DOUBLE EXPOSURE: Three parts of a whole (02/26/06)

DOUBLE EXPOSURE

by Khristina Lew

Three parts of a whole

Recent discussions among members of the community about which direction Ukrainian organizations in America should take beg the inevitable question: "What kind of Ukrainians do we want to be?"

There are no easy answers.

Take someone like Mary Mycio, a Ukrainian American raised on Long Island, active in New York community life, who, with the first signs of freedom in her ancestral homeland, pitched her life as a lawyer in the United States and moved in 1989 to Kyiv to live there permanently. She worked for the Popular Movement of Ukraine, or Rukh, and later began writing for newspapers and magazines around the world, including a stint as the Kyiv correspondent for the Los Angeles Times. She is currently the director of the IREX U-Media Legal Defense and Education Program for Ukrainian journalists.

She returned to New York in January as part of a three-city tour of her new book, "Wormwood Forest: A Natural History of Chernobyl," published by Joseph Henry Press. In doing research for the book, she visited the Chornobyl region and the infamous nuclear power plant over 20 times.

Mary, obviously, is the exception to "See you at Soyuzivka next Labor Day."

What about Michael Zawadiwsky, fund-raising chairman for the Ukrainian American Cultural Center of New Jersey in Whippany. An insurance broker, Michael says he became involved in the cultural center because "I've touched every single aspect of it: I am a parishioner at St. John's, I belong to Plast, my kids belong to Plast, my kids go to Ridna Shkola, I'm the head of Sitch volleyball - this place will be the center of my life for the next 10 years."

The cultural center, scheduled for completion by the end of 2006, is the future home in northwest New Jersey to "Ridna Shkola" (School of Ukrainian Studies), Plast, SUM, Iskra Dance Troupe, Sitch Sports Club, Children of Chornobyl Relief and Development Fund, Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, Selfreliance Ukrainian American Federal Credit Union and Plast-Pryiat. It is affiliated with St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church in Whippany.

Michael has put together an ambitious plan to raise $2 million by July 2007, including an April 1 Cabaret Night with the raffle of a Lexus, expected to raise $50,000, and a June 5 golf outing that typically brings in $20,000 to $25,000 with corporate sponsorships.

Groups like the "Spartanky" and "Ti, Scho Hrebli Rvut" Plast sororities are also contributing to the fund-raising effort. In March the two groups will hold a Pilates class, whose proceeds will benefit the cultural center.

Michael says he wants to teach his children Ukrainian culture, history and language because "It's my roots. It's important to have a Ukrainian background nowadays, because we're becoming more and more international. It may be good for business down the road," he said.

And then there is Olga Kogut, who echoes Michael's sentiments, but from a very different perspective. Olga was born in Lviv, and this year will celebrate nine years in the United States. She holds a U.S. passport, works for the hotel industry in New York City and is engaged to be married to an American.

She attends a Ukrainian church but does not take part in any organized Ukrainian community life. She said she would like to be closer to the Ukrainian community and laughs, "My mother is arriving from Lviv, and when she gets settled, I know she will make me join."

Olga is assimilated into American life and says that when she goes to Ukraine, "it is distant to me. But I know where I come from and my heart rejoices when I spend time with fellow Ukrainians." She plans to teach her children the Ukrainian language because, "the more languages you know, the more intelligent you are, and it is important for a child to know where it comes from," she said.

Olga says she considers herself an American of Ukrainian descent. So do I - but look how vastly different our experiences have been, or those of Mary, or Michael.

Some Americans of Ukrainian descent will be trailblazers, contributing to community life from afar. Others will work to improve existing institutions. Still others will bring new perspectives.

These differences are important - they make the community more robust. The key will be to harness this diversity into community organizations that will benefit today's "Ukrainian."

* * *

For more information about "Wormwood Forest: A Natural History of Chernobyl" visit www.chernobyl.in.ua; for more information about the Ukrainian American Cultural Center of New Jersey visit www.uaccnj.org.

| Home Page |