Power of the Diaspora: How the Joint Baltic American National Committee Helped with Baltic Admittance into NATO, 1996-2004

Abstract

Following the end of World War II, many in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania fled the oncoming Soviets. When the Soviet Union occupied and then annexed the Baltic states, many displaced peoples came to the United States. The Baltic diaspora formed different organizations in order to better adapt to life in the United States. These groups became increasingly political and eventually led to the formation of national Baltic-American groups. The Joint Baltic American National Committee, or JBANC, is one of these groups. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union they helped in the organization of the Baltic diaspora during NATO enlargement during the 1990s through the early 2000s. They worked towards getting the United States government’s support to the admittance of the three Baltic countries into NATO. This paper looks at their role and the role of the Baltic diaspora in bringing about changes in foreign policy.