Lithuanian diaspora in interwar Latvia through the eyes of Lithuania's diplomats

Lietuvių diaspora tarpukario Latvijoje istoriškai susiformavo iš dviejų dalių: nuo seno kaimo vietovėse prie Latvijos - Lietuvos pasienio gyvenusių lietuvių ir dėl ekonominės lietuvių emigracijos didžiuosiuose Latvijos miestuose susidariusių lietuviškų kolonijų. Rygoje buvo gausiausia lietuvių kolonija, telkėsi didžioji dalis lietuviškos inteligentijos, veikė įtakingiausios lietuviškos draugijos, dirbo lietuviško savaitraščio redakcija ir lietuviška gimnazija. Lietuvos diplomatai vieningai skelbė, kad visai lietuvių diasporai Latvijoje gresia denacionalizacija. Ši problema paveikė ne tik nuo seno Latvijoje gyvenančius lietuvius, bet ir sezoniniam darbui atvykstančius iš Lietuvos į Latviją darbininkus. Lietuvos diplomatų pastebėjimu, lietuvių bendruomenės asimiliaciją skatino socialinės lietuvių diasporos problemos, lietuviškų mokyklų stoka, nepakankamas pačios bendruomenės organizuotumas bei inteligentijos stygius. Lietuvos pasiuntinybė Latvijoje svarbiausia vietos lietuvių bendruomenės problema įvardijo jos narių etninės tapatybės saugą - tai tapo bene svarbiausiu Lietuvos pasiuntinybės Latvijoje rūpesčiu.The Lithuanian diaspora in interwar Latvia was historically formed from two parts: Lithuanians who had long lived in rural localities on the Latvian - Lithuanian border and Lithuanian communities that had formed in the late nineteenth century in Latvia's major cities as a consequence of economic Lithuanian emigration. According to the data from the first population census of the Republic of Latvia in 1920, 25 538 Lithuanians were living in Latvia. Somewhat more than half of Latvia's Lithuanian community had long lived in a rural locality in districts located on the Lithuanian - Latvian border, mostly in the Zemgale region. Riga was the cultural centre of the Lithuanians living in Latvia. This city had the largest Lithuanian community concentrated in one place, the largest part of the Lithuanian intelligentsia, the most influential Lithuanian societies, the editorial board of a Lithuanian weekly newspaper, and a Lithuanian gymnasium. Despite the special regional characteristics, which uniquely affected the existence of the Lithuanian communities in one or another Latvian region, the Lithuanian diplomats unanimously spoke about the common threat of the denationalisation of the entire Lithuanian diaspora in Latvia. This problem affected not only the Lithuanians who had long been living in Latvia but also the workers who came to Latvia from Lithuania for seasonal work. According to the observations of the Lithuanian diplomats, the assimilation of the Lithuanian community was encouraged by the social problems of the Lithuanian diaspora, the lack of Lithuanian schools, the community's insufficient organisation, and the lack of an intelligentsia. The complaints of the Lithuanian diplomats were heard through the pressure applied by the Lithuanian national minority on the Latvian government only when the talk turned to the situation of the Lithuanian minority in East Latvia. In respect to ethnic relations, this region was the most sensitive place in Latvia. The Lithuanians living there found themselves very fatefully in a complicated space of ethnic tension and the Latvian government, in solving the ethnic problems of this region, did not intend to make exceptions for any ethnic minority. The Lithuanian embassy in Latvia called the protection of the ethnic identity of its members the main problem of the local Lithuanian community and it became perhaps the biggest worry of the Lithuanian embassy in Latvia. The Lithuanian diaspora in the interwar Latvia has historically formed from two parts: Lithuanians living in rural areas near the Lithuanian-Polish frontier, and Lithuanian colonies formed in the major Latvian cities due to economic emigration. Riga was the city with the largest Lithuanian colony settled and the highest concentration of Lithuanian intellectuals; there were also an editorial office of Lithuanian weekly, and a Lithuanian high school established. Lithuanian diplomats unanimously declared that there is a risk of denationalization for the Lithuanian diaspora. This problem affected not only the Lithuanians living in Latvia for a long time but also the workers coming from Lithuania for a seasonal work. According to Lithuanian diplomats, the assimilation of Lithuanian community was stimulated by the social problems of Lithuanian diaspora, lack of Lithuanian schools, and insufficient organization of the very community as well as the lack of intellectuals. Lithuanian embassy in Latvia has identified the security of ethnic identity being the most important problem of the local Lithuanian community, and this has became nearly the key concern of the Lithuanian embassy.