Author
鈥淐an鈥檛 They Just Integrate?鈥�
By Simas Birbilas
Dear Reader,
The paper you will read in a couple of moments is the first autoethnography I have written. I came into my College Writing 2 class expecting a research paper that would take me an entire semester to write and refine, but I did not expect it to be something new. I am glad to say that it turned out well and that you will be able to enjoy reading what I have written.
You will notice that my personal story is the first thing you will read. Recalling it is what allowed me to come up with an idea for my research. It also allowed me to reflect on the journey I have taken. I hope it allows you to understand my thoughts at the time and why I hold the opinion that I do now.
The interview with my father will perhaps provide a different point of view in a paper dominated completely by mine. It did provide me with some things to think about, and I think you will have the same experience as I did.
I was not all that much surprised by the information I gathered in my research to answer my own questions. It could all be chalked up to simple human nature: Desire to earn money, desire to be with those who are similar to you, desire to stay close to those with whom you grew up with. I consider me recalling Lithuanian history as an epiphany moment. What if history could be directly or indirectly responsible for some of the feelings Lithuanians had regarding integration? That is what I tackled in my main research section. Looking back, I can easily say that it is lengthy, but that it is needed to get the full story.
Writing an autoethnography is different than writing a normal research paper. It is more personal, which in a way makes it easier. I do not have to worry about accidentally slipping into first person during my research explanations and getting graded badly for it, and it allows me to make connections between research and reality that would not be able to be made in a normal research paper. Although this might weaken the arguments I make, I still believe that these arguments hold weight and should be considered.
I hope you enjoy reading my autoethnography. It may not be perfect or may not be the most solid in its reasoning, and I may not be the best researcher, but I most certainly think that it’s worthy of your time.
Sincerely,
Simas Birbilas
Abstract
Integrating yourself into a new country as an immigrant is a vital part of becoming a part of the new society one has moved to. Some, however, do not undergo this process and essentially seek to resume the same lives they had back in their old countries. I, an immigrant from Lithuania to the USA, have held the opinion that immigrants should integrate rather than remain isolated, and have willingly undergone the process myself. This has brought me at odds with the fact that some fellow Lithuanian immigrants do not share the same opinion, and have remained isolated. Beginning with my story of integrating into American society and through the use of various articles, I seek to explain why these Lithuanian immigrants do not wish, or need, to integrate and why they seek to maintain the same company and livelihoods they had before. I also try to understand and explain why I, a Lithuanian, feel that immigrants should integrate, even when they are my compatriots. Ultimately, I make the conclusion that this lack of integration for some may be a response to Lithuanian history and the occupations Lithuanians have needed to live through and oppose in order to maintain an independent Lithuanian state.
A TALE OF INTEGRATING
Growing up in Lithuania, I never thought that I would move to another country. I did not see the point in it. Moving somewhere else was a thing that older people did for their careers, or students seeking better higher education. I felt that I did not fall into either category, and my rather naive patriotism at the time would not allow it. That changed in 2021-2022. I had begun my freshman year of high school, and I was doing poorly. I went from an above average student in middle school, to one of the worst students in my high school class.
My mother proposed an idea: Move to the United States to live with my father, a naturalized US citizen, and finish high school there. I “would have better chance at life there,” she once told me. I brought up her experience of moving and living in the US during the early 2000s as a counterpoint. She had mentioned that she did not like living in the US and did not manage to integrate herself there. Since I shared more similar views and opinions to my mother than my father, due to me living with her for my entire life up to that point, I questioned whether my experience would be any different to hers. She reasoned that I was still quite young and I was great at speaking English, two things that she felt herself at that time lacked that prevented her from liking living there.
My father was the opposite. He loved life in the US. He moved back to Lithuania in 2005 together with my mother in order for me to be born there, with them choosing to stay in Lithuania instead of moving back to the US. After trying to live in Lithuania again, with months long work trips to the US, he ultimately moved back to live in the USA around 2018.
