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Religion and Culture Ukrainian immigrants brought with them a rich cultural heritage, a love of freedom, and a strong work ethic. Today, there are hundreds of religious, cultural, youth, political, and academic societies dedicated to preserving Ukrainian culture in the United States. From the beginning, Ukrainian community life in the United States revolved around the church. Many Ukrainian Americans are Eastern-rite Catholics (also identified as Byzantine-rite or Greek Catholics), who belong to the universal Catholic Church of Rome. Another large group of Ukrainian Americans belongs to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Smaller groups of Ukrainian Americans are Baptists or members of Pentecostal Churches. Music and dance have always been an important part of Ukrainian American life. Outstanding Ukrainian choirs and dance troupes can be found in virtually all large U.S. cities. The “Carol of the Bells,” a classic American Christmas song, was first introduced to American audiences by a Ukrainian choir in 1923. Other Ukrainian folk arts introduced to the United States include an elaborate style of embroidery and the Ukrainian Easter egg (pysanka), an art form with a thousand-year tradition. Families play the most important role in preserving Ukrainian American identity by transmitting their cultural heritage from one generation to the next. A nationwide system of Ukrainian Saturday schools teaches Ukrainian language, history, culture, and geography. Three national youth organizations—Plast Ukrainian Youth Organization (Scouts), the Ukrainian American Youth Association (SUM-A), and the Organization of Democratic Ukrainian Youth (ODUM)—maintain youth centers in the larger cities and run summer youth camps. Ukrainian Americans established a Ukrainian Studies Center at Harvard University in 1968. Although volunteer effort sustains Ukrainian community life in the United States, funding often comes from Ukrainian American financial institutions. Thirty federal credit unions belong to the Ukrainian National Credit Union Association. Selfreliance, a cooperative banking and loan institution with assets totaling over $1 billion, emphasizes self-help programs for Ukrainian Americans. Ukrainian American fraternal benefit organizations and large savings and loan associations owned by Ukrainian Americans also provide financial support to the community.
Source: Microsoft Encarta 98© |