Major General James G. Blunt

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Bosniak Americans (Bosnian: Američki Bošnjaci) are Americans whose ancestry can be traced to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Sanjak region. The majority of Bosniak Americans immigrated to the United States during the Bosnian War which lasted from 1992 to 1995. Nevertheless, the first Bosniaks settled in Chicago in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The largest Bosniak American population can be found in St. Louis and Chicago which boasts the largest number of Bosniaks in the world outside Europe.^[4]

History

Early period

The first Bosniaks settled in Chicago in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Bosniak immigrants were of Muslim faith so they were the early leaders in the establishment of Chicago's Muslim community. In 1906, they established Dzemijetul Hajrije (The Benevolent Society) of Illinois to preserve the community's religious and national traditions as well as to provide assistance for funerals and illness. The organization established chapters in Gary, Indiana, in 1913, and Butte, Montana, in 1916, and is the oldest existing Muslim organization in the United States.^[5]

Bosnian War (1992–1995)

The war in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992 to 1995 brought the largest influx of Bosniaks to St Louis, which became the most popular United States destination for Bosniak refugees. It is estimated that 40,000 refugees moved to the St. Louis area in the 1990s and early 2000s, bringing the total St. Louis Bosniak population to some 70,000.^[6] In Chicago, the Bosniak community has largely settled in the northern part of the city, between Lawrence and Howard, from Clark to Lake Michigan. Many refugees suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of gruesome experiences in concentration camps and the death of family and friends. The Illinois Department of Human Services founded the Bosnian Refugee Center in 1994 with the help of public and private agencies to assist the newcomers, and in 1997 it became the nonprofit Bosnian & American Community Center. Staffed by Bosniak refugees, the center serves all refugees by providing community services that include educational and family programs, counseling, and cultural activities.^[7][8][9]

Notable people

See also

• Bosniaks
• Bosnian Americans
• Bosnia and Herzegovina–United States relations

References

External links

• Congress of Bosniaks in North America
• Bosniaks in North America
• St. Louis Bosnian
• BHAAAS