After a couple of months of discussion with my mother and father, I finally accepted the proposal. I believed that it could not be any worse than it was right now. I was also somewhat attracted by the perceived extravagance of the US. The standard of living of an average American absolutely beat the standard of living of an average Lithuanian. I left in early July 2022 and flipped a new page in this chapter of my life.
It was not my first time in the United States. I had visited once in 2017 to get my citizenship, and again in 2021 to visit my father, whom I had not seen since 2018, over the summer. We took a trip to the Silver Lake Dunes in Michigan during my 2021 trip, with the buggy we wanted to drive suffering a catastrophic drivetrain failure a mere five minutes into the dunes. We still had a great time there. We did, however, end up in a couple of arguments during that time, with me once saying during an argument that I “would never move to the United States,” a pledge that would be broken less than a year later.
Getting into the rhythm of life was rather simple. The only issue I had was that Americans are very talkative and like to strike up conversations with strangers, while Lithuanians are the opposite. I got used to it though and started to enjoy conversation rather than it being a means to the end. The same western values of individualism and liberty that I had grown up with in Lithuania were the same as in the US, which made the cultural transition even easier.
Before the beginning of the school year, I had to take an English exam to prove that I could understand high school material and that I would not need ESL classes. I took the exam at Naperville North High School. I felt that I did great on it, with that feeling being confirmed by my results a couple of days later. The teacher who administered the test wrote in her email that my English ability was “Excellent.”
Around a week before classes kicked off on August 17th, I got an offer to go to an event for new transfer students at Naperville Central High School. I accepted, and I met the first Americans who were my age and in the same high school grade. My conversations with them went very well, and I even got a tour of the school. During that entire time, I never thought to myself that I was different from them, or that I would never be able to relate to them.
It was my first day of school when I decided to take on an anglicized nickname. I was waiting for my first period class, which was a study hall, when I figured that I needed one. I had given some thought about having one before, as I believed that most people would feel awkward calling my real name, Simas (See 鈥� Mus), in fear of mispronouncing it. I settled on “Sam,” as it was the closest I could get to properly anglicizing my name. It was in that first study hall that I told the teacher that they could call me by it.
During the first couple of months of school, I would sometimes slip into my Lithuanian tongue for a word or two, accidently using Lithuanian conjunctures. After around three months, I had gotten rid of my slight accent when speaking English and I would no longer lose my train of thought mid conversation. By the end of the first semester, I felt that I had fully integrated myself. I could have very easily stopped mentioning my upbringing in conversation and no one would thought that I was not a born American.
A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE
I would not give much thought on my experience up until now. During that time, I increasingly started meeting and interacting with people outside of school, and I started meeting people who had not integrated into American life. They did not speak English, did not understand English at a sufficient level, and had spent all of their time in the United States in one community of their peers. I met several fellow immigrants from Lithuania who were in such a situation. They had been living in the US for decades and had not learned to speak English. This was confusing to me, as I did my best in order to integrate and these people would not do the same. Some other Lithuanian immigrants I met had made an effort to learn English but still spoke with obvious mistakes that I felt could be easily avoided. This view of mine on integration would soften a little over time as I met more of these people and slowly understood the situation they were in, although I still hold this view today.
This entire situation raised two questions for me. Why did I, a Lithuanian immigrant, feel about integration this way? Why did my fellow Lithuanian immigrants choose to not integrate?
In order to solve these questions, I decided to look into the cultural factors that might influence my view, potential social reasons that will make someone not integrate, and how Lithuanian immigrants themselves explain their lives.
INTERVIEW
Before trying to explain my view through research, I first wanted to see if I was alone in having this opinion. I decided to ask my father regarding this topic, as he was a Lithuanian immigrant himself who had later acquired US citizenship via naturalization.
***
Q: What made you move to the USA? Was it out of necessity or by personal choice?
A: It was my personal choice. I was in my twenties and wanted to explore my opportunities. I came here for a better selection of jobs and better pay initially, but that is not what made me stay here. Eventually I grew fond of the multinational society, a chance to see and understand more about it in a wider perspective versus to be in a small country with鈥痑 single set of customs / close-knit socium.
