The Newsletter of Naš e Tri Grada - Molisan Croatian Cultural Association of Western Australia Inc.

Two major waves of migration affected the villages: the first occurred in the beginning of the 1900s and the second took place in the 1950s. The first wave was to the United States and South America while the second wave involved northern Europe and Western Australia.In Australia, the earliest pioneers from Acquaviva Collecroce disembarked at fremantle in 1927. Chain migration began in the early 50s and continued into the 60s.

While just over 2,000 Molisan croatians inhabit the three villages, only about 65% are still speakers of this diaspora dialect. Perth has become the home of some 2,000 speakers of Molisan Croatian (1st and 2^nd generation). Since we are faced with an ageing community and a second generation whose children are predominantly monolingual, the present state of the language is seriously endangered. This third generation of young Australians however, is showing a keen interest and a growing pride in this added dimension to their cultural heritage.

Why "Dove Bane Svit "?

When asked where they came from, our ancestors always used to answer:

"Iz one bane mora!" / from the other side of the sea. Now that the population of these villages has been significantly depleted through emigration, we find that places such as Brazil and Argentina (1890s), then the USA (up to the early 1920s) followed by Western Australia and Europe (1950s) represent destinations which gave our people a chance to start a new life. Many generations later and from all over the globe we can now echo our ancestors with:

"Dove bane svit!"

/ from these parts of the world.

Just some reasons why we came together…
 
 

Naš e Tri Grada - Molisan Croatian Cultural Association of Western Australia was founded on the 27th of July 1998 for the promotion and advancement of Molisan Croatian language and culture. Our Constitution states that among our objectives, The Association is to encourage further study and research of our cultural and historical heritage both in Australia and in the countries of origin. Its aim is to consolidate and develop ties between the three towns with the migrant community that came to settle in Western Australia.
 
 
 
 

Editorial

Three publications have come to light within three months of each other 2000/2001. They are two dictionaries and a social history. Montemitro has come up with Dizionario Dell’ Idioma Croato-Molisano di Montemitro / RJEÈ NIK Moliš kohrvatskoga Govora Mundimitra. Acquaviva Collecroce preceded them with Dizionario croato molisano di Acquaviva Collecroce with Italian, Standard Croatian and German entries. Our Association has been kindly donated about 50 copies gratis from the authors (Giovanni Piccoli, Walter Breu, and Snjež ana Marè ec). All we had to meet was the freight cost. Needless to say, these projects received substantial financial backing from a variety of sources.

Copies of the Acquaviva Dictionary are available from any of the committee members and sell at $20. This is to defray the cost we incurred while also generating some much-needed funds. We don’t have any copies of the Montemitro Dictionary.

As for our publication of The Fountain and the Squeezebox, despite or because of its English market bias, the book is attracting considerable interest in the villages. In Western Australia it is gathering support from the Italian and Croatian community and Australian readers in general. Although such a project received little financial support, it has been gathering recognition and gradually gaining popularity amongst the third generation for whom it was intended. The book sells at $25 from all university bookshops and selected Dymock’s stores. 20% of all sales of the book done through a committee member go to our Naš e Tri Grada Association.

A big thank-you to all who helped with the book launches, the photographic exhibition and the sales and distribution of the book. It was good to see the turn out from friends and community members at our first launch at the
 
 
 
 

Villa Dalmacia Nursing Home. A thank-you to the Croatian History Association of WA for offering their headquarters.

In the first week of May we had our official book launch at the Italo Australian Welfare and Cultural Centre with the intervention of the two consuls. Once again, I would like to thank the Consul General of Croatia, Mr Mirco Volareviæ and the Consul of Italy, Dott. Maurizio Canfora, for their active involvement in the launching of the book. Besides these two dignitaries, the occasion was also honored with the presence of the author Alfredo Strano and Jaye Radisich MLA.

Interviews aired on SBS national radio together with further announcements on the local Italian radio greatly helped in promoting the book. It can be said that these efforts have put the three villages on the map and given them some recognition towards taking a significant step towards the preservation and protection of our cultural heritage. They have helped develop our ties between Italy, Croatia and Australia. As the saying goes: Books are forever. I am also indebted to Marianina Secola, Maria Guarino, Eric Cicanese and Carole King for their support in the preparation and organisation of these events.

In conclusion, as a Cultural Association we have been invited to get more involved with other associations both Croatian and Italian. The book in fact, has generated a strong interest and stirred a desire for migrant women from other regions of Italy to have their memories recorded.

