DOUBLE EXPOSURE: Born in the U.S.A. (12/19/04)

DOUBLE EXPOSURE

by Khristina Lew

Born in the U.S.A.

The events of the last few weeks have been incredible. The Orange Revolution in Ukraine has taken my breath away. It has united millions of previously alienated Ukrainians with the single purpose of free and fair elections. It has brought the most powerful countries in the world to the aid of Ukraine, a country that not too long ago was ostracized for its corruption. And it has galvanized thousands of young people in the U.S. to support their historical homeland.

On the busiest day of the travel year - the day before Thanksgiving - over 1,500 protesters, including seven buses from Chicago, descended on Washington to demonstrate in front of Ukraine's Embassy to the United States. New York, Chicago and Philadelphia have held protests numbering in the thousands. Even Crawford, Texas, was host to a rally: over 100 Americans of Ukrainian descent from Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin and College Station greeted President George W. Bush with their message of support for Ukraine as he entered the local Burger Barn over Thanksgiving Day weekend.

Certainly the Ukrainian community in the United States has protested in support of Ukraine before. I have vivid memories of demonstrating for the release of Ukrainian dissident Valentyn Moroz and marching through Washington in my itchy Plast uniform after Chornobyl exploded. But the protests of the past few weeks are different, because in large part they are organized and attended by Ukrainian Americans in their teens and 20s.

These same people are hanging orange ribbons on Ukrainian buildings, restaurants and bars in New York City, and at Ukraine's Consulate General in New York and Mission to the United Nations. One group tried to hang orange ribbons at Russia's Mission to the United Nations, but were chased away. They retaliated by hanging the ribbons across the street, at the local police precinct, in full view of the Mission.

On December 8 close to 300 young people gathered at a benefit concert at the Ukrainian National Home in New York City. They raised over $2,600, which will be turned over to organizations who are sending international election observers to Ukraine for the December 26 run-off election. "Initially, we wanted to give students and young people who wanted to donate but couldn't afford to an alternative," said Stefko Stawnychy, who, with his father, Petro Stawnychy of Milltown, N.J., organized the concert.

The event, said Stefko, who is 23, just snowballed. The suggested donation was $10, "but people were giving $100, $200." The line-up included Stefko, whose band is Sicksided and Burned, Lubko Konrad, Andrij Wowk and his band IKA, Slavko Halatyn, the Prolisok girls' choir, Olya Chodoba-Fryz, and father and daughter Oles and Adya Kuzyszyn.

Much of what has prompted this surge among 20-something Americans of Ukrainian descent is an online Internet community called Multiply.com. Its Ukrainian version was created by 29-year-old Walter Tymczyna, who wanted to stay connected with his Ukrainian friends from his "new" home in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

"When you're Ukrainian, you kind of know everyone [who is Ukrainian]. I wanted to create an online playground for young Ukrainians and their friends where everyone is welcome," he said.

As a member of Multiply.com you create your own website and have the ability to send messages to other members, store content or create your own photo album. "It's a social network where you can advertise an event, post photos from a 'zabava' or read news about Ukraine," says Walter, who grew up in Newark, N.J.

Walter, who was involved in creating Fantasy Football for CBSsports.com, launched Ukrainian Multiply in the spring of this year by posting news about Ukraine and photos from Ukrainian festivals. After a few months he invited his friends to join, and they invited their friends, and so on. Today, Ukrainian Multiply has 406 members.

"It's pretty incredible. I hear from people all the time who say 'because of you I've connected to someone who I haven't seen since 1989,' " he says. "I would have been satisfied with just creating the online community, but then Ukraine's election happened." Walter believes that Ukrainian Multiply helped to rally young Ukrainians. I agree with him.

When people began protesting in Kyiv, the communication on Ukrainian Multiply went through the roof. Young people all over the country began talking online, sharing news from people on the ground in Kyiv, organizing demonstrations in support of Mr. Yushchenko in New York City and Washington. "I was never the most civic-minded person, but now I wear orange," Walter says.

He's not the only one. We've all taken to wearing something orange, just as we've all become hopeful that Ukraine will finally become the free country we were raised to believe it could be.

Peace to all of you this holiday season, and "Slava Ukraini!"

| Home Page |