Course Title: Intercultural Communication
             History of Slovak immigration in the Pittsburgh area and how the cultural environment affected their cultural habits, communication patterns, lifestyle, and language
             The dream of one day coming to the United States and making a new fulfilling life has been an ambition for an enormous amount of Slovaks. Since the discovery of the New World, known as North America, thousands of Slovaks have made the attempt to succeed in this Land of Dreams. For most Slovaks, coming to the United States was a highly individualized experience. As time went by, more and more mass migratory movements gained momentum. Why did people want to make the move?
             Throughout the 17th century, craftsmen moved between European countries, selling their products and services only to return home a short time later. Some occupations did lead to permanent jobs for Slovaks. In the 18th century, with the healthy export of cattle and wine, most Slovaks lived comfortably. Many in the manufacturing and mining industries helped support the living wage and the economy of the time. Only after the Austrians started to take control of the industries did the Slovaks find that a move to America may be necessary. A lot of them came to the Pittsburgh area where they found work in mines and steel mills. This work was similar to the work they did in Slovakia. The countryside was similar, too, because Slovakia is a country with mountains and hills. As a result, people felt comfortable here. In this paper I am going to write about how the cultural environment affected traditions, communication patterns, lifestyle, and language of Slovak immigrants in the Pittsburgh area. Once they came, their lives were changed. In this work I interviewed several Slovak immigrants and their descendants who gave me interesting answers to my questions about how their lives were changed since they came to live in another culture. I found some similarities and di...