Czech Americans

Immigration Patterns

The immigration patterns of Czech Americans occurred in three phases. The first wave occurred during the colonial period and was small and partly religious; the second wave occurred during the 19th and 20th centuries, bringing the majority of the Czech immigrants to the United States; and the third wave occurred during the mid-20th century and was predominantly a political migration.

[Page 368]Although not much information is known about Czech immigrants before the 19th century, there is some evidence of a Czech presence in the colonial and revolutionary periods. One of the first known Czechs in the New World was Herman Augustine. He compiled the first map of Maryland, founded the Bohemian Manor, and named the Bohemian River of Maryland. He also established himself with the cultivation and trade of tobacco in the 1630s.

The second wave of immigration occurred during the 19th and early 20th centuries, bringing more than 170,000 Czechs. Many came to the United States to seek relief from droughts and crop failures and to establish a better life and employment opportunities. After the Revolutions of 1848 in the German states, many obstacles that once prevented Czechs from emigrating (such as legal, social, and psychological barriers) were overcome, thus opening up the opportunity for others, such as intellectuals, craftsmen, and peasants, to immigrate to the United States. Immigration was uncomplicated, because the Czechs brought more money to the United States than most immigrants (average declaration per Czech person was $23.12 compared with the $14.84 average for all new entrants), thus facilitating transportation and settlement here.

The last wave occurred during the mid-20th century and brought an estimated 25,000 immigrants. Included in this group were professionals and highly skilled workers, who may have been escaping Nazi persecution or felt threatened by the new regime of the communist coup of 1948. An additional 10,000 Czechs arrived over the following decade, mainly due to the Soviet intervention in 1968.

Czech Americans first settled in urban areas such as New York City and Chicago. Chicago became the leading Czech American metropolis in the 1860s, and, by 1900, it was the third-largest Czech urban center, following Prague and Vienna. Czech Americans also settled in rural areas such as Nebraska, Wisconsin, Texas, Iowa, and Minnesota.

Contemporary Pattern

Current patterns of migration have been minute, due to the fact that Czechs have the freedom to come and go. However, there was a minor population of immigrants who left during the Velvet Revolution (ending in 1989). Of those Czech-born present here in 2000, only 3.9% had entered the country prior to 2000.

In recent years, people from the Czech Republic have sought permanent residency and completed the naturalization process to become citizens. From 1997 through 2006, about 2,800 Czechs obtained permanent resident status. Since 1997, about 500 Czech Americans (from both the Czech Republic and the former Czechoslovakia) have become naturalized citizens annually. According to the 2000 census, 31.1% spoke English “less than very well.” Their median family income was $54,829, compared with $50,890 for the nation as a whole.

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