[1] The early waves of migrants were predominantly single men, many of whom (over 36% in the period 1899–1924) returned home after earning money in the United States,[6] mostly in unskilled labor.

[7] Within Cleveland, Slovene Americans developed their own cultural and social institutions, including Slovene-owned groceries, bars, furniture stores, clothing shops, and other businesses; Catholic parishes and elementary schools; mutual aid and fraternal societies; and even a Slovene bank (established in St. Clair, Cleveland in 2010).

[8] Later Slovene arrivals migrated to the industrial cities or to mining towns in the Upper Midwest, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

[8] Among Slovene immigrants, some were devoutly Catholic, while others were secular and anticlerical,[6] with some holding liberal or socialist views.

In the late 19th century and early 20th century, Slovene Americans established a variety of social groups, including fraternal organizations,[6] mutual insurance, and self-help societies,[13] and cultural and educational institutions, such as choral and drama societies, gymnastics groups, and Slovene-language newspapers.

[13] The establishment of Slovene American insurance companies allowed immigrants to protect themselves against discrimination and fraud.

[7][13] St. Vitus's eventually grew to encompass a school and convent; a large new church in the Lombard Romanesque style, was built in 1932.

[30] St. Cyril Roman Catholic Church in the East Village, Manhattan, was established in 1916 as a Slovene parish.

[13] The University of Minnesota Libraries has catalogued some 45 Slovene-language newspapers published in the United States in a variety of locations, including Pueblo, Denver, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and New York.