Ethnography_Bulgaria.docx

Bulgarian Migratory Experience
Josiah Parry
Plymouth State University
ST: Anthropology of Migration


Introduction

I come from a Bulgarian family. Much of my family, direct and extended, have migrated to the United States, either legally or illegally. Many of their friends have made the migration from Bulgaria to the United States, and a few to Canada. Recently, I, along with my mother, ventured to Bulgaria to visit and understand our origin. My mother was born in Sofia—the capital—and hasn't been to Bulgaria since her escape as a child. While in Bulgaria we traveled to the rural areas of Sapareva Banya, and Radomir. I witnessed traditional culture, post-communist cities, and gentrified parts of Sofia. People in Bulgaria come from many walks of life, rural agrarian farmers, sweatshop workers, international salespeople, etcetera. Bulgarians, since the end of the 20th century have shown great interest in emigration (Careja, 2012). It has become a great interest of mine to understand the causes of Bulgarian migration.

Bulgaria is in the crossroads of Europe and Asia. Humans have traverses through Bulgaria and the greater Balkans for millennia. Bulgaria was founded by the unification of a number of tribes. Bulgarians are generally considered to be of Thracian, Bulgars, and Slavic descent. From its conception, Bulgaria has been a location of many violent revolts. Bulgarians have been subsumed into many cultures, most notably the Byzantine, Roman, and Ottoman empires.

In 1912, the Balkan League—an alliance between Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece, and Montenegro—was formed and fought the Ottoman Empire for independence (Hughes, 2016). During the Second World War, Bulgaria fought alongside the Axis due to political pressures. Eventually due to pressures from the Soviet Union they then formed The Fatherland Front and began to fight on the side of the Allies (Hughes, 2016). The Soviet influenced Fatherland Front would be decisive in the future of Bulgaria. In September 1946, a referendum was held where an overwhelming majority voted to abolish the monarchy (Glenn, 1992). Thus Bulgaria became The People's Republic of Bulgaria.

Georgi Dimitrov, the head of the Fatherland Front government was named the prime minister after the referendum. Dimitrov had argued that parliamentary attempts within the monarchy had been a complete disaster. Dimitrov claimed that only large-scale social and economic control would contribute to positive development of the Bulgarian nation. In 1947 Dimitrov guided the creation of the constitution, colloquially known as the Dimitrov Constitution (Glenn, 1992). The constitution guaranteed equality before the law, freedom from discrimination, universal welfare, freedom of speech, press, and assembly. However there was one clause in the constitution that allowed for totalitarian control of the people. If anyone's actions were perceived as an attack against the government, they would be considered treasonous. This rule was applied quite liberally. In 1989, communist rule was overturned. From November 1989 to July 1991, Bulgaria fought for democracy, and eventually won it in another election (Glenn, 1992).

During the communist / socialist rule of Bulgaria, travel to democratic nations was close to forbidden. Many Bulgarians were disenfranchised with no method of social or economic mobility. Bulgarians sought many unconventional methods to escape the socialist rule. Many Bulgarians escaped illegally with a few bucks in their pockets and only a bag of clothes. It is my desire to understand the motives for these individuals' migration.

The purpose of this study is to understand and identify the key motivational factors for emigration from Bulgaria in the late 20th century. This study will employ anthropological research methods to understand the qualitative aspects of the migratory experience. This study will rest on the back of prior literature about migration from Bulgaria and other post-communist nations. Many nations in the Balkan region experienced similar revolutions, changes in government structure, and structural oppression. 

My mother has escaped communism not once, but twice. Her birth in communist Bulgaria, and her escape across the Berlin Wall—the physical manifestation of the iron curtain—are central to her identity as an American, and in turn, my own. By being able to understand the migratory experiences of Bulgarians, perhaps we can gain further insight into the experience of others who have moved to democratize states as a result of structural oppression from fascist regimes. 

