FACES AND PLACES: A unified community needs the UNWLA (01/18/04)

FACES AND PLACES

by Myron B. Kuropas

A unified community needs the UNWLA

"The rebirth of our statehood requires hard work among all segments of our society," wrote Mary Beck in the May 1933, issue of Zhinochyi Svit. "We will not reach our objective if we place the entire burden on the backs of fathers, husbands and sons."

In the history of the Ukrainian American community, women have more than carried their share of the burden. On the whole, it has been my experience that when it came to organizational life, men often did much of the talking, while women usually did most of the work. This is especially true of women associated with the Ukrainian National Women's League of America (Soyuz Ukrainok Ameryky).

Inspired by the success of the American feminist movement, as well as by the work of their Ukrainian sisters in Polish-occupied eastern Galicia, Ukrainian American women began to organize nationally in the early 1920s.

The first Ukrainian women's organizations in the United States were established locally, in such large urban centers as Chicago, where the Ukrainian Women's Alliance was created as a fraternal insurance society in 1917, and New York City, where the Ukrainian Women's Society (UWSNY) was born in 1921.

Early on, however, it was clear to these progressive women that localism was not enough. National unity was necessary in order for Ukrainian women to become truly effective. The stimulus for this unity came from Ukraine, via Canada.

In March 1925, the UWSNY received a letter from the Society of Olha Kobylianska, a Ukrainian women's society in Canada, mentioning that a world congress of the International Council of Women was scheduled for Washington in May. Money was needed to underwrite the cost of sending a Ukrainian female delegation from western Ukraine. The UWSNY responded by calling a women's rally for New York City in April and, with the assistance of other local Ukrainian women's organizations, created an ad-hoc women's congress for the purpose of raising the required $250. The goal was reached and the money was sent to the League of Ukrainian Women (Soyuz Ukrainok) in western Ukraine.

When the Polish government refused to issue passports for the Ukrainian delegation, Soyuz Ukrainok in Ukraine selected Dr. Hanna Chikalenko-Keller - then living in Switzerland - as the official representative of Ukrainian women at the Washington conclave. Ukrainian American women decided to participate as well and sent two representatives: Olga Lotocky of the UWSNY and Julia Jarema of the Ukrainian Democratic Club.

During her stay in the United States, Dr. Chikalenko-Keller urged Ukrainian women to create a national organization in America similar to Soyuz Ukrainok in Western Ukraine. At Dr. Chikalenko-Keller's suggestion, the American ad hoc congress committee was transformed into a new organization, the Ukrainian National Women's League of America (Soyuz Ukrainok Ameryky) and the same executive board, headed by Julia Shustakevych, was retained.

Efforts to expand the ranks of the newly established UNWLA beyond the confines of the East coast proved difficult until the arrival of Olena Kisilevsky, a Ukrainian member of the Polish Senate. In her travels to various Ukrainian American communities, she urged other Ukrainian women's organizations to unite with the UNWLA. A UNWLA convention, billed as "The First Congress of Ukrainian Women in America" was held on May 29-30, 1932, in New York City with 68 delegates, representing some 40 branches, in attendance.

Adopting a new constitution, delegates passed resolutions pledging support for: progressive labor and local legislation, women's rights and the improvement of international relations. Other resolutions addressed organizational expansion, assisting Ukrainian women with naturalization and full support for Ukraine's independence movement. A significant resolution revolved around familiarizing the American public and Ukrainian youth with Ukraine and her culture.

The UNWLA was one of the key organizations in supporting Ukrainian involvement in the 1933 Chicago World's Fair. Working through various parishes, Soyuz Ukrainok was able to raise thousands of dollars (a sizable sum during the Depression) to pay for the purchase and transport of embroideries, rugs, village apparel, wood carvings and paintings from the Ukrainian Peasant Art Co-op (Kooperatyua Narodne Mystetsvo) in Lviv. The artifacts were exhibited at the Ukrainian pavilion at the Chicago Fair.

When the fair ended, the artifacts were made available to UNWLA branches participating in local folk fairs and cultural exhibitions. Thanks to the UNWLA, our community finally had an authentic Ukrainian cultural collection that could be proudly exhibited anywhere in America. In 1978 the collection became part of a permanent Soyuz Ukrainok exhibit at The Ukrainian Museum in New York City.

The second UNWLA convention was held in May 1935, and a new executive board headed by Anastastia Wagner was elected. Continuing its emphasis on enlightenment, one of the first projects undertaken by the newly elected board was the standardization of branch activity. In a unique development for any Ukrainian organization even today, lesson plans were printed along with the monthly guidelines for local activities. Below is a sampling.

January - Christmas caroling to raise funds for various causes in Ukraine; New Year's Day supper for all members and supporters; commemoration of Ukrainian Independence Day.
February - Birthday of Lesia Ukrainka to be commemorated in an appropriate fashion along with the death of Olha Basarab. Similar commemorative events should be held for George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
March - Commemoration of Taras Shevchenko.
April - Organize classes for the teaching of Ukrainian Easter egg-making.
May - Every branch is obligated to organize a Mother's Day concert where the importance of raising children in the Ukrainian spirit is stressed.
June - Children's Month - Every Ukrainian mother should take her children to the doctor for an annual check-up.
September - Every branch is obligated to find ways to guarantee a higher education for the most talented boys and girls in the community. Every member should become involved with the local Ridna Shkola.
October - Book Month - Every branch is obligated to take stock of its own library and to enlarge it.
November - Commemoration of Lystopadove Sviato (the November 1 Act).
December - Devoted to reviewing branch activities and discussing ways to improve.

In addition to suggesting the above activities, the UNWLA national executive provided lesson plans to branches devoted to such topics as infant care, female hygiene, the feminist movement, famous Ukrainian women and Ukrainian history.

Like most national organizations in the Ukrainian American community, the UNWLA experienced certain tensions associated with the split between Banderite and Melnykite factions of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) after the second world war. These tensions culminated in the UNWLA exiting the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA) in 1980.

Think about it. The founders of the UNWLA did everything they could to unify Ukrainian women in the United States. Is it time for the UNWLA to restore its membership in the UCCA and help restore unity among all of us? The UNWLA is too important an organization to be left out of our community-wide decision-making process.

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