Montenegrin Americans
| Total population | |
|---|---|
|
c. 2,528 (2000) 24,112 (Montenegrin-born, 2013) |
|
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Alaska, Illinois, New York, Louisiana | |
| Languages | |
| English, Montenegrin | |
| Religion | |
| Montenegrin Orthodox, Roman Catholic | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| other South Slavs, specifically Serbian Americans |
Montenegrin Americans are Americans who are of Montenegrin origin. Also, the term "Yugoslavian American" may be preferred by people who identify with the former nation of Yugoslavia before its breakup during the early 1990s, and in 2006, Montenegro became independent from the State Union with Serbia.
The first Montenegrins in America lived primarily in Louisiana and other areas along the southern Mississippi River. Most were oyster fishermen, though some operated farms and businesses. A notable Montenegrin immigrant was Stefan Kojnević (Cognevich), who came to Louisiana in the 1830s and purchased a citrus plantation. In the American Civil War, Cognevich formed a militia unit, called the "Cognevich Company", which was composed of Montenegrin and Serb men in Louisiana, and fought for the Confederate States of America.
Today, these Montenegrins mainly live in the central and eastern United States, much of which is concentrated in New York City and Chicago, and to a lesser extent in Detroit, and recent arrivals from former Yugoslavia in the Los Angeles area.
Montenegrin Americans are found throughout the state of Alaska. About a quarter of all known Montenegrin Americans live in Anchorage. Their presence in Alaska dates back to the gold rushes of the early 20th century. A short-lived newspaper entitled Servian Montenegrin was established at the beginning of 1905 in the town of Douglas, near Juneau.
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Wikipedia