Q: How was the experience of moving here? Easy, hard, interesting, stressful, etc.?
A: Was not stressful at all but that was probably because I was young. It was challenging in a good way and interesting. Would be way more stressful these days for sure.
Q: How was your English when you moved to the US? Did you know the language before, or did you have to learn it here?
A: I thought my English was ok at the time as I studied it in high school back home. Boy, was I wrong. American English appeared a bit different from the British English I studied in English literature and I had a lot of catch up to do with the everyday conversational English to bring myself up to speed.
Q: How was your experience integrating yourself culturally here?
A: The overall experience was good. Understanding that there are different cultures involved is key in order not to push your own view of the world onto everybody鈥痑nd be able to listen and be open minded to accept the differences and adapt.
Q: I understand that you prefer life here in the USA than in Lithuania. Why? Do you at times miss living in Lithuania?
A: Sometimes I do miss it but I think it is just related to my age as I am getting older and my preferences in life change. That is not to say I am considering moving back, though. My home is here in the US.
Q: Do you feel that integrating yourself into American culture made you lose some of your identity? Or perhaps not at all? Why?
A: No, I have not lost any part of my identity. In fact, I think I gained a lot. All the new experience I gain does not replace my old experience. It just adds up.
Q: Do you believe that immigrants should culturally integrate themselves into American culture? Why?
A: Is there an American culture as such? Or is it a set of cultures / a melting pot of traditions mixed together over time and recognized as American? It varies depending where you look and what is important to you. Say St Patrick’s Day tradition - is this American or Irish? Of course, I am not talking federal holidays / calendar events unique to the US such as 4th of July, etc.
Q: What do you think about immigrants who don’t culturally integrate?
A: I simply do not understand the very reason they moved to the US in the first place. Were they expecting just to move to another town within their own country or perhaps another street / block? Seems that way if they thought nothing would change and they would settle in with all the luggage and continue to live as they lived before. In my opinion, they are missing out on introducing themselves to new ideas, different worldviews and grow as human beings instead of sitting locked in their own bubble.
***
INTEGRATION VS ASSIMILATION
My interview with my father had brought up a good point. Did my fellow Lithuanians expect to simply continue living the same lives they had back home albeit in a new place? In order to understand how this view on living in the USA might have come about, I must first touch on what cultural integration means and how it differs from cultural assimilation.
Cultural integration and assimilation are two ways to incorporate a new person / group into another, usually larger, society. However, they both differ on how that is achieved. In “A Critical Literary Review of the Melting Pot and Salad Bowl Assimilation and Integration Theories”, Mohamed Berray states regarding assimilation:
According to Swaidan (2018), assimilation occurs when ‘individuals of the acculturating group choose to adopt the dominant culture’ (p. 40). This view is supported by (Phinney, Horenezyk, Liebkind, & Vedder, 2001) who described assimilation as taking place when a group views its own culture negatively and adopts the culture of the receiving society. (Berray 145)
Cultural assimilation requires that the new people adopt the culture and language of the society they are immigrating to, usually replacing their original culture and language. I would not support such a measure as I believe that it would not work in such a diverse country like the United States and, as my father pointed out, there is no definitive American culture to assimilate into. Berray touches on cultural integration as well, stating that integration “occurs when ‘there is an interest in both maintaining the original culture and simultaneously seeking to participate as an integral part of the dominant culture’” (Berray 145). Cultural integration requires the new person / group to merely adapt to the larger society, rather than fully convert themselves into that culture. This allows the new group to maintain their identity. I integrated into the US rather than assimilated, because I never adopted an American identity. I instead adapted to American society by learning the language and adopting some cultural norms.
