The Los Angeles Football Club will host its first Croatian Heritage Night Saturday before facing the San Jose Earthquakes at BMO Stadium.
Participants will have a chance to meet in front of stadium at 7 p.m. for a pre-game group photo and a post-game meet-and-greet with team forward Stipe Biuk, who was born in Croatia, and assistant coach Ante Razov, a first generation Croatian-American.
It's just one of the events scheduled this week for the City of Los Angeles' inaugural Croatian Culture Week.
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Other activities, all being held in San Pedro, will include a Croatian Wine Tasting & Dinner at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Raffaello Ristorante, the First Annual Southern California Croatian Bocce Ball Tournament at 8 a.m. Saturday and the 33rd Anniversary Croatian Independence Day Weekend, capped by a Street Party at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, both at 22nd Street Park, 140 W. 22nd St.
Los Angeles City Councilman Tim McOsker kicked off the celebration Friday with a special City Council presentation.
"Croatian culture is deeply ingrained in San Pedro,'' McOsker said in a statement. "While we come together every four years to celebrate and cheer on their incredible World Cup team, it's the history and the weekly and monthly get-togethers that make their impact so strong in our community.''
McOsker, whose 15th District includes San Pedro, home to one of the largest populations of Croatian immigrants, said the first Croatians immigrated to the area during the first half of the 20th century from the Dalmatian coastline. Many Croatians worked as fishermen and cannery workers.
The second wave of Croatian migrants arrived after World War II as political refugees from Yugoslavia, he added.
"Like many newcomers to America, Croatian immigrants came here with empty pockets and big dreams,'' said Jack Baric, a San Pedro resident and board member of the Croatian-American Club.
"Their biggest success was giving their children and grandchildren a better life than their own. Along the way the hard work of Croatian immigrants helped to build a stronger Los Angeles community.''
Croatian Culture Week "honors their contributions,'' Baric added, and it's something "we are all very proud of.''
The celebration will run through Sunday, May 28.
