another factor in the immigration of some Slovaks to Western Pennsylvania was religious freedom. In their home country, the Slovak population faced religious persecution from the dominant Catholic and Protestant denominations. Many Slovaks were members of the Eastern Rite Catholic Church, which was not recognized by the state which also may be why Slovaks tend to be Roman Catholic while many eastern Europeans have a strong orthodoxy presence. This led to the formation of a strong national identity among Slovaks, and many chose to immigrate to the United States in search of their religious freedom. Additionally, the Slovak people had been subject to a process of Magyarization, a policy of assimilating non-Magyar ethnic groups into the Magyar (Hungarian) culture, which was enforced by the Hungarian authorities during the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This policy aimed to suppress the national identity and culture of the Slovak people, and many chose to immigrate to the United States to escape this oppression and preserve their cultural heritage.
During the late 1800s and early 1900s, many Slovak immigrants settled in Western Pennsylvania, particularly in the cities of Pittsburgh, Duquesne, and McKeesport where they established communities and built churches, schools, and cultural centers, which helped to preserve their cultural heritage and traditions. Many of these communities continue to thrive today, and the Slovak heritage is still celebrated in Western Pennsylvania through festivals, events, and cultural organizations. For myself, I was able to attend a Slovak language group at a local church, as well as have numerous friends and teachers of Slavic descent.
Online sources also say this about Slovak Immigrants: Because they were denied a voice in politics and the use of their native Slovak language in public places by the ruling Magyars in Hungary, Slovaks in America became socially and politically active, establishing self-help societies and fraternal organizations (such as Sokol, the Slovak League of America and First Catholic Slovak Union), founding newspapers (such as Slovensky dennik and the Jednota), and lobbying the government of the United States, especially President Woodrow Wilson's administration, to press for greater freedom for Slovaks who were suffering under Magyar oppression. The Babcanec family participated in the Catholic Slovak Union, and my parents still to this day receive the Jednota in the mail. Below is a picture that shows Slovak-American immigrant dispersion:
Figure 1: Slovak-American immigration dispersion
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