Slovenian Emigrant Education in the Case of Buenos Aires

Izseljevanje je pojav, ki je Slovence zaznamoval skozi vso zgodovino. Potekal je v večih obdobjih in v različne dele sveta. Veliko Slovencev se je naselilo v Argentini. Posamezniki, ki so se v Argentino priselili pred prvo svetovno vojno, večinoma niso zgradili trajnejših slovenskih skupnosti in so se sčasoma skoraj povsem asimilirali. Največ Slovencev, med 25.000 in 30.000, se je v Argentino izselilo v obdobju med obema svetovnima vojnama. Ustalili so se predvsem v glavnem mestu Buenos Airesu. Šlo je večinoma za Primorce in Prekmurce ter manjše število Beneških Slovencev. Vse tri skupnosti so ustanavljale lastna društva. Nekatera med njimi so organizirala tudi slovensko šolsko dejavnost. Svojčas bogato in raznovrstno delovanje predvojnih izseljencev je v sodobnem času dodobra opešalo. Po drugi svetovni vojni je Argentina sprejela še približno 6000 protikomunistično usmerjenih slovenskih beguncev. Večje skupnosti povojnih slovenskih izseljencev so nastale v Velikem Buenos Airesu, Mendozi, Barilocheju in Tucumanu. Zaradi ohranjanja slovenskega jezika in značilne identitete skupnosti so povojni izseljenci vzpostavili edinstven sistem slovenskih sobotnih šol. Na območju širšega Buenos Airesa delujejo osnovnošolski tečaji, Srednješolski tečaj Marka Bajuka, tečaji ABC po slovensko za špansko govoreče, v preteklosti pa so potekali tudi slovenski visokošolski tečaji in umetniška šola. Prav slovensko šolstvo je v veliki meri prispevalo k ohranitvi povojne skupnosti, njene identitete ter slovenskega jezika v sodobnem času.Emigration is a phenomenon that has been asociated with Slovenes throughout history. Slovenes emigrated to various countries over different periods of time. Many of them emigrated to Argentina. Most individuals who immigrated to Argentina before World War I did not establish permanent Slovenian communities and they eventually almost completely assimilated. Most Slovenes, between 25,000 and 30,000, emigrated to Argentina between the two World Wars. They settled primarily in the capital, Buenos Aires. These settlers predominantly came from Slovenian regions Primorje and Prekmurje and some from Benečija in Italy. All three communities formed their own societies. Some of them also organized their own Slovenian schools or language courses. The past cultural activities of pre-war emigrants have dwindled nowadays. After World War II, Argentina welcomed another group of Slovenians. About 6,000 anti-Communist-oriented Slovenian refugees found a new home in this Latin American country. Larger communities of post-war Slovenian emigrants were formed in Greater Buenos Aires, Mendoza, Bariloche and Tucuman. In order to preserve Slovenian language and distinctive identity of the community, the post-war emigrants have established a unique system of Slovenian Saturday schools. In the area of Great Buenos Aires they organize Slovene elementary school courses, Slovene secondary school course Marko Bajuk, and ABC courses in Slovenian for Spanish speakers. In the past also Slovenian higher education courses and art school existed. This Slovenian education has largely contributed to the preservation of the post-war community, its identity and the Slovene language in the modern period