Seventy-six years ago, in 1948, Peru welcomed Croatian immigrants. This migration was facilitated by an intervention from the Vatican. My grandfather, Ivan Banić Bozić, from Zadar Zemunik – Gorica, arrived in Lima Callao on the General Black ship on February 23, 1948. Since that date, my grandfather chose Arequipa, Peru, as his new homeland, working in various businesses and as an electrician for the main electric company in Arequipa. He married a Peruvian woman, Benedicta Jara, and they had seven children: Branko, Kresimir, Milan, Jure, Zlatka, Mirko, and Veljko.
Ivan Banić
»General Black» and it’s arrival to Callao, Lima, Peru on February 24th 1948
My father, Branko Vinko Banić Jara, is the eldest son. He is a teacher and a Colonel in the National Police, ranking first in his class at the Guardia Civil Police Academy and receiving an award from King Juan Carlos de Borbón of Spain. He also holds an MBA and has won several tennis awards. Branko married Irene Soledad Vidal Vera, a former legal secretary with a degree in tourism administration. They have two children: Ljubica Slavica Banić Vidal (myself) and Branko Andelko Banić Vidal.
My father Branko and my parents at their wedding
My brother, Branko Andelko, was a semi-professional tennis player who studied at Winthrop University in South Carolina, USA, on a tennis scholarship, playing as the first and second racquet. He also has a master’s degree in business administration and was a professional tennis coach in the US. Currently, he works for a prominent investment banking company in Colorado, USA. He is married to Amy Ulinsky, a PhD and professor at the University of Wyoming specializing in virtual reality. They have two children: Luka Banić, who is following in his father’s tennis footsteps and has already won some tennis tournaments in Colorado at the age of 12, and a daughter, Adrijana Banić, who is also pursuing tennis.
I am a dental surgeon. I graduated from the private Catholic University San Martin in Lima, Peru. I am currently pursuing a PhD in Dental Medicine at the University of Zagreb and work with special care patients in England. I am married to an Englishman. I am also a professional folklore dancer, a former model, and the fourth finalist in Miss Peru Universe (1999) and Miss Croatian Tourism (2003). I am an ex-professional model and won gold, silver, and bronze medals in tennis at the Croatian World Olympic Games in 2017. Additionally, I am the captain of the Peruvian Olympic team for the first World Olympic Games in 2006.
Ljubica Slavica Banić Vidal