Romanians from Serbia in Denmark
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Vlach orig<strong>in</strong>. Here, care is taken to <strong>in</strong>vite notables <strong>from</strong> the Danish<br />
community, such as union bosses, local politicians and representatives of<br />
the municipality. These are opportunities to display the very best of Vlach<br />
and <strong>Serbia</strong>nculture, vary<strong>in</strong>g <strong>from</strong> the handmade folk costumes to the Vlach<br />
folk-music and the performance of ‘Ore’, atraditional Vlach cha<strong>in</strong> dance.<br />
By draw<strong>in</strong>g on Balkan traditions of hospitality, these performances serve to<br />
create and enhance the bonds and networks with the outside community,<br />
which are crucial <strong>in</strong> ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g municipal supportfor what is <strong>in</strong> reality the<br />
exclusivity of a Vlach club. But, as noted by Ballhausen and Tonnesen<br />
(2008), it is primarily the hospitality and the unproblematic aspects of<br />
<strong>Serbia</strong>n and Vlach culture which are demonstrated dur<strong>in</strong>g these events,<br />
while the darker sides, such as the political repression and chauv<strong>in</strong>ist<br />
attitudes, areplayed down. In reality, it is exactly <strong>in</strong> their ability to provide<br />
such a powerful ‘public face’ for the Vlachcommunity that the clubs play<br />
their most important <strong>in</strong>tegrative role. Here the ‘difference’ and<br />
dist<strong>in</strong>ctiveness ofthe Vlach culture is put on display <strong>in</strong> a very visible but<br />
also selective manner which is accessible and understandable to a wider<br />
public, enabl<strong>in</strong>g the club to mediate between the private and the public.<br />
The question is, however, to what extent the clubs and other types of<br />
ethnic affiliation will cont<strong>in</strong>ue to <strong>in</strong>formthose groups of immigrants who<br />
have lived <strong>in</strong> <strong>Denmark</strong> for several decades and <strong>in</strong> many ways have come to<br />
see themselves as Danish. Indeed, doubt is often expressed by the elder<br />
members of the clubs:<br />
Nowadays, the cultural clubs do not attract as many people as<br />
they used to. People have <strong>in</strong>vested their money <strong>in</strong>cars and villas,<br />
they no longer want to spend money on dr<strong>in</strong>ks <strong>in</strong> the clubs. They<br />
prefer to stay at home and <strong>in</strong>vite friends to socialise there<br />
(<strong>Serbia</strong>n man, 2008).<br />
Conclusion<br />
As I have shown, the relatively successful <strong>in</strong>tegration of Vlach immigrants<br />
<strong>in</strong> <strong>Denmark</strong> h<strong>in</strong>ges upon the ability of this m<strong>in</strong>ority group to create and<br />
ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong> a strong and <strong>in</strong>tegrated ethnic community. The cont<strong>in</strong>ued<br />
reproductionof traditions and social practices deriv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>from</strong> the village of