Let it never be said that Walt is against multiculturalism. What I'm opposed to is the promotion of other cultures to the detriment of our own culture!
In the same vein, it seems to me that if one migrates to another country, one should make an effort to adapt to the culture of that country. It's fine to remember and keep alive the traditions of your own country, but "when in Rome, do as the Romans do."
One group of immigrants who have done a great job of integrating themselves into the host culture, while at the same time maintaining the culture of their homeland, are the Ukrainians who came to Canada and the USA in two waves, during the first decade of the 20th century and in the decade following WWII. How they managed to survive and thrive -- in the face of considerable discrimination -- is quite a story. You can read about it in Helen Potrebenko's No Streets of Gold: A Social History of Ukrainians in Alberta. (New Star Books, 1977)
Of course there are Ukrainian-Canadians outside of beautiful downtown Vegreville too! In fact, some of Walt's best friends [etc. Ed.] Hey... No... Let me finish. Agent 1's niece belongs to the estimable Barvinok Ukrainian Dance School, which is doing a fine job of teaching and performing traditional Ukrainian folk dancing -- the most exciting folk dances in the whole world. Here's a sample (10:35) -- the famous hopak!
Last year, Barvinok had a successful tour of eastern Europe, so successful that they've been invited back. The trip is planned for August, and the basic costs of the tour are covered, but they need help with transportation. Please take a few minutes to check out this (shorter) video. You'll see some more dance clips and news about this summer's tour. Then, if you can help with the funding, click on the red button. Thank you!
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