The Romanian Immigrants The American society constantly experiences changes due mainly to the shifting of cultural influences. The multicultural America persists throughout the history because of immigrants from all parts of the world. These immigrants create a fascinating but diverse society with different customs and cultures. The Rumanian immigrants represent a unique and important role to the culture and society of the United States. Most importantly the Romanian immigrants in one way or the other affect America from a social, economic, political, religious, or cultural aspect. The Romanian immigrants have their presence in America for almost two hundred and fifty years.
The first Romanian, called Samuel Damian arrived in the 18 th century and was a priest from Transylvania. There are three groups of people that came to America after World War Two. The first group, (the forty-eight ers) represented the victims of the war and they arrived from the refugee camps in Europe in the 1940 s and 1950 s. The second group, called “the newly arrived” escaped from communist Romania.
The third group called the “post-communist” was better educated people that looked for prosperity. The “post-communist” group often spoke Romanian and French. After 1989 a great number of Romanians spoke some English as well. Bordea 2 The majority of immigrants came from Transylvania, Banat, and Bucovina, territories under Austro-Hungarian rule. Political, ethnic and religious persecution, combined with horrible social and economic conditions, forced Romanians to leave their homes. They all had one goal in their search of opportunities in America, and that was freedom.
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The Romanians were unskilled laborers who left because of economic depression. Their intention was to come to America, gain money, and then go back home and buy land. Most Romanians worked in the iron and steel industry. Also, there were some in the coal mining, automobile manufacturing, and in the meat packing industries. It was extremely hard for many to learn these new tasks since they were mostly peasants. Their jobs took them to New York, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland.
The Romanian immigrants encountered may difficulties in their journey to United Stated. According to the personal account of Emanuel Cova ci, a Romanian immigrant in 1984, “almost sixty five percent of Romanian Immigrants were illegal.” Their journey was extremely hard since they had to swim the Danube River and not get caught. Nevertheless, many were killed or turned back to a communist, poor country. The legal immigrants stayed for weeks in immigrant camps in Austria and Yugoslavia were they were cleaned.
Romanians learned some English waiting for their turn to come to America in Yugoslavia and Austria. Religion represents one of the most important factors in the Romanian culture. Almost ninety percent of Romanians in United States belong to the Romanian Orthodox Church. At first Romanian government made efforts to undermine religious teachings and faith. Therefore, the immigrants were not used to the religious freedom in America. The first Romanian Baptist Bordea 3 Church in America was organized in Cincinnati, Ohio on January 1, 1910 with forty eight charter members (Drew 505).
The church growth in America is challenged by the need for Christian workers, training, and partnering churches for the new congregations (Samuel).
The Romanian cultural influence is the most obvious in the American culture. Romanian dance and music have flourished throughout ethnic artistic groups in United States. In almost al Romanian customs, symbolism shows great significance. If a black cat passes in front of a person is said that the person will have bad luck. In a custom to tell the child’s future, at seven months after birth the child is to choose between a book, a pencil and an egg.
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The Pope John Paul II visit to Nicaragua in 1983 had given hope to the people of Latin America and especially to the reform Catholics. Some of the reform-minded Catholics hoped that the Pope will address on the conservative order, which existed in the regime and even make efforts of ensuring the oppression and killings of the catholic priests and nuns will not happen again. In addition, they hoped ...
It is said that the child who chooses the book is an intellectual, one who chooses a pencil will exhibit artistic skills, and one who chooses the egg will have materialistic pursuits. In a wedding the tradition requires that the man’s parents ask the woman’s parents for their consent for the marriage. The wedding usually lasts for at least three days and three nights. On the other hand, the funerals in Romanian culture represent a transition from one life to another. After the funeral is over, usually the deceased’s family offers a meal for all who attended.
Romanians believe that death is not the end, but instead the beginning of a beautiful journey. The Christmas is the most important celebration. The immigrants even here in America sing carols for three nights to other Romanian families. Every celebration has a religious importance, but also an aspect of renewal and rebirth of everyday life. This renewal makes Romanians clean their house, wear new clothes and have a ritual bath on every celebration. Bordea 4 The Romanian food has a great impact on American society.
Romanian grocery stores are present in almost every state of America. The “” spiced minced lamb or the sponge cake is very well known between Americans. Also, there are numerous Romanian songs that Americans enjoy. The Romanian immigrants definitely shaped American society and culture. America in exchange ameliorated the struggles of Romanians to survive.
Romanian people, foods, music, and many other customs are present everywhere in America. Romanian immigrants represent the great country Romania in the multicultural United Sates of America.
