Slavic Heritage Coalition

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Immigration Information

As a part of former Yugoslavia, Bosnian immigrants that came to the United States prior to the creation of Bosnia were constituted as Yugoslavian. After 1992, the US government began tracking Bosnian immigration, and the first major wave occurred between 1991 and 1994, when over 11,500 Bosnians immigrated to the US. These immigrants were primarily Muslim, and were seeking refuge from the civil war that consumed their nation. From 1994 to 1995, immigration of Bosnians fell to 8,300 but rose to 11,900 in 1996. Over 19,000 Bosnians sought refuge in the US in 1996 and over 14,000 were granted permanent visas. In 1999, it was estimated that there were more than one million Bosnian refugees residing in the US, many of whom could not return home due to the division of their former home.

Most Bosnian immigrants settled into well established Slavic communities, such as the Serbian-American and Croatian-American communities. However, this was not always the case; the Bosnian Muslims had no community in existence in which to assimilate. These Bosnian refugees eventually created their own communities in major metropolitan areas such as the Astoria section of New York City. According to the 2000 US Census, the largest populations of Bosnian-Americans reside in Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, Des Moines, Detroit, Houston, Jacksonville, Miami, New York, Newark, Salt Lake City, St. Louis, St. Petersburg and Waynesboro. Despite the hardships posed on this community by civil war they have managed to reestablish themselves and their culture within the US. These new Bosnian-American communities provide a social support network that helps these refugees deal with the events that have affected and still affect the Bosnian community.

Major Religions and Beliefs

Islam is the dominant religion in Bosnia. An estimated 48% of Bosnians are Muslim; while, the remainder of the population is Serbian Orthodox Christian, accounting for roughly 37% of the population. Roman Catholicism accounts for the rest. For Bosnian Serbs, Orthodox churches serve as a hub for social activity as well as houses of worship. Bosnian communities are heavily invested in their religion, which provides a center for community development. Bosnian Muslims have established their own mosques and houses of worship throughout the United States, most notably the Bosnian mosque in New York City that was dedicated in 1997. Regardless of the religious affiliations, many Bosnian-American communities offer programs to aid in the acclimation to American culture, such as English language classes, training, and courses that educate the community enabling them to better navigate the American legal, banking, and educational system.

History, Traditions and Culture

While each group, Serbs, Croats and Muslims, possess unique characteristics and beliefs, there are certain shared values across all the groups. Besides a shared history and homeland, each has strong ties to their communities, families, and religions.

Academic Institutions

Slavic Languages and Literatures at Columbia University
1130 Amsterdam Avenue, MC 2839
New York, NY 10027
t. (212) 854-3941
f. (212) 854-5009

Dept. of Slavic and East European Languages and Literatures at the University of Ohio
400 Hagerty Hall
1775 College Road
Columbus, OH 43210
e-mail: slavicdept@osu.edu