Re-imagining Ukrainian Canadians: History, Politics, and Identity ed. by Rhonda L. Hinther and Jim Mochoruk (review)

In their introduction to this volume, the editors divide Ukrainian Canadian historical studies into three phases. As soon as Ukrainians started arriving 120 years ago, non-Ukrainians commented on them, mostly describing what they felt and wondering how to Canadianize them quickly. Works in the second phase were often penned by Ukrainian Canadians themselves and were typically triumphant stories presenting the iconic image of pioneering hardship building gradually to success. A third phase has grown since the late 1970s, a ‘new history,’ which moves beyond the earlier clichés of the ‘dangerous foreigner’ and ‘prairie pioneer.’ In this phase, historians have increasingly engaged particular aspects of the communities’ histories, themes, and alternate analytical approaches. The editors want to highlight that the most recent phase is increasingly integrated with Canadian academic tradition: ‘Ukrainian-Canadian history should not – or at least should no longer – be deemed a distinct field of inquiry.’ It seems to me however, that the first two stages were also very consistent with the intellectual, social, and cultural climates of their times.

In spite of the clichéd cover images (red-and-black embroidery, a horse-drawn plow), the editors do succeed generally in moving beyond the standard myths of Ukrainian Canadian experience and explore its profound diversity. This expansion of themes is not new but continues to be welcome. Contributions to the volume explore a number of subpopulations and sites beyond the stereotypes: leftists, right-wingers, peculiar personalities, murderers, re-emigrants, and diplomats. Clearly the best represented issue is that of the progressive Ukrainians in Canada, the subject of articles by both co-editors as well as Andrij Makuch (one particular conflict in 1935 and its aftermath) and S. Holyck Hunchuck (the Ukrainian Communist hall in Ottawa). Leftist politics and Communism in more international contexts are profiled by Jaroslav Petryshyn (Ukrainian Canadians’ influence on Canada-Soviet relations), Serge Cipko (the campaign for re-migration back to Soviet homelands), and Jennifer Anderson (Canadian-Soviet Friendship Society). Orest Martynowych contributes the sole article focusing on the political right (pro-Nazi sentiments in the Ukrainian Canadian community). The imbalance of attention accorded to the left and right probably mirrors Ukrainian Canadian reality to a large extent (though certainly this depends on how we characterize the huge middle ground). The focus on the left also likely reflects this volume’s publication within the Canadian Social History Series, edited by historian of the working class Gregory S. Kealey. In any event, it is interesting to note that the articles on the progressive communities in Canada are sometimes written with a tone of personal engagement and empathy, in contrast to the article about the political right.

Peter Melnycky and Jars Balan write about prominent individuals who lived mostly in Alberta in the first part of the twentieth century (Paul Rudyk and Illia Kiriak). More isolated contributions are presented by Karen Gabert (representational devices in the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village museum), Lindy Ledohowski (literary images of Ukrainian aboriginality), and Stacey Zembrzycki (five murder cases in Sudbury).

The articles in the volume hint at other themes as well. One can see eagerness to engage with gender issues in the papers by Hinther and Holyck Hunchuck. Archivist Myron Momryk was singled out especially in the acknowledgements to the volume for his inspiration and support, and certainly most of the authors delved deeply newly explored archival holdings. Canadian and Ukrainian Canadian periodicals also featured prominently in the hundreds of footnotes.

Hinther, Gabert, Holyck Hunchuck, and Zembrzycki use oral interviews to create new resources for their research topics. With literally thousands of hours of interviews of Ukrainian Canadians recorded in various archival and personal collections, this clearly is one of the next frontiers for Ukrainian Canadian historical and cultural research. The editors expound that ‘much work still needs to be done’ on post-war immigrants, assimilation and integration, relationships with the state, everyday life, children’s lives, and other...