THE 1970s - A LOOK BACK: U.S. politics (12/30/79)

THE 1970s - A LOOK BACK

U.S. politics

Throughout the history of their settlement in the United States, Ukrainian Americans have always showed an interest in the political life of America. Either by supporting a particular candidate, by attending the national conventions, or by campaigning themselves, Ukrainians have made an impact on American politics.

Hardly an election went by - on the local, county, state or federal levels - in which an American of Ukrainian descent did not campaign for public office. While campaigns for federal offices fell short of expectations, Ukrainian Americans running for local offices were more successful. Some of the winners during the 1970s were Ted Dusanenko (New York), Ted Stuban (Pennsylvania), John Czerkas and Victor Wlaszyn (Ohio), Boris Antonovych and Myron Kulas (Illinois), the late Michael Yarosh (Ohio) and a scattering of other Ukrainians who were either elected or appointed to local offices. Among the Ukrainian Americans who conducted salutary, though unsuccessful, campaigns for public office were Michael Kitsock and Steven Postupack who ran for seats in the U.S. Congress from Pennsylvania.

In January 1976 President Gerald Ford established an office of special assistant to the president for ethnic affairs and named Dr. Myron Kuropas, a Ukrainian American educator, civic leader and GOP activist, to the post. This was the first time that a president of the United States officially recognized the importance of ethnic communities in America. Through his office Dr. Kuropas served as a liaison between the chief executive and the ethnic leaders across America and organized several meetings between ethnic community leaders and President Ford's administration.

Rising to prominence on the federal level during the past decade were such men as Michael I. Yarymovych who served as deputy assistant secretary for research and development in the U.S. Air Force, then as director of the Advisory Group for Aerospace Research and Development and as chief scientist for the U.S. Air Force; Constantine Warwariw, who was U.S. representative to UNESCO, then was director of UNESCO Affairs at the U.S. State Department and is currently director of the Agency Directorate for Transportation and Communication of the Bureau of International Organizations Affairs at the State Department; Michael Boretsky, a high-level economic analyst with the Department of Commerce, whose studies have had an impact on U.S. economic policies; George Gamota and Vitalij Garber, who held high posts in the Pentagon; Gen. Samuel Jaskilka, who served as assistant commandant to the U.S. Marines until his retirement earlier this year. There were others who were successful in making headway on various levels of American political life in what has been a growing political awareness on the part of the Ukrainian community.

This interest in ethnicity spilled over to the state levels with the formation of the New Jersey Ethnic Advisory Council in April 1978 and similar councils in New York state and Baltimore County.

| Home Page |