Methodology

The subjects of this study are individuals who were born in Bulgaria, and at one point moved to the United States for an extended period of time. Participants were recruited through direct and extended social ties. Data were collected through phone interviews—conversations lasted for a half hour on average— and informal conversations during a recent visit to Sofia, Bulgaria (March 2016). Phone interviews focused on the subjects experience migrating from Bulgaria, their reasons for it, and their connections to Bulgaria. Informal conversations mostly happened around the dinner table. Meals are central to Bulgarian culture. Dinners are hour-long events. Before eating it is customary to drink one or two glasses of Rakia—traditional grape liquor—or vodka. The drinks are followed by a salad, and then a meal consisting of some vegetables and a meat. During these conversations, Bulgarians open up and talk about their personal struggles, such as long working hours at a factory, familial poverty, and health issues. Analyses were done as an interpretation of interview recordings, transcripts, and notes from conversations based on prior literature.


Results

For the purposes of anonymity I will refer to the research subjects by pseudonyms. I will call them, Rick, and Emile. I will refer to my mother by her true name—well, nickname—Bonny.

Bonny was born in Sofia, Bulgaria in 1974. Sofia is the capital of Bulgaria. Today is contains 1.2 million people of the total 7.2 million people (1/7th) of the total people that live within Bulgaria. When she was three or 4, her family moved to East Berlin. Both of her parents have postgraduate degrees. Her mother acquired a Masters in German, while her father acquired a Masters in Economics. Her mother worked as a translator for the Bulgarian embassy in East Germany. Her government position granted her special permissions, which allowed her to cross the border without inspection—due to government issued license plates. 

Bonny claims to be unclear on the full details of her escape from East Germany. She does recall being picked up from school by her father in her mother's car. They drove through Checkpoint Charlie of the Berlin Wall. She describes the circumstance of her escape:

I left E. Germany because my father took me. I had no choice in the matter. The reason he left was because he knew that other people on the other side of the iron curtain lived freely and with economic opportunity. Under the communist regime, he felt trapped, controlled, and stuck being poor.

After crossing the Berlin Wall, she hid from the East German government in safe houses with other asylum seeking families thanks to help from the French Secret Police. After months of frequent moving her father, and new stepfamily settled in Munich. From Munich she would then move the US at the end of 7th grade in 1984.

We immigrated as a family to the U.S. We were a little torn where we would settle, Illinois or the Bay Area. We had Bulgarian friends in both places offering to help us get settled. Ultimately my father and Hanni [my stepmother] chose the Bay Area.

Since moving to the United States she has not returned to either Germany or Bulgaria, until March of 2016. She received her US citizenship in the summer of 2015. "I don't have regret about moving here, but I have regret about the circumstances under which I got here."

The second interview subject, Rick, is a male, born in Sofia, Bulgaria, 1964. He emigrated to Canada illegally in 1989, just a few months before the fall of communism in Bulgaria; with only 98 dollars in his pocket and a suitcase full of clothes. He emigrated with 14 other people. His cohort consisted of his two cousins, their older family members and friends, a childhood friend of his and his family.

In order to escape the Bulgarian communist regime, the subject's cohort purchased plane tickets destined for Cuba. He describes it:

We basically took airplane and bought a ticket that was supposed to go to Cuba. From Sofia to Cuba, but actually it was making a stop in Montreal to refuel the plane. By international laws they have to take off the passengers of the plane when they are reloading.

Upon arrival in Canada, he found a job at a hand car wash. He worked various manual labor jobs and ended up as a gas station attendant outside of Montreal. After going through the Canadian immigration court he was denied immigrant status. He appealed the verdict but didn't want to wait to be deported.

One day I said "God damn it, I have to find a way to cross the border to America. I'm scared to stay here. They may deport me." [My boss] said "oh, no problem. Just say when and I'll drive you."

Rick was driven to New York in the trunk of his boss' car. His boss dropped him off in a parking lot; hitch hiked back to Canada, and drove Rick's car to him in NY. From there, Rick drove across the US to California where he worked as a landscaper and eventually create his own business and became a US citizen.

While in Bulgaria I had the opportunity to speak to other individuals who had migrated to the US and Canada and returned. One of these individuals I got to speak to was named Emile. He moved to the US on a visa in 1993. Upon arrival he quickly found work as a taxi drive in San Francisco. He drove cabs to help pay for his degree he was earning at Dominican University in San Rafael, California. Emile graduated with a Masters in International Communications. Currently he works in Bulgaria working odd jobs as a translator.