LITERATURE REVIEW
In order for me to try to understand and explain why some Lithuanians did not integrate, I first have to understand why I feel that they should. A survey on Lithuanian citizens conducted by the Center of Public Opinion and Research “Spinter Research” on the behalf the Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson, an independent organization working on ensuring equal opportunities in Lithuania, shows that my opinion may be cultural or societal. The survey states, “Survey data shows that society strongly associates successful integration with knowledge of the Lithuanian language: in 2024, 91 % of respondents agreed that immigrants granted residency in Lithuania must learn the language” (Spinter Research 30). A slight majority of Lithuanian citizens also believe that immigrants themselves should put in an effort to integrate, with the survey stating:
When asked about possible obstacles to immigrant integration, the most common response (54 %) was that immigrants make limited efforts to integrate. There is also a clear expectation that integration should primarily be driven by the personal efforts of immigrants (Spinter Research 30).
This explains why I feel that immigrants should integrate themselves, as the data shows that the idea of integration is popular amongst Lithuanians. The news article containing the survey itself also states that:
Recent amendments to the Law on the State Language, effective from 2026, will require some sellers of goods and service providers to demonstrate Lithuanian language proficiency. These provisions will primarily apply to roles involving direct interaction with customers, particularly in the service sector (OEOO).
These views on integration are popular enough to gain support for laws that enforce a minimum language requirement on certain job sectors, further proving that I may have obtained this view from the culture or society of Lithuania itself, rather developing it on my own.
“Understanding Immigrant Identity: The Transnational Practices of Lithuanian Americans” by Ann Senn and Daiva Kristina Kuzmickaite touches upon how Lithuanian immigrants and Americans of Lithuanian ancestry view their identity. They use interviews to group Lithuanian Americans into four “Personas”, with them being “Warrior”, “Family Historian”, “Global Explorer”, and “Extended Family”. The majority of Lithuanian Americans that have ancestry to the first wave of migration fall into either the “Family Historian” and “Extended Family” Personas of the study, while the “Global Explorer” Persona is mostly taken up by recent migrants from Lithuania. The “Warrior” Persona is taken up by both descendants of Lithuanians and Lithuanian immigrants themselves. The study also touches upon how these Personas influence opinions on Lithuania, friends, family, politics. The authors of the paper ultimately conclude that:
We were surprised to observe the enduring strength of Lithuanian identity across generations. Digging deeper into the motivations, interests, and activities of the individuals helped explain the observed persistent intensity. The connections of individuals with their family, their extended Lithuanian community, and the country, along with their individual interests transcended generational distance (Senn et al. 26).
The data regarding most recent immigrants from Lithuania being a part of the “Global Explorer” Persona is the most interesting part. “Global Explorer” are defined as being motivated to maintain and strengthen their connection to their homeland and family. This may play a role in some Lithuanian immigrants not integrating, as their desire to maintain that homeland connection may cause them to choose to interact with other fellow Lithuanians rather than Americans.
“Transnationalism and fragmentation of belonging. Cultural citizenship and post-socialist social capital among the Lithuanian immigrants in the USA” by Vytis Ciubrinskas sheds some light upon why modern Lithuanian immigrants may not choose to integrate. Similarly to Senn’s and Kuzmickaite’s study, Ciubrinskas uses interviews with recent Lithuanian immigrants and Lithuanian Americans who range from 20 to 40 years old. The study brings up several ideas that may explain why some Lithuanians may choose to not integrate. The first idea is that:
Lithuanian language and ‘roots’ are maintained as the main marker of Lithuanian identity especially in Chicago where Lithuanian is widely represented in the local ethnic media and other ethnic institutions. So those who do not maintain Lithuanian language and “roots” are often mocked. (Ciubrinskas 3)
Integrating may make a Lithuanian become less adept at speaking and writing the Lithuanian language, which will bring about mockery from fellow Lithuanians. This may make the idea of integration a bad one in the eyes of some immigrants. The second idea brought up is from an interview of an immigrant, where she states:
It seems that we are all attached to our material well-being here. If someone told us that Lithuania will change and that one could gain an equal amount of revenue or that one could lead a similar life there, I think everyone would leave immediately. (Ciubrinskas 5)
This might serve as an explanation to my father’s confusion regarding why some immigrants may not choose to integrate. Instead of moving to the United States for the diversity of cultures and peoples, some move for a better economic environment. This would make integration seem like a poor endeavor as the point of moving was never about culture. The final idea brought up is:
When responding to the question who they make friends with in Chicago, my informants generally answered that they are friends with ‘Lithuanians and Europeans but not with Americans’. It is interesting that Euro-Americans and immigrants from Western Europe are not considered ‘Europeans’, but only those from Eastern Europe. (Ciubrinskas 5)
A reason why a Lithuanian would not integrate is due to a “Us vs Them” mentality. Sharing a similar upbringing and life in Eastern Europe with other people would make them more likely to stay in touch with fellow Eastern European immigrants rather than be friends with Americans who do not have something in common with them. All of these ideas might help explain how certain views and attitudes modern Lithuanian immigrants hold might affect how they view integration into American society.
