The Croatian community in Australia in the early 21st century: a demographic and socio-cultural transition
The Croatian community in Australia in the early 21st century: a demographic and socio-cultural transition

Summary/Abstract: This article explores the processes of socio-cultural and demographic change and transition taking place in the Croatian community in Australia in the early 21st century. The ‘Croatian community’ is defined as all Croatian-born people in Australia and their offspring, as well as any other persons who speak Croatian or identify as Croatian in any other way. Three socio-cultural and demographic processes are identified: ageing of the community, return migration and the transfer of community activism from the first to subsequent migrant generations. All three processes are connected with a significant drop in the number of Croatian arrivals in Australia over the past several decades and the fact that the most numerous cohort of Croatian arrivals in the late 1960s is now reaching retirement age or even approaching life expectancy. Significantly, in the financial year 2003-04 the number of permanent departures exceeded the number of permanent arrivals. Return migration is analysed as mainly triggered by the retirement of the cohort that has always maintained a strong emotional connection with the homeland, but also with other processes involving younger people from the second and further generations considering longer stays in Croatia for business or educational purposes, as Croatia becomes increasingly attractive as an impeding member of the EU. The article uses the Census and immigration data as a basis for the analysis.

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