Bulgarian Immigration To US - Edited.edited

Bulgarian immigration to U.S.
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Bulgarian immigration to the U.S.

Bulgarian immigration to U.S. 2
Bulgarian Americans
Immigration can be defined as the global movement of Individuals to settle in different
areas or nations. They are not locals but intent to live there for a long time as occupants or get
their citizenship under exceptional circumstances (M.W., n.d.). The people who are just travelers,
adventure seekers or visitors could not be categorized under immigration. However, due to work
purposes, people may immigrate from one place to another. According to the census data of the
U.S., about 55,489 Americans were assumed to have their first ancestors Bulgarians (AFF,
2020), while people who declared that their ancestors were Bulgarian were almost 92,841 in
numbers (Bureau, n.d.). Among them were the people who were Bulgarian Americans. They
were settled in the U.S. for one or more generations; some had dual identities, while others only
considered themselves to have shared identities of both nations.
Bulgarian Americans include people born in Bulgaria, the United States, or any other
nation with an ethnic Bulgarian populace. Since certain Bulgarians are not American residents,
others are dual citizens; nevertheless, others whose forbears came to the U.S. a few ages back, a
portion of these individuals believe themselves to be essentially Americans, Bulgarians,
Bulgarians living in the United States, or American Bulgarians.
Bulgarians arrived in the U.S. before the early twentieth century's significant immigration
surge, which saw thousands of southern and eastern European people change the country's ethnic
makeup. According to Nikolay G. Altankov's book The Bulgarian Americans, printed by
Ragusan Press in 1979, the first documented Bulgarian immigrants were Protestant converts who
came to America in the mid-nineteenth century to continue higher studies (Altankov, 1979).
Between 1903 to 1910, people from Bulgaria started to immigrate to the U.S. in bulk. Stats show
that almost 50,000 people immigrated from Turkish-occupied Macedonia and from Bulgaria to
us in this period (Carlson & Allen, 1990).
Reasons for immigration
There were several reasons which caused such massive immigration at those time.
Among these reasons, overpopulation, unemployment, war crisis (brutal reprisals from the
Turkish army), and territorial loss has influenced immigration (Yu, n.d.).
Unemployment was mainly caused in Bulgaria due to abandonment of the Comecon
system loss of soviet and Comecon markets, which plummeted the economic performance of
Bulgaria in the 1990s (Yu, n.d.). The economic decline led to unemployment, thus playing an
integral part in promoting immigration. Overpopulation was another critical factor that caused
Bulgarian to immigrate from their native land. Another reason was the war crisis; the St. Ilya’s
day revolt of 1903 caused the Turkish army's brutal killing of 5000 revolutionaries and villagers.
Almost 330,000 people became homeless, and then in a few months, they immigrated from
Bulgarian and Macedonian Bulgaria to the U.S. (Yu, n.d.).
Most of the immigrants from Bulgaria attracted the southwestern Illinois industries at the
beginning of the 20th century. These industries were located across the Mississippi rivers, a tri-
city area including Venice, Granite City and Madison. Most of the immigrants from Bulgaria to
this location were peasants and laborers. This North American region was considered the capital
for Bulgarian immigrants from 1900 to 1918 (Yu, n.d.).
Cultural diversity and cultural shock
Most people settled in tri-city areas were males and mainly came from the Macedonian
part of Bulgaria. The living condition of these bachelors was called boort, which was desperate
and unhygienic. More than 20 people had to live together in a single house, and one of them was
sometimes elected to keep a record and account of all others. Some boort uses to hire female for
cooking. The boort house had poor ventilation and was tiny in size along with the crowd. As
most industries used to run 24/7, the people used to share the bed because of different shifts.
Unfortunately, for the early immigrants from Bulgarian, there was no club, religious places, and
reading rooms to socialize with others. Their social life was only centered in saloons and
coffeehouses (Yu, n.d.).
Formal communication, individualistic nature, and power distance are the main crucial
cultural differences Bulgarian generally faced while immigrating to America. While coming to
the USA, Bulgarian did not have that individualistic personality which became a source of
cultural shock for immigrant Bulgarians. The factor that before the 1900s, there was a deficient
number of Bulgarian immigrants American compared to other European countries created a
sense of non-existence among Bulgarian immigrants. Furthermore, Bulgarian are shy, and they
tend to show little involvement in public while only putting their energies among friends, as a
part of their collectivist culture (Yu, n.d.).
To conclude, the insight we develop through our visit to the tenement museum in New
York has aided in understanding Bulgarian immigration more deeply. Like what the Baldizzi
family experienced after immigration, the Bulgarians went through the same harsh realities in the
United States. It can be seen that immigrants, not only today but in the past, also had to live from
hand to mouth after immigration. Although most people immigrate for economic purposes (to
earn money and improve living standards), the economic desperation that they face initially is
almost the same for everyone, no matter from where the immigrant came. Furthermore,
immigrants always experience cultural shock due to the language, ways of interaction,
ideologies, and many other reasons.

References
Altankov, N. G. (1979). The Bulgarian-Americans. Ragusan Press.
American FactFinder—Results. (2020, February 10). Archive.Ph. http://archive.ph/m70Q
Bureau, U. C. (n.d.). Census.gov. Census.Gov. Retrieved February 17, 2022, from
https://www.census.gov/en.html
Carlson, C., & Allen, D. J. (1990). The Bulgarian Americans. Chelsea House.
Definition of IMMIGRATION. (n.d.). Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/immigration
Yu, E. (n.d.). Bulgarian Americans—History, Independence and the modern era. Retrieved
February 17, 2022, from https://www.everyculture.com/multi/Bu-Dr/Bulgarian-
Americans.html

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Bulgarian immigration to U.S.

Bulgarian immigration to the U.S.

Immigration can be defined as the global movement of Individuals to settle in different

considered themselves to have shared identities of both nations.

portion of these individuals believe themselves to be essentially Americans, Bulgarians,

Bulgarians living in the United States, or American Bulgarians.

makeup. According to Nikolay G. Altankov's book The Bulgarian Americans, printed by

us in this period (Carlson & Allen, 1990).

Reasons for immigration

Unemployment was mainly caused in Bulgaria due to abandonment of the Comecon

Bulgarian and Macedonian Bulgaria to the U.S. (Yu, n.d.).

for Bulgarian immigrants from 1900 to 1918 (Yu, n.d.).

Cultural diversity and cultural shock

coffeehouses (Yu, n.d.).

number of Bulgarian immigrants American compared to other European countries created a

part of their collectivist culture (Yu, n.d.).

ideologies, and many other reasons.

Altankov, N. G. (1979). The Bulgarian-Americans. Ragusan Press.

American FactFinder—Results. (2020, February 10). Archive.Ph. http://archive.ph/m70Q

Bureau, U. C. (n.d.). Census.gov. Census.Gov. Retrieved February 17, 2022, from

Definition of IMMIGRATION. (n.d.). Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://www.merriam-

February 17, 2022, from https://www.everyculture.com/multi/Bu-Dr/Bulgarian-

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