“Letters from America”: Songs of Lithuanian Immigrants in the USA

In the nineteenth century, most Lithuanian immigrants in America were peasants who had left homeland in search for a better life in Pennsylvanian coal mines or Chicago stockyards. Immigrant songs described the pain of parting from the loved ones, the impressions of the strange new land, and reminiscences of the homeland. Some songs were printed on postcards so that even an illiterate person could sign the card and send it home. The first immigrants, having grown up in green villages of Lithuania, used to return to their homeland in their thoughts, and, of course, through their songs. The story of Lithuanian immigrants is not exceptional; it can be regarded as an example of the cultural situation and development of immigrant communities more generally. This article deals with the folk songs of the first-generation immigrants, recorded by Lithuanian folklorist Jonas Balys. In 1944, Balys left for Germany with his family, and in 1948 he moved on to the USA. Working at Indiana University in Bloomington, Balys was encouraged to visit Lithuanian immigrants and record their folklore. The expeditions (1949–1951) proved successful, and he recorded many songs on magnetic tapes, as well as folktales and other folklore genres. From this material Balys prepared a two-volume publication of songs (published in the USA in 1958 and 1977) which contained folk songs representing the traditional rural way of life, as well as some immigrant songs. This article focuses on immigrant songs, the longing for the homeland and other emotions that they convey.