The Bohemians of New Zealand : an ethnic group
- The "Bohemians" of New Zealand - an ethnic group? In 1982 a small group of New Zealanders established contacts with the region of origin of their about 200 German-speaking ancestors who had emigrated from Bohemia for economic reasons in the 1860s and 1870s. They had all come from about twenty villages situated west of plzen and founded a rural settlement and participated in the foundation of a second one in New Zealand. Since World War I there had been no further contacts between the emigrants and their descendants on the one hand and their relatives in Bohemia on the other hand. For two reasons new contacts were established after such a long time: (1) the back-to the-roots-movement had spread to New Zealand from the USA, Canada and Australia, and (2) the status of cultural diversity keeps being enhanced in New Zealand since about 1970. These processes also influenced those people in New Zealand who call themselves "Bohemians" because of their ancestors' region of origin. Their total number is estimated at 10, 000 to 15, 000 atThe "Bohemians" of New Zealand - an ethnic group? In 1982 a small group of New Zealanders established contacts with the region of origin of their about 200 German-speaking ancestors who had emigrated from Bohemia for economic reasons in the 1860s and 1870s. They had all come from about twenty villages situated west of plzen and founded a rural settlement and participated in the foundation of a second one in New Zealand. Since World War I there had been no further contacts between the emigrants and their descendants on the one hand and their relatives in Bohemia on the other hand. For two reasons new contacts were established after such a long time: (1) the back-to the-roots-movement had spread to New Zealand from the USA, Canada and Australia, and (2) the status of cultural diversity keeps being enhanced in New Zealand since about 1970. These processes also influenced those people in New Zealand who call themselves "Bohemians" because of their ancestors' region of origin. Their total number is estimated at 10, 000 to 15, 000 at present. Up to now hardly any attention was attached to them in New Zealand by academic research and/or the general public. This paper discusses the history and today's situation of the former immigrants' community as well as the New Zealand "Bohemians " in general, raising the questions to what extent they can be defined as an ethnic group now and whether they will retain their status as a specific group in future…
