Efforts by Slovene emigrants to pass on their mother tongue to their descendants in the land under the Southern Cross

Abstract

Slovene emigrants in Argentina before the Second World War made efforts, after arrivingin South America, to ensure the survival of their mother tongue among their offspring. In 1933 they began setting up Slovene school courses; this year sees the 65th anniversary of this important decision by the Argentine Slovenes. Post-war Slovene emigrants also continued to organize education in the mother tongue after their arrival in Argentina. By the second half of 1948 Slovene school courses had begun; this year they are celebrating their 50th anniversary. Initially the courses were organized on a modest scale; it was only after the building of local Slovene national centres that these efforts were able to develop to the point where they included 80 per cent of the children from post-war Slovene immigrant families.