Cultural Reporter Intro - Carly Ficke

Culture is defined as "the beliefs, customs, arts, etc. of a particular society or group" (Merriam-Webster). However my personal favorite is "the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively" (Merriam-Webster), for the reason that culture is so fine-tuned to and so expressive of a particular group, that it itself is almost an art. And this is definitely reflected in the Czech-American culture by their way of life, customs, traditions, musical influences, festivities, and much more.....

The Czech-American culture is one that I have heard much of (Wilbur, NE being the Czech capital of the US), but not one whom I am familiar with or whose customs are known to me. The Czech people come from a long variety of histories and have many unique stories and traditions. From the 1860s on, there was a large movement of people from easter Europe (specifically Czech and Slovak lands) to the United States. Accordingly, a large population settled in Nebraska and worked to establish a new way of life for themselves. It was not an easy journey as they experienced injustice, hidden histories, and a pull to assimilate to the "American" culture while trying to maintain their national cultural identity. However, they remain a prominent cultural group within the midwest and in the US as a whole. They are known for their excellence in music, cooking (kolache), religious devotion (mainly Catholic), Czech doll making, and strong family bonds.

I hope to study this population by using the resources of Nebraska, including the Czech community in Wilbur and the annual Czech festival. I will interview a local priest I know, whose mother and father came from the Czech Republic and relocated in Nebraska. I will also interview 2 grandchildren of an Czech immigrant (that I know through school) to see what cultural aspects they still practice or have been assimilated into their lives. Questions I will ask include: what cultural practices do you do that are a direct result of your Czech heritage? Did your grandparents/parents speak Czech to you or encourage you to learn it? Do you know of any hidden family histories or stories that have been passed down? What do your holidays look like (food, music, etc?). What other yearly events do you participate in due to your Czech cultural heritage? Do you associate with or want to visit the Czech republic? Have you encountered any negative interactions due to your heritage? I will collect data by gathering info from the interviews as well as from the following sources:

http://www.nebraskahistory.org/publish/publicat/history/full-text/Czech_03_Migration.pdf
http://www.casde.unl.edu/history/counties/saline/wilber/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVAD4-yeXLs