Posted by Anna on November 20, 2003 at 18:57:05:
In Reply to: Re: Єдина загадка є Russians (з Карпат). posted by Vasyljko on November 19, 2003 at 08:26:02:
The fact is that many people who have lived traditionally in the subCarpthian region of Urkaine, and whom you would call Rusayn consider themselves to be Ukrainians. Most Lemkos in Ukraine, and those who arrived in the US post WWII also consider themselves to be Ukrainians.
This entire discussion is bordering on the ridiculous.
If some people want to call themselves Rusyns -- it's fine. What's not fine is when those people choose to attack those who want to call themselves Ukrainians.
: Keep it your mind that Rusyn-Americans, Russian-Americans, Slovak-Americans, German-Americans, Chinese-Americans etc. are first of all Americans. In the USA, one is not forced to relinquish one's ethnic culture, religion or usage of its language. The country was built on the idea of free people that is embedded in the Constitution that has been working for over 200 years. Thus, a particular ethnicity for everyday life is less important than in those countries that were built on ethnic, linguistic, cultural homogeneity. A fact that only Carpatho-Rusyn Society has over 1500 members and has provided humanitarian aid to Zakarpattia in over $5 000 000 is more important than a recorded census about Rusyn or Carpatho-Russian ethnicity. Perhaps it is more important for you whether an individual is ethnic Ukrajynets and not a Russian or Rusyn.
: Recent development in the Euroland is going into direction where people, irrespective of their ethnicity, comply with a rule of law. Earlier development in Europe that was based on nationalism and nationalistic states gave two WW, genocide, Holocaust, Holodomor and a bunch of very nasty, despotic dictators and nationalistic criminals.
: : Immigration authorities in the USA translated Rusyn into Russian. As you know the term Ruthen was used in the West instead of Rusyn, particularly in the German speaking parts of Europe. Unfortunately, this term was not transferred into the USA with the Rusyn immigrants.
: : ///////////
: : So why don't you educate your people now so they report themselves as Rusyns by the next census (and rename your churches and so on into Rusyn). That only will help you and show that you exist. Why do you care how term Rusyn was translated by US (or Canadian) authorities 100 years ago. Census bureau doesn't care to what nationality people report themselves. If I report myself as Chinese they will count me as Chinese.