A LESSON FROM HISTORY
After analyzing all of these sources, I found that whether a Lithuanian integrates is seemingly down to the individual themselves and their circumstances. However, I still believed that there must be some sort of universal factor that may cause Lithuanians to choose to resist integrating into the US. I recalled that fact that Lithuania had been under the control of the Russian Empire from the 1795 up to 1914 and then was occupied and annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940 up until the independence of Lithuania in 1991. I had created a new question: How may have these occupations affected how Lithuanians feel about integrating into a new society?
The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, a union formed between Poland and Lithuania in the 16th century, was partitioned out of existence in 1795, with the territory being split between Russia, Prussia, and Austria. The majority of the territory populated by Lithuanians was taken by the Russian Empire. “Germanization, Polonization, and Russification in the partitioned lands of Poland-Lithuania” by Tomasz Kamusella explains the Russification campaign enacted against the Lithuanian population after an anti-Russian uprising in 1863-1864 (Kamusella 828), with him stating:
In 1864, the printing of books in Lithuanian (and Samogitian) with the use of the "Polish alphabet" (that is, Latin script) was prohibited, followed in 1872 by a ban on the importation of Lithuanian-language publications in the Gothic (Eraktur) type of the Latin script from the German Empire's Prussia (Kamusella 829).
The Russian Empire’s desire with this campaign was to slowly convert Lithuanians into Russians via replacing the Latin alphabet used by the Lithuanian language with a Cyrillic alphabet, which would allow them to slowly replace the language with Russian. This attempt at changing the alphabet would be cancelled in 1904 due to social unrest in Russia resulting in liberal reforms aimed at reducing it (Kamusella 831-832). The attempted Russification campaign had still run its course through Lithuanian society and had made Lithuanians care about their culture and language in the face of Russian influence. When Lithuanians began immigrating to other countries, the primary destination for most was the United States.
The first wave of Lithuanian migration from around 1860 to 1914 was the largest wave that moved to the United States. “Lithuanians in the United States at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries” by Piotr Szlauzys touches upon this wave. He explains that most of these migrants did not wish to stay in the US permanently, with the main goal being to return to Lithuania when the right opportunity came along (Slauzys 122). This view was supported by several Lithuanian nationalists, who believed that immigrants staying permanently would be a negative for a potential Lithuanian state. Interestingly though, this wave of immigrants did integrate themselves into American society by learning English, all while retaining their culture and norms through a strong community effort. Szlauzys states regarding this:
Lithuanian Americans attended Lithuanian and English language classes. Most importantly, they used their mother tongue. Lithuanians married within their community and went to Lithuanian churches or attended meetings at their parishes to avoid losing their sense of national identity (Slauzys 129).
The end goal of this of this integration was to gain the support of the United States’ recognition of an independent Lithuanian state, with Slauzys stating:
Lithuanian Americans’ unrelenting efforts and patriotism led to their integration and involvement in Lithuanian business, cultural, and political affairs in the United States. One of their major successes was their contribution to Lithuanian state recognition by the US government in 1922 (Slauzys 120).
