groups was a prominent feature of Slovene-American communal life for much of the 20th century. A minority of Slovene immigrants practiced the Lutheran faith. Most Lutheran Slovenes lived in the Prekmurje region, under Hungarian rather than Austrian rule; when members of this group immigrated to the United States, they maintained a distinct identity called Windish. The largest Windish settlement in the United States was in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Demographics Large concentrations Cleveland, Ohio Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pueblo, Colorado Johnstown, Pennsylvania Chicago, Illinois Joliet, Illinois Indianapolis, Indiana Milwaukee, Wisconsin Eveleth, Minnesota The Slovene population in the United States has been historically concentrated in the Great Lakes and Northeastern United States including Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota; as well as Colorado. According to the 2000 census, the five states with the largest Slovene populations were: Ohio – 59,683 Pennsylvania – 19,006 Illinois – 15,519 Minnesota – 10,420 California – 9,489 These five states are followed, in descending order, by Colorado, Michigan, Florida, New York, Texas, Indiana, Washington, Kansas, Maryland, West Virginia and Utah, again according to the 2000 census. The state with the smallest Slovene American population is North Dakota (107). There is no American state without Slovene descendants among its population. Numbers 1910 census reported 183,431 persons of Slovene mother tongue living in the United States. By the time of the 1920 census, that figure had increased to 208,552. Following the enactment of restrictive immigration laws in the 1920s, the number of Slovenes immigrating to the United States declined. The 1990 census reported 124,437 Slovene-identifying people. Slovene-American sources give higher estimates of the total number of Americans of Slovene descent, of up to 300,000, or even (if persons with only one-quarter or one-eighth Slovene ancestry are counted) 500,000. Fraternal, benevolent, social and cultural organizations In the late 19th century and early 20th century, Slovene Americans established a variety of social groups, including fraternal organizations, mutual insurance, and self-help societies, and cultural and educational institutions, such as choral and drama societies, gymnastics groups, and Slovene-language newspapers. The establishment of Slovene American insurance companies allowed immigrants to protect themselves against discrimination and fraud. A number of mergers and name changes took place during the 20th century, Some Slovene American fraternal, benevolent, social, and cultural organizations include: Jugoslovenska katoliška jednota (South Slavic Catholic Union), founded in Ely, MN in 1898, became American Fraternal Union (AFU) in 1941. Kranjsko-slovenska katoliška jednota, (Carnolan Slovene Catholic Union) founded