Los Angeles community honors Croatian immigrant leader

A square in San Pedro, a district of the American city of Los Angeles, has been named after Croatian immigrant Gojko Špralja, who passed away last year at the age of 88, CE Report quotes HINA.

“Gojko Špralja Square. Leader of San Pedro, Croatian immigrant and American patriot,” reads the plaque unveiled on Thursday in San Pedro, home to a large Croatian community.

The ceremony was attended by representatives of the city of Los Angeles, the Croatian Consul General, and Špralja’s family, reported the portal Croatia Week.

The initiative to name the square was launched by Rudy Svorinich Jr., president of the Dalmatian-American Club, the association to which Špralja belonged.

Gojko Špralja, born in 1936 on the island of Rav in the Zadar archipelago, studied mechanical engineering in Zadar, where he exchanged letters with his future wife, Betty Mihovilović, who lived in San Pedro. In 1961, he emigrated to San Pedro, where he and his wife owned a Shell gas station for 40 years.

He served seven times as president of the local Dalmatian-American Society during the 1980s, and was also named an honorary mayor of San Pedro.

“Gojko Špralja was San Pedro. His story was like many others in our community who sought and achieved the American Dream,” said Janice Hahn, former U.S. Congresswoman from Los Angeles.

“He was a true American patriot and loved by all of us who were fortunate enough to know him,” she added.

Špralja raised funds for the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce and approved scholarships for local students. He also served as president of the Lions Club and the San Pedro Elks Lodge. He passed away in December 2024, leaving behind three sons.

“Gojko is watching us from heaven today and, with his charming smile, tells us: ‘Gojko loves you,’” said his son Neven during the ceremony.

There are 1.2 million Croatians and their descendants living in the U.S., according to the Central State Office for Croats Abroad, based in Zagreb.