The prospering Vietnamese community in Slovakia is contemplating applying to be classed as a national minority, with a 5,000 strong community in the country, according to an article last week in SME daily.
Although no official application has been lodged with the competent authorities, as the requirements are not met, the Vietnamese civil association dealing with the issue plans to consult the situation with lawyers before taking next step in what would surely be a long and possibly senseless process.
A similar attempt was made twice by the 60,000 strong Vietnamese in the Czech Republic, but both were rejected as the government regards them as economic immigrants and not a historical minority (most came after the 1950s). Thirteen ethnic minorities are currently recognised in Slovakia, according to the daily.
Guys, Jews are not only followers of Judaism, but some of them also have Semitic roots, therefore they constitute an ethnicity – like Sephardi, Mizrahi Jews. But they are also Jews who have are not genetically Semits, for example Ashkenazi. Israel has a huge population of those. Of course, Semitic origin have Arabs too.
What about us Brits then ,we must have more here than the Square heads ??
George
Unfortunately we have no historical ties to this country, so thats a non- starter.
It’s quite interesting how the various minorities ended up here. The Roma for example were welcomed with open arms, King Sigismund gave them European wide rights of passage and the freedom to settle anywhere in 1423 because they were such valued metal workers and key to the manufacture of weapons and armour for use against the Turks. How memory fades and times change?
The Carpathian Germans or Scepusian Saxons were another group of skilled workers invited here and ended up as one of the ruling classes in the 15th Century. The Croats came here from the early 15 hundreds to escape the Ottoman Turks but census figures put the number at less than 2000. The Polish, Hungarian, Bulgar, Romanian, Russian, Ukrainian and Waloons settled here either as guests or in occupied lands from the 9th century onwards. Proper little United Nations at one time.
Dave,
The Croatian minority are the best represented. One might say they even have their own President!
Smug , As stated previously, I believe land, power etc Slovakia should be return to the rightful county or origin, such as Hungary etc or better we have it divided in to several Kosovo type ethnic regions . Slovakia is a created country, not an historical Kingdom .
Well Arthur, that is a good question probably without any chance of an answer.
However since Slovaks are a mish mash of the genes of many invading armies, perhaps true Slovaks are a minority in their own country. This would in some way explain the persecution complex borne of a lack of identity ,that many Slovaks possess. The Carpathian people, arguably the true Slovaks, can still be found in Northern Romania and Western Ukraine.
So what are the 13 allowed moronities then, anyone know ??
George:
Hungarian, Roma, Czech, Ruthenian, Ukrainian, German, Polish, Moravian, Croatian, Russian, Bulgarian and Jewish, which is twelve. Can’t find the thirteenth?
Besides the Vietnamese there are the followers of Islam (IFS + AFIL), Africans (OZAS), Afghans (AAS), Portuguese Speaking Peoples (PLOP), Chinese (SCFC), Koreans (KCCS) and Cuban, Chechen, Indian and Pakistani communities.
Yes Dave but Jewish is a religion, the Roma are Slovaks and Hungarians cannot be a minority in an area that has always been Hungarian. In any case I very much doubt the numbers of those minorities you quote even remotely number as many as that in the Vietnamese community.
Alec – I was suprised to see a religious faith listed as an ethnic minority but my info was from the SK Govts own website so who am I to argue.
The top six minorities have their numbers quoted with the Germans at 0.1% being the smallest of those. Can’t find any figures for the lower six groups. Most of the groups only speak a different langauge rather than being of different ethnicity so I am confused.com. I would have thought a unified population would be the goal, not the creation of legally prescribed divisions, but its their country not mine.