Yesterday, a friend was kind enough to forward to me info on Tadeusz Kosciuszko, a Polish military engineer who helped the Colonies become the United States. I reacted childishly- told my friend I wasn't Polish, but rather more-or-less Ukrainian. (More-or-less only because national and ethnic boundaries in eastern Europe have changed frequently, and continue to do so. Re: the latter point, think Crimea. Re: the former, think Ruthenia or Trans-Carpathian Rus.)
My friend's gesture caused me to google into Ukranian-0American history. As it turns out, folks from Ruthenia took part in the America Revolution as well as our Civil War.
But what tickles me most is that Ruthenians in the War of Independence and the Civil War seems a perfect riposte to the xenophobia that has become a badge of honor in the Trump Administration. (News flash,, Kellyanne Conway - the First and Second Amendments aren't equally dispositive.)
Thanks, Al.
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