“I Have Two Homes – Vancouver and Croatia”: Young People Keep Their Croatian Roots Alive

They were born and raised thousands of kilometres from Croatia, yet they feel it is their own. They heard stories about the country from their grandparents, learned Croatian from them, and today return almost every summer.

Four young members of the Cardinal Stepinac Tamburitza Orchestra in Vancouver spoke to the Voice of Croatia about their connection to the country of their roots.

“We are proud Croatians,” says one of the girls, while one of the boys has a simple answer when asked where home is: both Vancouver and Croatia.

He Learned Croatian from His Grandparents

Although his parents were also born in Vancouver, Croatia has been part of his life since early childhood. His strongest connection to the country was forged through his grandparents.

While his parents were at work, he spent much of his time with them.

“When Mom and Dad were working, I would stay with my grandma and grandpa. They spoke Croatian all day, and that's how I gradually learned the language,” he recalls.

He may not have learned Croatian in Croatia, but he heard it every day in his grandparents’ home in Canada. They passed on something that cannot be learned from books alone – a sense of belonging to the country his family came from.

His Father Also Grew Up in Vinkovci

Another young member of the orchestra also grew up hearing Croatian. His father was born in Vancouver but spent part of his childhood and teenage years in Vinkovci, where he lived until around the age of 15.

“Ever since I was little, my grandma, my mom, my dad – everyone – spoke Croatian to me. I don't speak it very well, sorry, but I know what I need to know,” he says with a smile.

But their connection to Croatia goes beyond family stories.

One of the young men returns to Croatia every year. His family has an apartment in Zadar and relatives in Lika, and summers spent in Croatia have become an integral part of his life.

“We have an apartment in Zadar, so we go every year. I have a lot of family in Lika. I have two homes – here in Vancouver and in Croatia. I'm really happy about that,” he says.

He also returns for everything he associates with summer – the Adriatic, the sea and the places he has grown to love.

“I go every summer. Omiš, Rogoznica, the seaside, swimming... I like everything about it,” says another member.

For him, Croatia is therefore more than the country of his ancestors. It is a place where he has family and memories, and one he returns to year after year.

“We Are Proud Croatians”

One of the girls describes her connection to Croatia even more directly.

“I love being here and learning about our culture. We are proud Croatians, and that's great. I love having a tradition from Croatia,” she says.

Her words perhaps best illustrate how important Croatia can be to generations born far from the country itself.

For them, their Croatian roots are not simply a fact about where their ancestors came from. They are part of their identity, their families and their everyday lives.

Singing the Songs of Their Grandparents

What they inherited from their families is something they now preserve together through the Cardinal Stepinac Tamburitza Orchestra.

Some members have been part of the group for ten or even twelve years. They play, sing and dance, and particularly enjoy the sense of community among young Croatians in Vancouver.

“When we all get together – all the Croatians here in Vancouver – there is something in our hearts. We sing the songs our grandparents used to sing, and we keep that tradition alive. It means a lot to us. There aren't many of us, but it's good that we all come together to sing and dance,” one of the young men says.

Then, with a smile, he adds: “There aren't many of us, but we're here.”

Tamburitza, Dance, Song – and Friendship

For one of the girls, it is difficult to single out just one thing she enjoys.

“Everything. I dance, I play, I sing – everything,” she says.

For another, the friendships she has formed with other young people are just as important as the Croatian culture they share.

“I love my friends, the group, everything. We learn to play the tamburitza, traditional dances and songs,” she says.

The group meets once a week for rehearsals lasting two to three hours. As concerts and major celebrations approach, they practise even more. Every year, they also travel to another Canadian city to take part in a Croatian folklore festival, where they meet other Croatian cultural groups.

More Than Four Decades of Preserving Croatian Culture in Vancouver

The Cardinal Stepinac Tamburitza Orchestra was founded in Vancouver in the autumn of 1983 under the leadership of Father Ante Jurić, Ivica Abramović and Emil Plečko. The aim was to bring Croatian boys and girls together, teach them to play the tamburitza and preserve Croatian culture through music, song and dance, passing it on to future generations.

Over time, the orchestra grew into a folklore ensemble whose members play, sing and dance. Today, it has around 30 members, while more than 20 young people also attend its tamburitza school.

Over the years, the group has represented Croatian culture across North America – in Vancouver, Seattle, Montreal, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, as well as at Croatian folklore festivals throughout Canada.

A particularly significant chapter in the orchestra's history was its 1995 tour of Croatia. The group performed at the International Folklore Festival in Zagreb, as well as in Marija Bistrica, Varaždin and Krašić. They also performed for Croatian soldiers wounded in the Homeland War and for displaced people from Lika who were staying in Ičići.

Two Homes, One Love

More than four decades after the founding of the Cardinal Stepinac Tamburitza Orchestra, these four young people perhaps best demonstrate why preserving and passing on Croatian culture to new generations matters.

One learned Croatian by listening to his grandparents. Another has a father who spent part of his childhood in Vinkovci, relatives in Lika and summers in Croatia. The girls proudly describe themselves as Croatians and speak of their desire to learn about and preserve the culture of their ancestors.

Then they pick up their tamburitzas, sing the songs of their grandparents and dance the Croatian kolo together.

They were born in Canada, but Croatia is more than the country of their roots. It is part of their lives.

And for some of them, it is a second home.