Ukrainians in North Carolina organize new association (11/19/06)

Ukrainians in North Carolina organize new association

by Oleh Wolowyna

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The number of Ukrainians in North Carolina has experienced a significant increase in the last 15 years. According to the 1990 and 2000 censuses, the number of persons of Ukrainian ancestry in North Carolina increased from 4,900 in 1990 to about 9,600 in 2000 - an increase of 100 percent.

For 2004, the latest data available, the Census Bureau estimates that there were 11,400 persons of Ukrainian ancestry in North Carolina. In other words, in the last four years, the number of persons of Ukrainian ancestry in North Carolina increased by 1,800.

These numbers are likely to be underestimates, as some persons of Ukrainian ancestry and recent immigrants may have not reported their ancestry on the census form, or were reluctant to fill out the census forms (recent immigrants).

Census data from 2000 show that the highest concentrations are found in two Metropolitan Areas (MA): Charlotte-Gastonia and Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, with about 2,500 in each MA, followed by the MA of Greensboro-Winston Salem-High Point with 1,400.

An attempt to organize Ukrainians in the state was made in 1989, when an association named Southern Ukrainians was formed under the leadership of Paul Wasylkewycz. The major activity of the association was participation in the yearly International Festival held in the state's capital, Raleigh, with a cultural exhibit. The association also featured during the festival the Lyman Ukrainian dancers from Baltimore, and their performance was a huge success. To this day persons associated with the International Festival talk about the Ukrainian dancers. Unfortunately, the association was not able to gather momentum and ceased to exist after about three years.

In the last 10 years a significant number of immigrants from Ukraine settled in North Carolina. Probably due to job opportunities in universities and high-tech companies in the state, there are quite a few professionals among these immigrants. This "Fourth Wave" was a key element in the creation of the Ukrainian Association of North Carolina in the Triangle Area (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill).

In August of 2005 a group of "new" immigrants from Ukraine suggested the creation of an association of Ukrainians in North Carolina. An informal committee of "new" and "old" immigrants was formed, and after several meetings it was decided to create the association in October of 2005. Officers were elected, a website was set up (http://ncua.inform-decisions.com) and the association was registered as a non-profit organization in the State of North Carolina.

It is interesting to point out the composition of the officers of the association: four new immigrants, three post-World War II immigrants (one of them of Ukrainian-Polish ancestry) and one American-born. Thus the association was able to integrate Americans and both new and old immigrants.

It should be noted that the website is a valuable communication and advertising tool. It is an efficient way to inform members, as well as the larger community, about the association and its activities. It also helps the group find new members in the state, as almost every week the association receives e-mails from Ukrainians, Ukrainian Americans and Americans, who want to join.

Among American members the association has former Peace Corps volunteers who served in Ukraine, families who adopted orphans from Ukraine, and persons who worked in Ukraine in various capacities. Currently the association has a list of more than 100 families, mostly from the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area, although there are members also from other cities in North Carolina and a few from South Carolina.

Although the association is only one year old, it has been quite active. Its first major activity was participation in the 2005 International Festival held in Raleigh. More than 30 ethnic groups in the Triangle area participate in the festival with cultural exhibits, folk dances and ethnic food stands.

The Ukrainian Association of North Carolina set up a cultural exhibit with traditional embroideries, wood carvings, Easter eggs and folk costumes. The theme of the 2005 exhibit was: "Welcome to Ukraine," and the exhibit was designed to inform visitors about Ukraine, its culture and history. A map of Europe helped place Ukraine within the continent, and a detailed map of Ukraine served as a geographic and historic reference. A continuous slide show presented pictures of the different regions of Ukraine, of famous Ukrainian Americans (artists, athletes, etc.), and of the Orange Revolution.

The exhibit was quite a success. Although it was a first for the association, it was one of the best exhibits at the annual festival. It attracted hundreds of visitors, who had a chance to admire Ukrainian culture and learn about Ukraine. It also served to advertise the association and during the festival 18 new names were added to the membership rolls.

Cultural exhibits were also organized at the International Festival in Morrisville, N.C., and at the Exploris museum in Raleigh. A special exhibit about Ukrainian Easter eggs, with a live demonstration, was also presented at the Exploris museum.

A small but enthusiastic contingent of Ukrainians in Fayetteville, N.C., marches every year at the Fayetteville International Festival with Ukrainian flags and dressed in national costumes. Members of the Ukrainian Association of North Carolina joined them this year and last year.

Thanks to the association's website, contacts were established with local Baptist churches that have been working for years with orphans in Ukraine. Last December they hosted a group of orphans from Berdiansk, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, and many local families expressed the desire to adopt these children. Members of the association greeted the children, informed them about Ukrainians in the United States, and helped the organizers and prospective parents with Ukrainian-English translations. The association also participated in a fund-raiser for orphans in Ukraine organized by a church in Landis, N.C.

Bishop Robert Moskal, the Ukrainian-Catholic eparch of Parma, Ohio, visited the state to explore the possibility of organizing a Ukrainian Catholic parish. He celebrated a Ukrainian liturgy at a Catholic church in Raleigh and met with a group of Ukrainians to discuss the idea of building a church in North Carolina.

Bishop Moskal promised his support to this endeavor, and steps are being taken to find a suitable place for the future parish and to assign a Ukrainian priest to organize the parish.

One of the most important events organized by the association was the celebration of Ukraine's Independence Day. More than 60 persons attended this year's celebration, a picnic by a lake, including several persons from cities outside the Triangle area. This was an excellent opportunity for members to get to know each other and establish new relationships. Recent immigrants from Ukraine, transplants from large communities in the North, American-born and old immigrants all found common ground and had the opportunity to build bridges of understanding.

The Ukrainian Association of North Carolina is an interesting experiment in trying to blend two very different cultures and perspectives: the new immigrants and the natives plus the old immigrants. The group is continuously looking for common interests and complementarities. It is not easy to blend these very different perspectives, but the experience of one year is encouraging. Time will tell if this will become a sustainable reality.

* * *

The officers of the association are: Oleh Wolowyna, president; Iryna Fastovets, vice-president; Vasyl Shymoniak, vice-president; Olya Sydorovych, Ukrainian secretary; Carrie Lynn, English secretary; Richard Unkiewicz, treasurer; Maryna Kapustina, webmaster; and Rostyk Lewyckyj, member.

For information readers may contact Dr. Wolowyna at 919-933-6428 or [email protected]; or Mr. Lewyckyj at 919-967-6163 or [email protected].

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