On the strength of these recent developments, a more active, constructive and productive participation in upcoming social events is on the agenda. We have been asked to participate jointly on some of these occasions. Taking part or helping organise a Dinner Dance in the near future (August/September) will be a welcome addition to our social and cultural calendar

Best wishes,

The President.
 
 

Bid to preserve a dying tongue.By Jennifer Peate.

In a bid to save a dying language, a Perth man has published a book documenting the dialect he learnt from his parents. Language teacher John Felix Clissa, of Victoria Park, said the Molisan-Croatian dialect was in danger of becoming extinct. "There are less than 2,000 first-generation speakers left in the world, half of whom emigrated to Perth in the 1950s," he said.

United Nations authorities estimate that 10 languages die every year and more than half of the world’s languages will go this century. "The Molisan-Croatian dialect is classified as severely endangered and may well become one of theses statistics," Mr Clissa said. His book, The Fountain and the Squeezebox, is the history of migrants in Perth from three isolated mid-Adriatic Italian towns who still speak the dialect that began in 16^th century Croatia.

With the help of his mother and aunt, Mr Clissa interviewed the migrant women on experiences of their families in the last 100 years. The book is available at university bookshops and some Dymocks stores.
 
 

"The Sunday Times," newspaper, May 27, 2001. By Christina Cridland.

The Fountain and the Squeezebox, J F. Clissa, self-published, available at selected Dymocks and university bookstores.

With the publication of The Fountain and the Squeezebox a small, vulnerable community in

WA has asserted its own identity in the face

of the global spread of North American culture and the rise and rise of the English language.

It is a collection of memories about the endangered time capsule that is the Italo-Croatian culture and language. Immigrants, especially, will relate to the stories of people struggling to fit into a new country and rebuild lives shattered by war while retaining parts of their culture and identity.

Most of the book comprises interviews with women and one man who were born between 1901 and 1934 in Molise - one of Italy’s lesser known regions about halfway down the Adriatic coast. Ten of them were interviewed in Italy while the other 17 are from WA.

These people became what author John Clissa, a member of Perth’s Italo-Croatian community, called his living dictionaries. The book’s passages are in the Molisan-Croatian dialect - which is like 16^th century Croatian with a few Italian words.

The Italo-Croatians come from three villages in Molise - Montemitro, Acquaviva Collecroce and San Felice del Molise. Yet they speak a language and retain many tradtions their forebears brought with them from the Dalmatia region of Croatia, across the Adriatic sea, when they fled the invasion of the Turks through the Balkans in the 16^th century.

Geographic isolation of the villages and a deep-rooted oral tradtion had kept the Ital-Croatian language and customs largely intact over centuries. But now there are fewer than 2,000 Molisan-Croatian speakers left who learnt the dialect as their first language. Half of those came to WA between 1927 and the early 1950s.

With their children who speak the dialect there are about 2,000 speakers of Molisan-Croatian in WA, mainly in Fremantle, Midland and Victoria Park. But with pressure in Italy to learn standard Italian and further marriages outside the Italo-Croatian community in Australia, it is expected the language will die out this century.

"We are at a very dangerous crossroad and the purpose of the book was to pass the language on, at least the memory of it, to successive generations," Mr Clissa said. "The true identity and spirit of a community are lost with its dialect. If you want to get really close to the spirit of a community, you have to use their language. That was the key to the book. The speakers spoke to me in their language and that was freeing for them."

The author had received many e-mails from people of Italo-Croatian descent in the US and Canada who had read the book. "One of the most moving was from a man who had lost his father when he was five and he had been investigating his heritage. "He went to the village in Italy, had a look around and took some photos. But because he couldn’t speak the language, he couldn’t communicate with anybody. Through this book he really understands where he comes from and who he is."

"It’s a reconnection - it’s spiritual and healing. The past gives a sense of who you are."

The title refers to important tools in traditional courting rituals, which are described in the most entertaining and intriguing chapter. Young men would serenade their sweethearts with an accordion - although they risked having a hand-basin of dirty household water tipped on them by a disapproving father.

In pre-World War II Italy and the village, the fountain was one of the few chances young people had to check out the members of the opposite sex. "Young men came to the fountain and ogled at girls they fancied. You couldn’t talk to one though, because if you did, when you got home, you discovered the old fire poker was made of iron," one interviewee said.
 
 
 
 
 
 

The book has traditional verses and even a recipe for Kolaæ - pastries filled with spiced fruit and nuts.

