Photo: Klára Stejskalová, Radio Prague International
Members of Sokol, a Czech physical fitness organisation with branches the world over, are descending on Prague for the 17th All Sokol Slet, or jamboree, due to start on Sunday. Among the 20,000 enthusiasts due to attend is Joan Sedlacek, a dedicated chronicler of Sokol activities in the United States.
Joan Sedlacek, a board member of the Sokol Museum and Library in St. Paul, Minnesota, is a second-generation Czech expat. Her grandparents came to the United States in the 19th century as the first Czech settlers. They eventually moved to Chicago, where Joan’s father was born. Although her mother is of a German-Danish descent, Joan has always felt a strong connection to her Czech heritage:
“It is deep in my heart. I am a 100 percent American, but like most of the Czech people I know, they really love the Czech heritage, the people and the country. We have a lot of Czechs who married other ethnic groups and brought them into the Czech culture, and they love it as well.”
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Authors: Klára Stejskalová, Ruth Fraňková