Balkan in Amerika: A Qualitative Analysis on the Balkan Diaspora in the United States

Having registered as a nonprofit organization in Arizona, we are building a community to reconstruct bridges in the Balkan Diaspora by sharing members' stories through interviews called Diaspora Diaries, providing educational resources, and raising funds to support efforts to preserve Balkan culture across the United States through mission-related products. By connecting with members through our online platform, we show that we are one, unified Balkan Diaspora. Implementing an innovative approach to forging a strong Balkan community, we collected 23 Diaspora Diaries from across individual ethnic Diasporas, generations, and backgrounds. By publishing interviews to our site (balkaninamerika.com), we cultivate a deeper appreciation for one another throughout the diasporic community. Diaspora Diaries have sparked enthusiasm in members across the U.S., as interviews have been incredibly positive with individuals sharing personal histories about sustaining their cultural identities. Through using oral histories as our primary mechanism of conflict resolution and community building, we better understand how individuals influence history and are influenced by history.