The Fremantle Gazette, June, 2001.

An important literary work with its roots in Italy and Croatia but involving Perth women was launched recently.

Called The Fountain and the Squeezebox, the book is a study of a linguistic minority, historically settled in central Italy )to escape the Ottoman Turks), which via word of mouth has passed on a 16^th century Croatian dialect from Dalmatia.

Last week the Consul General of Italy Maurizio Canfora and his Croatian counterpart Mirko Volareviæ launched the book in Perth. Author John Clissa said there were fewer than 2,000 first-generation speakers left, half of whom emigrated to Perth to start a new life in the 1950s.

These women, from the villages of Montemitro, San Felice del Molise and Acquaviva Collecroce, have been consulted for their knowledge of the language. Mr Clissa said their stories, presented in bilingual text, were a living testimony of a dying language and an invaluable contribution to the realisation of this social history.

"Some of these women do not read or write so it is even more invaluable that we retain these memories now," he said. "However these women are in the main multilingual, which is a tribute to them."
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

I have read most of the book now and have found it fascinating. It is a wonderful way to keep our heritage alive. I will begin to contact people that I know who have parents from the villages. I will have to write letters or e-mail them. I will tell them about your book and ask if they want to order one. Congratulations on writing this book. It is one that my children and I will treasure forever and pass on from one generation to the next. You did a great job! You can be proud of your work.

Sincerely,

Adele USA

Thank you very much for sending me a copy of your book that I really enjoyed.
I hope we can meet at the Canberra Conference next September.

Regards,

Antonia

E' da molto che penso di scriverti; ma sono cosi' preso che non ho mai abbastanza tempo. Come hai saputo ho finalmente finito il dizionario di Montemitro, cominciato da Agostina. Non sai che fatica! Pero' sono molto soddisfatto. La presentazione e il convegno che si sono svolti il 16 e 17 dicembre sono stati un grande successo. C'è molto interesse intorno alla nostra lingua e alla nostra minoranza. A fine mese faremo la presentazione del libro a Zagabria e a Vienna.

Puoi avere delle informazioni dal nostro sito:

WWW.montemiro.3000.it

Tienimi informato di tutte le novita'.

Ciao a presto.

Antonio
 
 
 
 

Yes, I received the fax you sent me. Fantastic! And I got the book too!
I love the subject of "The Fountain and the Squeezebox". We fight to keep our languages alive

Germano

Just thought I'd make a couple of comments on John's book for you to pass on.
I really like the way he has given the women their chance to speak. I liked the fact that the English translation was beside the original rather than in another section. It was fun to try to find the corresponding words in each language. I'd love to hear it spoken - it looks like such an interesting language.

I enjoyed reading about a people and a language that I didn't know existed. And it's important that these 'minority groups' are given a voice in this world where globalisation and homogenisation reign supreme. One
small point - on the map of Italy at the beginning, it would have been useful to have the relevant region shaded - fairly minor really!

Reading the introduction, I realised I was coming at the book from a different angle to which it was intended. John's intention was to capture the language, which he did. I come more from a historian's viewpoint, which meant I was more interested in the stories rather than the language. I would like to hear John's reasons for splitting the stories into separate categories. At times I thought it was very effective and at others I became frustrated because I wanted to hear a story from beginning to end.

Having said that, I did enjoy the book and I am going to re-read it to get a better handle on it. I hope John is getting positive feedback and that the book is selling well.
 

Lea.
 
 
 
 

Grazie per l'invito, ma purtroppo non potremo presenziare. Ti facciamo i nostri auguri per il lancio!! Ho ritirato le due copie del tuo bellissimo libro e stamattina ho consegnato a Rocco la sua. Complimenti per l'accurata ricerca e l'esposizione delle storie che sono nel tuo libro. Michelina se lo sta studiando. L'ho mostrato anche ad un mio collega, il quale si è commosso quando ha visto la fotocopia dei documenti che hai riportato nel libro e le storie VERE dei protagonisti. Quando pensi di venire in Italia? Ci sentiamo presto, bacioni,

Ciao, Sonia & co.

Sono stato a Montemitro il 28 e 29 Aprile, sono passato in comune ed ho ritirato 2 copie

del tuo libro che sto attualmente leggendo. Sono molto belli e interessanti i racconti delle

persone. E' uscito un CD con la raccolta di poesie, pubblicato dall'associazione "Agostina Piccoli", te ne allego una.