During my trip we had a surprise guest, my Grandfather's second cousin. He earned a Bachelors degree in Bulgaria. He moved to Canada for employment opportunities during the late 90's. He worked there for a number of years until he found better work in Bulgaria. His return to Bulgaria was also influenced by his desire to raise his kid as a Bulgarian. Currently his son goes to school in Boston, MA for better educational opportunities.

Discussion 

After these conversations two main themes presented themselves. Bulgarian migrants left mainly due to the promise of economic opportunity abroad. Secondly, migrants found much more social freedom and security in democratic states. The Bulgarian government's history of spying and punishing political dissidents was too strong to promote any sense of true freedom. Another third, and slightly less prominent commonality was the pattern of migrating in social groups.

In 1996 and 2001 a survey of potential Bulgarian migrants showed that 77% indicated a desire to emigrate for economic reasons (Rangelova, 2004). Each subject, in their interviews either directly, or indirectly indicated their financial situation as being a leading factor in their desire to migrate. Rick, in his interview, when asked what was your main reason for leaving responded directly that he was "looking for a better life, basically; for opportunities, economic opportunity, freedom of opportunities". Economic opportunities weren't afforded in Bulgaria, there were "very few people that were really rich, and then all of the rest were working class people". Emigration among highly educated individuals was very prominent due to the greater economic opportunities offered elsewhere (Rangelova, 2004).

The potential for social and economic advancement was limited. Living in Bulgaria was a life sentence to monotony, and unskilled labor jobs. Rick noted that he his brother felt that Bulgaria wasn't allowing them to live freely. They became disappointed with Bulgaria and sought freedom from social control. In conversation with my mother she described her fathers ambition that was curbed by Bulgarian rule. . Her "father was ambitious and wanted to live a life that included financial opportunity". He knew that people in the West had things were impossible to have while living in East Germany or Bulgaria. Bulgarians had to live in fear of speaking out against the government. They had to live with the status quo or else be painted as a black sheep. This overall disappointment in Bulgaria has been recorded as the second most prominent driver for migration (Rangelova, 2004).

Migration to democratic nations increases the individual and families' material and cognitive circumstance (Careja, 2012). My mother's father, after moving to the US worked as a car salesman and accumulated enough spare money that he has been able to invest in property in Bulgaria. He now uses that wealth to support himself and his girlfriend. Emile migrated to the US, obtained a Masters degree and now works as a translator over all of Bulgaria earning a substantial living. Money made from the US is often used to invest in the financial well being of migrant (Arrehag, 2005).

Rick may be the best example of actualizing financial goals of migration. Rick after years became an independent business owner. However it required having to acculturate well, something that he and his wife (another Bulgarian migrant) feel they must do on a consistent basis. The subject mentions that one of his first priorities in after moving was to learn the language and the customs so he could be accepted not just as a migrant, but also as a useful member of society. Adapting to American culture became of main importance one he arrived. He established his business here as a basis for his citizenship. Robert Putnam (Harvard) mentions that the challenge of migration "is best met not by making 'them' like 'us', but rather by creating a new, more capacious sense of 'we'" (Gjelten, 2015)




Works Cited


Arrehag, L., Sjöberg, Ö., & Sjöblom, M. (2005). Cross-Border Migration and Remittances In A Post-Communist society. In Return Flows of Money and Goods in the Korçë District.

Careja, R., & Emmenegger, P. (2012). Making Democratic Citizens The Effects of Migration Experience on Political Attitudes in Central and Eastern Europe. Comparative Political Studies, 45(7), 875-902.

Gjelten, Tom. (2015). Should Immigration Require Assimilation? The Atlantic
Glenn E. Curtis. (1992) Bulgaria: A Country Study. Library of Congress
Hughes, T. A. (2016) World War. The Encyclopedia Britannica

Rangelova, R., & Vladimirova, K. (2004). Migration from Central and Eastern Europe: the case of Bulgaria. SEER: Journal for Labour and Social Affairs in Eastern Europe, 7(3), 7-30.