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Transcript/ScriptUKRAINIAN AMERICANS CHICAGO
HEADLINE: Ukrainians in US Rally as War Fears Mount
TEASER:
PUBLISHED AT: Monday, 02/21/2022, 7:22 p.m.
BYLINE: Kane Farabaugh
DATELINE: Chicago, Illinois
VIDEOGRAPHER: Kane Farabaugh
PRODUCER: Kane Farabaugh, Mary Cieslak
SCRIPT EDITORS: Bowman, Page
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV X RADIO __
TRT: 3:21
VID APPROVED BY: Holly Franko
TYPE: TVPKG
EDITOR NOTES:))
((INTRO))
[[Ukrainians living in the United States are showing unity as a diaspora community in the face of Russian aggression toward their native country. VOA’s Kane Farabaugh has more from Chicago.]]
((NARRATOR))
Although she’s been living in the United States for more than 20 years, Maria Dziuma is still closely connected to Ukraine.
((Maria Dziuma, Ukranian Congress Committee of America))
“I became an American citizen back in 1999 but my heart is still with my home country.”
((NARRATOR))
While she is out of harm’s way living in Chicago, thousands of kilometers from Ukraine, Dziuma’s thoughts are with her friends and her immediate family living in her home country, now potentially in the crosshairs of Russian military forces.
((Maria Dziuma, Ukrainian Congress Committee of America))
“It just breaks my heart truly, just the thought of Russian tanks on the border of my beautiful home country just makes me want to just cry.”
((NARRATOR))
The escalating tensions have Yuriy Soroka debating whether he should stay in Chicago or prepare to fight in Ukraine.
((Yuriy Soroka, Chicago Resident))
“These thoughts are going through my mind every day.”
((NARRATOR))
What’s kept him in the United States so far is his friends telling him that Ukraine needs advocates across the globe.
((Yuriy Soroka, Chicago Resident))
“‘We have big strong guys who are actually pretty good at war. We need you in the U.S. doing what you are doing.’”
((NARRATOR))
Which is why Soroka, Dziuma, and hundreds more from the large Ukrainian American community in the Midwest state of Illinois rallied for unity on the anniversary of Ukraine’s Maidan revolution that pressed for closer ties with the European Union.
((Lydia Tkaczuk, Ukrainian National Museum President))
“We are having a candlelight vigil to commemorate the “Heavenly Hundred.” These are the civilians who were beaten brutally on February 20, 2014.”
((NARRATOR))
Lydia Tkaczuk is president of the Ukrainian National Museum of Chicago, a cultural focal point for the diaspora community during the deepening crisis between Kyiv and Moscow.
((Lydia Tkaczuk, President, Ukrainian National Museum))
“There’s not much that we can do. We can show support. We can pray. We can call them. But being that far away, it’s very difficult for us.”
((NARRATOR))
Tkaczuk says many Ukrainian Americans feel helpless.
((Lydia Tkaczuk, President, Ukrainian National Museum))
“Many of them have children in Ukraine, grandchildren, grandparents, mothers, sisters, and how much can they do for them? There’s really not much they can do for them.”
((Yuriy Soroka, Chicago Resident))
“As a community we are pretty strong. We are doing what we can to help Ukraine. We are at our place. We can help financially our friends, our families in Ukraine.”
((NARRATOR))
Soroka welcomes the news media’s focus on the conflict.
((Yuriy Soroka, Chicago Resident))
“Now when the things are really unwinding, finally we have the media attention of the American press, and that’s good.”
((NARRATOR))
As she prays and hopes for peace between Ukraine and Russia, Maria Dziuma isn’t sure she should remain in her adopted country, watching the crisis unfold from afar.
((Maria Dziuma, Ukrainian Congress Committee of America))
“That question I even ask myself, what would I do? And if I can maybe, you know, I could go and volunteer there.”
((NARRATOR))
Getting there would present another challenge, as many airlines have canceled flights to Ukraine as war clouds continue to gather.
((Kane Farabaugh, VOA News, Chicago.))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)Chicago, Illinois
Embargo DateFebruary 21, 2022 23:25 EST
BylineKane Farabaugh
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