Ciao a risentirci,

Gabriele

Apologies for taking so long to reply to you but a copy of your book HAS
now arrived and I can only say that it looks like a really fine volume, both in terms of scholarship and quite obviously a labour of love. However, not being a linguist myself I still can't tell whether it can fit in to the September Conference.

I wonder if you wouldn't mind sending a copy of it to two of our panel organisers who are in charge of the areas of Language and Linguistics and Migration respectively and they might be in a better position to see where it could be part of the conference.

Allow me to offer you my own warmest congratulations on what looks like a really fine piece of work and I hope to be able to talk to you further about it once the others have also had a look at it.

Bes twishes Gino
 
 
 
 

Thank you for the copy of your book - congratulations on the volume, which will certainly be a valuable resource for scholars around the world. Thanks too for the invitation: I am unable to participate in this Sunday's launch, but a date in May is possible.

Best wishes

John

Thanks for your book, I received it the other day but had no chance to acknowledge it before. Congratulations! I will have a closer look at it and hopefully write a short review and send it to Croatian papers
here in Australia and in Croatia.
I will get in touch when I have a closer look at the book.

Best,regards,

Luka.

John ,

It's done! Check with the following Internet pages. Good luck for the party!

WWW.multimania/manso/molise

Best regards,

Franck Manso

My warmest thanks for the book, which looks great. Congratulations on its appearance. I look forward to reading it on my return from Europe (I'm off on Monday for 3 weeks of conferences). I am sorry I was not in my office when you came. With very best wishes

Michael

Ho trovato a Campobasso la copia del tuo libro, di cui ti ringrazio sinceramente. E' un bel libro e, per quello che il mio evanescente inglese mi consente di capire, anche originale.

Me ne congratulo con te doppiamente:perché sei riuscito a farlo uscire e perché sei riuscito asuperare le difficoltà che ad un certo punto si sono frapposte. Stiamo preparando la Settimana Molisana in Australia,

probabilmente nei primi giorni di novembre. Fammi capire se a Perth vi sia un'organnizzazione di molisani e quali possono essere le iniziative che si possono organizzare in uno-due giorni.

Intanto mi congratulo ancora con te e, in

attesa di una tua risposta,

ti abbraccio cordialmente,
Peppino

I now at long last have had time to read your book. I am sorry about the delay. I have indeed been busy. I am glad that you gave me a copy since the recording in it seems to me useful and moving. Although professional historians approach the analysis of the past
in rather different ways to community historians, your record of it on the other hand, will be of great use to many researchers. Very best wishes, you truly deserve it.

Richard

Many thanks for sending me a copy of your book. I have read it twice already, and many passages will be re-read often by both my family and me. Please don't apologise for not autographing it, but be assured that such a personalised copy would be most appreciated, should you choose to do that sometime in the future.

I am so thankful to your great store of knowledge of this small region of Italy from which my father came. Your book helped me to better understand my family heritage, giving it an almost palpable form.

My father died when I was quite young, so I had little opportunity to learn about his family and hometown from him through anything other than his writing. I was unaware of the uniqueness of the Molisan Croatian villages, and their fascinating history.

Through genealogy research and two wonderful trips to Acquaviva Collecroce, and your book, I finally have a sense of who these people are, and hence, who I am. I know more about my family than I ever dreamed I would learn. Again, please accept my most

sincere thanks. I hope we have an opportunity to meet one day.

With kindest regards,

Roland USA
 

In Friday’s 4/5/2001 Croatian Herald (Hrvatski Vjesnik) I very quickly did a review/summary in English on your book. Hopefully, this will create some more interest in your book. The Croatian Herald is the most widely read Croatian language newspaper published in Australia and they also have a small English section. If you buy last Friday's Croatian Herald you can see the article I wrote.

Regards
Ilija
 

Thank you very much for your book, which has arrived this morning. I will read it with great pleasure. Has our Dictionary arrived by now? If not, I will send you a copy personally.

Regards and best wishes, Walter

I look forward to many evenings curled up in bed trying to increase my fluency in "Molisan-Croatian." I hope you get the respect and recognition you deserve.

Regards, Jan.

I'm sorry not to have got back to you sooner about your book. But I've been more than usually busy. Not too busy, though, to read it and find it a moving historical record of people holding on to tradition -- gave me a real insight into the pains and achievements of migrants.

I loved the cover! I thought that the way you set out the story, letting people speak for themselves was very effective--brought one very close to their experience, especially as they were speaking in their own language -- and very respectful.