This is a stark contrast compared to what I have experienced with modern Lithuanian immigrants. I have not seen a similar amount of integration today compared to what Szlauzys writes regarding the first wave. One answer that could explain this difference is that the first wave of Lithuanian immigrants only integrated into American society in order to obtain recognition of an independent Lithuanian state. Such recognition would prevent scenarios where another nation tries to forcefully assimilate Lithuanians, such as the Russian Empire’s Russification campaign that went on for around forty years. If an independent Lithuanian state existed at the time, these immigrants would have potentially turned out similarly to the Lithuanian immigrants I have met in the United States.
After becoming an independent state in 1918 after WW1, Lithuania would be invaded, occupied, and annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940 during WW2. The Soviet leadership did not implement a Russification campaign in Lithuania, rather opting to simply make learning Russian mandatory alongside Lithuanian in its Latin alphabet form in school. However, the oppressive nature of the government led to social unrest. In order to solve it, the leadership of the Soviet Union implemented Perestroika, a policy that greatly increased the independence of Soviet citizens. “Journey to Freedom--The Long Road to Lithuanian Independence” by Robert Kurzinsky and George Maxim explains how Lithuanians responded to Perestroika, with them stating:
The Lithuanians saw perestroika as an opportunity for change, and on August 23, 1988, the anniversary of the Soviet invasion of 1940, over 250,000 Lithuanians gathered in Gediminas Square in Vilnius to demand independence. The independence movement, called Sajudis (the Movement), grew rapidly and finally brought such pressure on the Soviet government that in March 1990 independence was proclaimed (Kurzinsky et al. 75).
This proclamation was not taken lightly, and the Soviet Union implemented an economic embargo to stop it. This would come to a head in January 1991, when the Soviet Union sent soldiers and tanks to several cities in Lithuania to prevent independence, with most of the military going to the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius. This failed and the Soviet Union later collapsed in September, resulting in the existence of the current Lithuanian state (Kurzinsky et al. 75).
This history helps explain why older and younger Lithuanians may not favor integration. Most Lithuanians who are over forty grew up in the Soviet Union and most likely participated in the protests for Lithuanian independence. Choosing to integrate by choice when they spent their youth trying to establish an independent Lithuanian state would most likely feel like a betrayal of the values they had fought for. I can easily say that these events are still discussed in Lithuanian society, and that the actions of all of those who protested for independence are widely praised. It is not surprising to think that some younger immigrants may adopt those values of independence during their time in Lithuania and choose to not integrate into American society, even when the United States is considered an ally of Lithuania.
AN IDEAL TO FIGHT FOR
After all the research conducted, several possible explanations arise to answer the questions I have raised. The survey about the opinions of Lithuanians regarding integration helps explain why I may feel that immigrants should integrate rather than stay unintegrated. As for why Lithuanian immigrants do not integrate, the research regarding “Personas” helps explain emotional reason for not integrating, such as immigrants trying to maintain a connection with their family and homeland, and the research regarding how Lithuanians interact and live in the United States explains the rather simple reasons for Lithuanian immigrants not to integrate, such as them only coming to the US to make money or just a preference to interact with people similar to themselves. However, the research regarding Lithuanian history reveals a different story. The occupations of Lithuania by oppressive governments have instilled feelings of caution and rebellion in Lithuanians. The Russification campaign of the Russian Empire have made Lithuanians wary of losing their language, which explains why an overwhelming majority of Lithuanians feel that immigrants need to learn the Lithuanian language if they want to integrate. The long periods of no independent Lithuanian state have made Lithuanians feel that they must stick together in order to thrive, which explains why some simply prefer to be around fellow Lithuanians. The mere act of not integrating may simply be seen as an act of rebellion by those who grew up and fought against the oppressive regimes that had occupied Lithuania. The main conclusion to be made here is that the only reason the modern Lithuanian state exists is because Lithuanians banded together in order to fight for it. Because of that, some Lithuanians who choose to not integrate believe that if they do, an independent Lithuania may be lost to history again.
