Czech Refugees in Cold War Canada by Jan Raska

Czech Refugees in Cold War Canada by Jan Raska

During the Cold War, more than 36,000 individuals entering Canada claimed Czechoslovakia as their country of citizenship. A defining characteristic of this migration of predominantly political refugees was the prevalence of anti-communist and democratic values. Diplomats, industrialists, politicians, professionals, workers, and students fled to the West in search of freedom, security, and economic opportunity. Jan Raska's Czech Refugees in Cold War Canada explores how these newcomers joined or formed ethnocultural organizations to help in their attempts to affect developments in Czechoslovakia and Canadian foreign policy towards their homeland. Canadian authorities further legitimized the Czech refugees' anti-communist agenda and increased their influence in Czechoslovak institutions. In turn, these organizations supported Canada's Cold War agenda of securing the state from communist infiltration. Ultimately, an adherence to anti-communism, the promotion of Canadian citizenship, and the cultivation of a Czechoslovak ethnocultural heritage accelerated Czech refugees' socioeconomic and political integration in Cold War Canada. By analyzing oral histories, government files, ethnic newspapers, and community archival records, Raska reveals how Czech refugees secured admission as desirable immigrants and navigated existing social, cultural, and political norms in Cold War Canada.

Raska, Jan: - Jan Raska is a historian with the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, Halifax.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780887558276
ISBN 10	0887558275
Title	Czech Refugees in Cold War Canada
Author	Jan Raska
Series	Studies In Immigration And Culture
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	University of Manitoba Press
Year published	2018-08-31
Number of pages	328
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.