You' refined yourself out of existence' in best Joycean fashion. -- Philip Ruddock take note! So, congratulations all round Thank you again for sharing the book I hope it's a great success.

Affectionately,
Veronica

I was at UWA today and treated myself to a copy of your book. It looks beautiful and I will enjoy reading it. It may take some time before I can do so as my PhD research and part time work is needing my attention.

Congratulations and best of luck with it!
Sally
 

Il tuo libro ha sicuramente messo in luce il fatto che il mio inglese non è più fluente come una volta, ci sto mettendo un bel po' di tempo per leggerlo. Sicuramente l'argomento che tratta implica anche un utilizzo articolato della lingua, però data la chiarezza concettuale dell'inglese ho perso certamente dei colpi.

Finora ho letto la prima parte con la Storia e le note sul fenomeno dell'immigrazione e sto adesso leggendo le interviste.

la prima considerazione è che non mi sto annoiando e questo è un punto a tuo favore. Per il resto voglio finire di leggere il libro e poi esprimerò un giudizio complessivo.

Alla Prossima
Marco

I loved "The Fountain and the Squeezebox." It was refreshing to read our language in a meaningful context.

Claudio.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Ti trasmetto in allegato una copia del libro scritto dal Dr John Felix Clissa, residente a Perth, intitolato "The Fountain and the Squeezebox," recentemente pubblicato.

Il libro consiste in una serie di interviste realizzate dall’autore nella piccola comunita` dei croato-molisani emigrati in Western Australia. Scopo della pubblicazione e` quello di far conoscere e far rivivere attraverso i ricordi e le esperienze degli emigrati - il dialetto croato-molisano parlato nei tre comuni di Acquaviva Collecroce, Montemitro e San Felice (provincia di Campobasso).

Di recente, ho partecipato insieme al collega croato - al lancio del libro presso L’Italo-Australian Welfare and Cultural Centre. La serata e` stata un vero successo, ed all’evento ha partecipato anche SBS Radio, che ha mandato in onda un’intervista dell’autore e dei rappresentanti consolari.

Il Dr Clissa ha pubblicato il libro con mezzi propri e sin dal 1998 e` l’animatore di un’associazione culturale croato-molisana - Naš e Tri Grada che ha riscosso un discreto successo in questo Stato.

Personalmente ritengo che l’opera del Dr Clissa sia un modo di promuovere e far conoscere un aspetto della cultura italiana assolutamente originale e fuori dai soliti cliches. E` principalmente per questo motivo che mi sembra che il Dr Clissa meriti un appoggio anche da parte nostra nell’eventuale organizzazione di manifestazioni per la promozione e la pubblicizzazione del suo libro.

Con i miei migliori saluti.

Maurizio Canfora

Consul of Italy
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Executive

President Treasurer

John Clissa Valter Guarino

104a Hubert Street, 11 Chigwell Place,

East Victoria Park, 6101 Carine, 6020

Western Australia. Western Australia.

Telephone: (08) 9355 0702 Telephone: (08) 9447 9552

E-mail: clissa@starwon.com.au

Vice President

Tania Mirco Virginia Marchesi

18 Lakeside Drive, 9 Lookout Rd,

Helena Valley, 6056 Kalamunda,

Western Australia. Western Australia.

Telephone: (08) 9274 4456 Telephone: (08) 9257 1712

Committee

Eric and Renata Cicanese Michael and Antonietta Tomizzi

3 Kilbride Circle, 22 Kingsfield Ave,

Waterford, 6152 Swan View, 6056

Western Australia. Western Australia
 
 

Denise McKeon Mario and Margaret Matassa

8 Twin View, 289 Marmion Street,

Swan View, 6056 Melville, 6156

Western Australia. Western Australia.
 
 

Antonio Mattiaccio Adrian and Patricia Pesce

23 Lanchester Way, 7 Callan Way,

Stirling, 6021 Waterford, 6152

Western Australia. Western Australia
 
 

Maria Guarino Marianina Secola

17 Whittlesford Street, 9 Westminster Street

East Victoria Park, 6101 East Victoria Park, 6101

Western Australia. Western Australia.
 
 

Carole King Joe Mirco

48b Lawler Street, 18 Lakeside Drive,

South Perth, 6151 Helena Valley, 6056

Western Australia. Western Australia

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Molisan Croatian Cultural Association of Western Australia Inc.

PO. Box 1176 East Victoria Park, Western Australia, 6981.