Narodnomanjšinske podobe Slovenije: Opombe o narodno različnem slovenstvu

Diversity is the only common trait of the human race, so it cannot be any different for the inhabitants of the Republic of Slovenia: we differ in terms of gender, age, education, marital status, citizenship, religion, etc. Another important characteristic of the population of Slovenia is their diverse ethnic identity. We know virtually everything about the majority and dominant Slovenian nation. However, our knowledge of the residents of Slovenia who identify themselves by a national affiliation other than that of the majority nation—such as Albanians, Bosnians, Montenegrins, Croats, Italians, Jews, Hungarians, Macedonians, Germans, Roma, Sinti, Serbs, etc.—is very limited, selective, and narrow. In this section, we focus our research attention on these residents of Slovenia, members of various national minorities.

The territory of today’s Republic of Slovenia has been visited (and settled) by many in the past; some to escape the horrors of life in one corner or another of Europe; others in search of better employment opportunities; still others driven by the restless spirit of travel. Everyone who came brought something new with them and embedded it in the concept we call Slovenian identity. With every new member, Slovenian identity takes on a new, different, and more modern image. Members of minority groups are co-creators of the identity of the Slovenian space and therefore co-owners of Slovenian culture. And new faces continue to arrive.

– From the Introduction, Dr. Miran Komac