The multiple identitas: Slovak diaspora in Serbia in between state and nation

Relevant literature points out that the nature of migration has been changed in the last 25 years. The biggest change concerns migration patterns. Global migration flows are characterised with the increased non-permanent, circular migration. New migration patterns create a transnational migrants, who can be connected with more than one country or culture at the same time. Transnational migrants can be linked to homeland or origin country as well as to host or destination country in many different ways and contexts. Higher connectivity and mobility in a contemporary world has resulted in the multiplication of people memberships, identities and loyalties. Nowadays people can claim multiple political and cultural identities here and there. The Slovak minority in Serbia is result of the migration, which started from the 18th century and continued throughout the entire 19th century. Contemporary Slovaks living in Serbia are recognized as the national minority and they are enjoying considerable minority rights. From the beginning of the 1990ʹs Slovak republic started to develop diaspora policies in order to engage with Slovaks living abroad. Slovakia has established special rights and benefits for foreign Slovaks within and beyond its territory. The objective of this paper is to explore the issues of the identities, memberships and loyalties of the members of the Slovak community living in Serbia. As well this paper seeks to explore if Slovak diaspora regime and Serbian minority regime have contributed to the expansion of the rights and benefits for Slovak community living in Serbia and also towards multiplication of their memberships, identities and loyalties. The research topic is concerned with the issues of citizenship or membership in political community and nation, the issues of multiple identification of Slovaks with the state where they live and to which they relate to. In this paper are examined the questions about national and ethnic identity, national and ethnic consciousness and ethnic distance of the Slovaks living in Serbia.