A delegation led by Global Slovakia was recently graciously received by Madame President Čaputová at the majestic Presidential Palace in Bratislava during a heart-warming audience. The reception symbolically and significantly connected the highest representative of the Slovak government with the vast heritage diaspora of over 2 million Americans who continue to carry Slovak names and roots.
The delegation, hailing mainly from Slovak, Arkansas, consisted of third and fourth generation descendants. Immense pride, along humble tears of joy, shone on the faces of our visitors, as they strolled through the grand halls of the palace.
Slovak, Arkansas, situated on Quapaw native land, is a place of remarkable history. Founded in 1894 by the Slovak Colonization Company, it was a beacon of hope for our ancestors fleeing the harsh conditions in Pennsylvanian coal mines and steel mills.
Men and women who wanted to leave behind the industrial sprawl and wickedness of urban life, in favor of the rural ways they knew from the old country.
With time, the determined Slovak settlers transformed the expanse of the Arkansas prairies into fields, and even pioneered growing a new crop – rice.
Thanks to their foresight, honest work and diligence, Arkansas became the largest rice producer in the United States!
Today, Slovak, Arkansas thrives as a haven of Slovak heritage, celebrating its roots in every facet of life – from the church’s stained-glass windows depicting the Slovak crest, to the town’s welcome signs that proudly carry the Slovak symbol.
The annual "Heritage Day Festival" is a vibrant testament to this rich cultural legacy. Slovak, Arkansas, may be a hidden gem, but it is a beacon to the enduring spirit of Slovak emigrants.
Re-connecting our delegation with the ancestral homeland was an opportunity to strengthen the power of this heritage and identity.
Global Slovakia was honored to tour with them in the ‘old country’. A truly intimate and meaningful reconnection that was started with a reception by Madame President and was completed in the open fields of eastern Slovakia. A place where the customs and food have not changed much since their forefathers and foremothers left the homeland over a century ago.
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