Estonians across the world are not a community separate from Estonian society; instead, they have a strong emotional and cultural bond with Estonia, a study commissioned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and carried out by the Institute of Baltic Studies shows.
The majority of the expat Estonian community have a multicultural identity, that is, a symbiosis of several identities or affiliations. Most Estonians abroad are content with their life in their new country and have adapted to life there, while their sense of belonging to Estonia has remained strong. More than half of respondents celebrate Esto-nian holidays and vote in Estonian elections. A large share of families with children wish to pass on Estonian language, culture and customs to their children and a majority want to keep their Estonian citizenship.
“The Estonian communities abroad are becoming increasingly diverse, multilingual and multicultural. For example, the study shows us that nearly two thirds of the families are of mixed nationalities, where the children speak two languages as their mother tongue and are experiencing at least two cultures. This is why it is extremely important to support, inspire and encourage parents in preserving and developing this diversity, as it helps to preserve the continuity of Estonian language and culture abroad,” Kristjan Kaldur, one of the authors of the study, explained.
The study provides an insight into the diversity of Estonian communities abroad and the various reasons for leaving Estonia. The study also revealed that while the majority of the Estonian community abroad considers Estonian to be their native language, nearly a fifth of them could no longer speak it at a native level.
“The study is valuable to us because this way, we can plan our practical work based on recommendations by researchers. Not everything we take for granted in this area is backed up by the survey among Estonians abroad. This is why I encourage everyone to read the study on our website,” Marin Mõttus, Ambassador at Large for the Diaspora, said. “I am very glad that so many Estonians living in other countries have retained their strong bond with Estonia, they follow Estonian media and speak Estonian with their children.”
Link to the study: https://vm.ee/rahvusvaheline-suhtlus-uleilmne-eestlus/ule-ilmne-eestlus
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