Proclaims the name of Lithuania
– For several years now, you have been the chairman of the largest Lithuanian organization in the United States – the Board of the Lithuanian Community. What are the duties and activities of the board of the Lithuanian community in the USA?
– According to the statutes, the position of chairman of the board of the Lithuanian community in the USA can only be held for two terms in a row. I still have half a year left. In September of this year, new elections for the chairman of the board will be held and a new chairman will be elected.
The Lithuanian community in the USA as an organization was created 72 years ago. There have been many Lithuanian organizations in North America for a long time. For example, in the World Lithuanian Center located in Lemont, a suburb of Chicago, as many as 40 different Lithuanian organizations operate under one roof – cultural, business, non-profit organizations, Lithuanian schools, etc.
The Lithuanian community in the USA is one of the organizations uniting Lithuanians, whose purpose is to take care of Lithuanian education, culture, public, i.e. political affairs, archives, social affairs and, of course, the preservation of Lithuanianness in the USA. We can be proud to have over 40 Lithuanian schools across America. Some of them are very small with a dozen students, while others are much larger. The largest Maironis Lithuanian school operating in Lemont in the USA, where as many as 700 children study! This is the largest Lithuanian school in the world operating outside of Lithuania.
Thus, there are many functions performed by the Lithuanian community in the USA, the main one of which is to continue what our grandparents and parents did – to maintain Lithuanian traditions, language, support Lithuania and promote its name.
Lithuanians in the USA contributed a lot to the fact that in 1990 March 11 Lithuania’s independence was restored.
In 1918, American Lithuanians also made a significant contribution to the restoration of First Lithuania’s independence, when millions of funds were collected for Lithuania. Perhaps not everyone in Lithuania knows that the litas was largely introduced in the United States thanks to Lithuanians, because a third of its value was made up of funds donated by American Lithuanians. I don’t know any other such organization that would support Lithuania like this.
In the post-war years, when Lithuania was occupied by the Soviet Union, American Lithuanians held protests near the White House and the US Congress. On March 11, when Lithuania’s independence was restored, thousands of Lithuanians gathered at the US Congress! I think it would be the biggest sin not to continue the traditions of our parents and grandparents, their efforts to support the independence of Lithuania.
The influence of the Lithuanian community in the USA has not gone into the background, it is alive, because we promote and create Lithuania together, some on one side of the Atlantic, others on the other. For us Lithuanians living here, Lithuania is our homeland, and America is the place where we live now.
– How did relations between Lithuanians in the USA change and are they changing, considering the so-called third wave of emigration after the restoration of Lithuania’s independence?
– Of course, relations are changing. They cannot be the same, because relations between generations are always different. Even within families, parent-child relationships change. I myself sometimes do not talk to my children, and what do you want between the old migrants and the newly arrived ones! It is only important that continuity is maintained, the nurturing of Lithuania, the goal of working for the benefit of Lithuania.
I have been involved in the public activities of the Lithuanian community for maybe twenty-four years, and during that time I have seen how the generations of emigrants and their relationships have changed.
In 1990, when I became a member of the Council of the Lithuanian Community in the USA (to which people are elected from the 50 Lithuanian community districts in the US states), I was the very first “councilman” elected to the council, who came to the United States after the declaration of Lithuania’s independence. The councilors looked at me as a new face. Now, only about 20 percent of the old “dipukas”, that is, people who came to the USA after World War II, are left in the US Lithuanian Council, all the rest are those who came after the declaration of Lithuania’s independence. Understandably, they did not join Lithuanian social activities right away, because they needed to adapt, settle down, find jobs, and raise children here.
Now many of them willingly participate in Lithuanian activities. So, I don’t think that we will lose Lithuanianness in America, because the majority of newly arrived Lithuanian children already attend Lithuanian schools. Sooner or later there is an obligation to pay a certain tribute to Lithuania.
– What challenges does the board of the Lithuanian community in the USA have to face?
– The challenges are the same. There is always a lack of volunteers willing to work in public activities. It takes a lot of time. To implement any big project, you need a lot of hands, which are sometimes in short supply.
– What are your main activities?
– Each generation wants to bring something of its own, of course, by learning from the experience of previous people, accumulated traditions and mistakes. Today we no longer need to fight for the restoration of Lithuania’s independence, today we need Lithuania to develop rapidly and be seen as much as possible in the world. Of course, the war in Ukraine shows that the security of Lithuania should not be forgotten.
In the board of the Lithuanian community in the USA, we have priority directions of our activities. A few years ago, we created a strategic plan, in which one of the most important issues is attracting young people to Lithuanian activities, nurturing and developing relations with Lithuania, so that the voice of Lithuanians in the USA is heard as much as possible in Lithuania. The referendum on the preservation of citizenship is approaching and it is important for us that this provision is finally adopted.