Annotated Bibliography
Berray, Mohamed. “A Critical Literary Review of the Melting Pot and Salad Bowl Assimilation and Integration Theories.” Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Studies, vol. 6, no. 1, 2019, pp. 142鈥�51,
Mohamed Berray, a Social Sciences Librarian at Florida State University, conducts a literature review of the Melting Pot and Salad Bowl assimilation and integration theories. He defines what both are and what they entail.
Birbilas, Aurimas. Interview Regarding Moving to the USA and Cultural Integration. Interview by Simas Birbilas, 8 Apr. 2025.
Kamusella, Tomasz. “Germanization, Polonization, and Russification in the Partitioned Lands of Poland-Lithuania.” Nationalities Papers, vol. 41, no. 5, Sept. 2013, pp. 815鈥�38, .
Dr. Tomasz Kamusella, a professor at the University of St. Andrews, talks about the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the various assimilation attempts that were occurring during the 1800s. He touches upon Lithuanian Russification as well.
Kurzinsky, Robert, and George Maxim. “Journey to Freedom-the Long Road to Lithuanian Independence.” Social Studies, vol. 90, no. 2, 1999, pp. 72鈥�77, .
Robert Kurzinsky and George Maxim touch upon the historical facts of what happened during the 1990-1991 Lithuanian Independence declaration.
Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson (OEOO). “9 out of 10 Believe Learning the Lithuanian Language Is Crucial for Immigrants - Lygybe.” Lygybe, 26 Nov. 2024, .
This news article by Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson, an independent government organization devoted to gender equality in Lithuania, writes how a majority of Lithuanians believe that learning the Lithuanian language is a necessity for integration. The article contains the survey used to make this conclusion, which has other data beyond the one mentioned.
Senn, Ann, and Daiva Kristina Kuzmickaite. “Understanding Immigrant Identity: The Transnational Practices of Lithuanian Americans. ‘Vis Dar Lietuviai’ (‘Still Lithuanians’).” 翱滨碍翱厂:&苍产蝉辫;尝颈别迟耻惫颈懦&苍产蝉辫;惭颈驳谤补肠颈箩辞蝉&苍产蝉辫;滨谤&苍产蝉辫;顿颈补蝉辫辞谤辞蝉&苍产蝉辫;厂迟耻诲颈箩辞蝉, vol. 36, no. 2, Vytautas Magnus University, Jan. 2023, pp. 7鈥�30,.
Dr. Daiva Kristina Kuzmickaite, a researcher working with Mykolas Romeris University and Vytautas Magnus University in Lithuania, and Dr. Ann Senn, a researcher at Bethel University in the US, seek to explain how the Lithuanian / Lithuanian American community has managed to maintain a distinct identity in the US. They cover three waves of migration into the US from Lithuania and what groups of people made up the population that migrated, what connection they maintain to their culture, what “Persona” they fall into in regard to their identity, and how those “Personas” relate to their opinions about Lithuania.
Szlauzys, Piotr. “Lithuanians in the United States at the Turn of the 19th and 20th Centuries.” 叠颈补艂辞蝉迟辞肠办颈别&苍产蝉辫;罢别办颈&苍产蝉辫;贬颈蝉迟辞谤测肠锄苍别, no. 15, 2017, pp. 119鈥�39, .
Piotr Szlauzys explains the history of Lithuanian immigrants in the USA during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He touches upon Lithuanian culture during that time and how Lithuanians worked together to help establish an independent Lithuanian state.
Vytis 膶iubrinskas. “Transnationalism and Fragmentation of Belonging. Cultural Citizenship and Post-Socialist Social Capital among the Lithuanian Immigrants in the USA.” Ethnologie Fran莽aise, vol. 48, no. 2, Presses Universitaires de France, 2018, pp. 319鈥�28, .
Vytis Ciubrinskas, a Professor of Sociocultural Anthropology at the Vytautas Magnus University in Lithuania and a Visiting Professor at Southern Illinois University, talks about the sense of belonging in Lithuanian immigrants in the USA. He touches upon how some take on a “Us vs Them” mentality and how high wages in the US are the main motivator for Lithuanians to live in the US, rather than cultural ones.
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