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30 WW W.UNWLA.ORG “НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, БЕРЕЗЕНЬ 2020 A musical interlude featuring piani st Victoria Lukach - Kravchuk playing “Hutsul Py sanka” by Oleksandr Bilash provided a delightful sojourn to the Ukrainian Carpathians. The program continued with remarks from Ms. Stefaniuk, who observed t hat “The history of our published works cannot be sepa rated from the development of our community . Early Ukrainian newcomers, primarily farmers and workers, faced isolation, alienation, ridicule and fear. They overcame these challenges by bonding in a strong - knit community. They understood the importance of t he printed word and they laid the foundations for churches, schools, self - help societies, community ce nters, and cultural institutions upon which later immigrants built and expanded. . . . At every step, women played a vital role, often with UNWLA members leading the way. They established reading rooms, children’s and women’s educational groups, as well as giving lessons and lectures on life in America and Ukraine. Dr. Mary Beck, the first female president of the Detroit City Council and a UNWLA member, pub lished and edited the first Ukrainian women’s magazine, Woman’s World, from 1932 – 1938 .” Early newspapers and journals focused on local events and news of Soviet repression, the Ho - lodomor, terror and persecution in Ukraine. During World War II, community activism and publications ceased until the post - war wave of new immigrants. In 1949 – 19 50, over 30,000 new Ukrainian immigrants resettled in Detroit, pri - marily refugees from Displaced Persons camps in western Europe. This aptly named “political im - migratio n” included a large number of writers, journalists, profes sors, artists, various pro - fessionals, social and political figures, and freedom fighters. “For this wave , adjustment to life here was no less difficult or traumatic,” said Ms. Stefaniuk. “They had fled from the Soviet regime that was systematically destroying their nation, and initially planned to return home, but that was impossible. So they strived to reestablish continuity disrupted by war, and struggled against rapid assimilation by instilling a sense of commitment to Ukraine in th eir children.” S ocial, cultural and political activities flour - ished as new institutions, art ensembles, schools, publishing houses, bookstores and radio broadcasts sprang up. Every organization printed bulletins, ne wsletters, almanacs and comme morative ye ar - books. Book collections and archives were updated and maintained. As in the past, the main unifying factor was longing for their home land and concern for Ukraine’s fate. And the people involved strived to pass t his on to the next generation. “A vital ro le was played by Detroit’s Ukrainian Community Cultural Club, headed by literary and arts giants such as Edward Kozak, Zenon Tarnavsky, Bohdan Nyzhankiwskyj, Boh - dan Lonchyna and many others,” said Ms. Ste - faniuk. “Every weekend there were literary evenings, art exhibits, musical and theatrical performances, educational lectures as well as political forums and manifestations, and publication upon publication.” The written word reached beyond the confines of the Uk rainian community to inform the American publ ic and government about Ukraine’s rightful place among the nations of the world. Ms. Stefaniuk underscored the momentous contri - butions of women in this regard. When the Soviet regime savagely repressed artists and writers in Ukraine, women here spearheaded defense committees, demonstrations and rallies, and wrote petitions, letters and press releases, imploring the world to pay attention and act. Not to be overlooked are all those written words that never reach ed print. Namely, the works of teachers who pe nned their own textbooks, children’s plays and songs , and the myriad reports, records and articles about community events that were written by women’s organizations. Finally, there are those invaluable words an d stories mothers imparted to their children about their heritage and traditions. A lthough their works are not displayed on bookshelves , they all merit recognition . Gradually, o rganizational membership and publication dwindled as younger generations moved away from the hub of the Ukrainian community. But Ukraine’s declaration of independence in 1991 marked the beginning of a new era , both in Ukraine and abroad. Economic hardships and the disparity between oligarchs and the general population prompted milli ons of young Ukrainians to leave their families and work at menial jobs outside Ukraine. Thousands settled in the Detroit area. Their outlook differed con - siderably from that of t he preceding wave of immigrants as they did not have the same idealized visio n of Ukraine nor similar identity issues. Inevitably, the now - blended community took on a new format. The Internet, Skype and social media allowed for a free flow of information, completely changing the publishing world. More importantly, Ukraine as a nati on , was now acknowledged by the entire world . Nonetheless, the duality of people torn between two worlds remains. Currently, the roles of community leaders and activists, both he re and
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