Historian Hugo Javier Freitas documents Croatian migration to Argentina

Historian Hugo Javier Freitas reconstructed the migration paths of his ancestors from the island of Krk in Croatia to Buenos Aires, Argentina.

He compiled his findings into a book titled Korijeni u vodama, which explores the personal lives of migrants and the broader historical context of moving to South America. Freitas used old documents, photographs, and family testimonies to trace his ancestor, Marko Grandić, who was born in 1871 and arrived in Buenos Aires on February 9, 1890.

He worked with historian Maja Bogdašić to understand the specific historical conditions of life in Baška during that period. His book compares the experiences of a Croatian family from Krk with a Spanish family from Galicia to show different perspectives on settling in South America. The historian emphasizes the human cost of migration, noting that many families faced painful separations where parents remained in Europe while children grew up in Argentina.

He explains that while Argentina offered economic growth and new opportunities in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, these opportunities often came at the price of family unity. He notes that while the Croatian community in Argentina maintains traditions through schools and restaurants, many descendants eventually lose the original language. Freitas continues to research Croatian history to preserve these family stories before they disappear from collective memory.

He aims to show that migration is defined by sacrifice and identity preservation across generations despite the distance.