2nd Generation Croatians active in US Politics
573 U.S. service members have died since the beginning of military operations in Iraq on March 20, according to the most recent Department of Defense figures. Of those 391 died as a result of hostile action, and 183 died of non-hostile causes.
Over 100,000 people peacefully demonstrated against the war in New York City on March 20, 2004. One of the main speakers was the Democratic Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich.
Dennis Kucinich (1946) The oldest of seven children, Kucinich was born in Ohio, near Cleveland’s West Side, an area dotted by gritty ethnic neighborhoods and blue-collar suburbs. His Croatian father, Frank Kucinich, drove a delivery truck; his Irish mother, Virginia, cared for the children. Like many other working class people in the city, Kucinich’s family lived through austere, difficult times. With his father’s meager income as the only means of support, the family frequently couldn’t pay rent, and Kucinich would live in 21 different places by the time he was 17. Dennis pursues a career in public service and has won elections for Mayor of Cleveland, Ohio State Senate, now serving his fourth term in Congress, while running for President of the United Stateswww.kucinich.us or call toll free 866-413-3664
Another second generation Croatian contemplating political office is
Krist Novoselic, (1965) born in Compton, California. He was the bass guitarist and one of the founders for Nirvana, a punk rock group. His parents Krist and Maria were Croatian immigrants from Zadar and moved to the US in 1963. While teenagers, Krist and his brother Robert constantly got into trouble with their father and authorities for such things as vandalism, and property damage. His parents send him to Croatia when he was fourteen to live with relatives for one year. Having a little knowledge of the Croatian language from around the house, he fit in nicely and made lots of friends and found the schools to be excellent. It was also during this extended stay that he found his first tastes of “punk rock”.
His mother Maria is still a hairdresser in Aberdeen, Washington State. Krist is now a dedicated leader of artists, music fans and music industry professionals alike. As an activist and artist, he continues to champion free speech and decided not to run for lieutenant governor in WA, but wants to remain active in politics by working with “Music for America” to boost voter participation among young people and continue his efforts for election reform. Krist writings on democracy are posted at http://fixour.us orhttp://murkyslough.com orwww.novoselic.com orwww.nirvana-online.net/krist.htm