If someone thinks that we, participating in the activities of the Lithuanian community in the USA, think more about ourselves, that is wrong. I can confidently say that we are doing all this for the sake of the future, for the sake of our children, to preserve our love for Lithuania, our love for Lithuanian traditions, our native language, Lithuanian culture. If we don’t pass these values on to our children, Lithuania in America will gradually die.
The activity of Lithuanian organizations in the USA during a long period of history is the best proof of this. It is not for nothing that the motto of the Lithuanian Foundation is “From generation to generation”. However, you will not be full of love for long. This was understood by those people who founded the Lithuanian community in the USA more than 70 years ago. Without money, it would not be possible to maintain Lithuania, which is why it was decided to establish the Lithuanian Fund, which was originally called the “Iron Fund”.
Funds were donated across America and over $1 million was raised to establish it. dollars. Today, the account of this fund has already accumulated over 54 million. US Dollars! The fund is filled with funds donated by people and inheritances of Lithuanian property after death. All funds received from interest are allocated to finance Lithuanian activities and various projects, and to maintain Lithuanian schools.
Three years ago, the first North American Lithuanian Economic Forum was organized on the initiative of the Lithuanian community in the United States. It took place during the North American Dance Festival in Philadelphia and was attended by representatives of government and business organizations from Lithuania and the USA.
During the forum, we saw that there is interest in the development of economic relations from both the American and Lithuanian sides. A year later, such an event was already held in Chicago, which was organized by the Consulate General of the Republic of Lithuania in Chicago. Such events require extremely large funds, so we are glad that together we managed to organize the forum again. It was a great success because the interest in business connections and investment opportunities was huge.
March 6-7 this year. The third US-Lithuanian economic forum was held in New York, in which a large group of businessmen and politicians from both countries participated. The Lithuanian community in the USA also contributed to the organization of this event, as economic relations with Lithuania are one of our priority areas of activity.
It is very important for us to ensure that as many investments as possible from the USA come to Lithuania and that as many businesses from Lithuania can develop in America. It will only make it better for everyone.
Expects dual citizenship
– Cultural activities – not the last place?
– Cultural life is also one of the most important areas of our activity. In every neighborhood you will find a dance group, choir, book club or theater group. It is difficult to even list all areas. In recent years, more than one big project was organized in cooperation with performers from Lithuania. “The Legend of Žygimantas Augustus and Barbora Radvilaitė”, “Paris Cathedral”, rock opera “Jūratė and Kastytis” have already been shown to Lithuanians in Chicago and other areas. At the end of March, the musical “Lituanika” will be presented here to mark the anniversary of the flight of Darius and Girėnas.
North American Lithuanians organize dance festivals every four years. We welcome over two thousand dancers from all over America, as well as guests from Lithuania and other countries. Dance festival events attract thousands of spectators. It is an extremely big connection between Lithuanians, between Lithuania and the USA.
– The political situation in the world is heating up. The pre-election battle for the post of the US president has begun. Lithuanians in the USA are, of course, also divided into opposite camps supporting Democrats and Republicans. Does this affect the united activities of Lithuanians in America?
– I don’t think that it has a greater influence on the Lithuanian community in the United States as an organization, but among Lithuanians, like other people living in America, the political division is huge, because people see the future development of the United States in different ways. Nationality has no bearing on this.
When the question of Lithuania’s security is raised, the views of Lithuanians are united. It is important for everyone to put pressure on the politicians responsible for international security. In my opinion, the war in Ukraine is largely the result of the Western world’s indifference and lack of understanding of the threat posed by Russia. Now there is a huge price to pay for it. Americans see it too.
With the war going on in Ukraine and the political situation in the world becoming more complicated, it is very important that we, the Lithuanians living here, should also have Lithuanian citizenship when we acquire US citizenship.
If we are only Lithuanian citizens here, no senator, congressman or other US politician will even enter the cabinet if we are not his voters. We simply won’t have any opportunities to pressure them on one or another important issue for Lithuania. So our future will depend on how the referendum on the preservation of citizenship will turn out in many cases. We want to believe that people in Lithuania, as well as Lithuanians living in other countries, will be focused and vote for the preservation of citizenship by acquiring the citizenship of another country.
– The referendum is coming. What would you wish for Lithuanians in the USA and Lithuania?
– Of course, we would like the dual citizenship law to be adopted. No matter where we live, it is important that we have Lithuania in our hearts. On the other hand, the passport of the Republic of Lithuania gives greater pride in one’s country. He obliges us to be more responsible for our country. I am not saying that the upcoming referendum will decide our fate. We were and will remain Lithuanians.
– What is good and what is bad in America?
– Everything here is the same as in Lithuania. You can find everything here. A lot also depends on the attitude.
The attitude towards Lithuanians in America is changing. Three decades ago, we were viewed as citizens of a post-Soviet country, that is, lesser Russians. Now Americans already know what Lithuania is, they know that it is a European Union and NATO state. Business people know Lithuania as a small but good and reliable partner. They know a lot about Lithuanian lasers, Lithuanian food, especially dairy products. Americans’ attitudes toward us have changed dramatically over the past decade.
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