The Ukrainian Weekly 1981

^ r– - СЛ Ї- 1 -J СВ ОБОДА JLSYOBODA І І x "C я УКРАЇНСЬКИЙ ЩОА,ІННМК ^фд^У иЛЯАІНІКМОЬІІ'і і і о - о о г о Ї О z Ш 25 cents x vol. LXXXVIH No. 49 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, i98i Amnesty international grourainiap Minnesota eventn Weekcelebrates Ukrainianl identity "1 was a teacher in Wisconsin at adopts Raisa RudenkPUBLISHEo D BY THE UKRAINIAby Dr. NMyro NATIONAn BL. KuropaASSOCIATIOs N INC.Associatio, A FRATERNALn , anNON-PROHd the MinnesotT ASSOCIATIOa N branch of the Ukrainian Congress the time," recalled Dr. Halich, "and І JERSEY C1TY, N.J. - The case of Soviet ST. PAUL, Minn. - it was billed Committee. was preparing a research paper on political prisoner Raisa Rudenko, wife of as "a historical commemoration" The Ukrainian American honored the Gypsies. І visited the public Mykola Rudenko, the imprisoned founding and it was all of that and much more. by the 1HRC as a "distinguished library in Milwaukee and out of member of the Ukrainian Helsinki Monitoring For a community striving to involve immigration scholar"was Dr. Wasyl curiosity, 1 looked in the card catalog Group, has been taken up by Amnesty interna– itself with the more positive aspects Halich, author of "The Ukrainians in for references related to Ukraine. To tional's adoption group No. 57 in San Francisco. of its ethnic heritage, a recent event in the United States," first published by my astonishment, 1 discovered that By adopting Mrs. Rudenko the group pledges to Minnesota proved to be a celebra– the University of Chicago Press in the Milwaukee public library had work in her behalf and seek her release. tion of the Ukrainian identity. 1937. Dr. Rudolph vecoli,'1HRC more information about Gypsiesthan Mrs. Rudenko was sentenced on September director, presented Dr. Halich with a about Ukrainians. Right then and 11 to a total of 10 years — five years' confine– On November 14, some 200 Ukrai– bronze plaque which enumerated his there 1 decided to rectify the situa– ment in a strict-regimen camp and five years' nian Americans living in the Minnea– many contributions to the field of tion. Later, when 1 was studying for exile. polis-St. Paul area of Minnesota Ukrainian immigration studies and my Ph.D. degree at the University of She is imprisoned in the Mordovian ASSR in gathered at the international insti– which, in the words of Dr. vecoli, iowa, 1 decided to write my disserta– tion on America's Ukrainians." camp ZhKh-385;'3 where her husband had been tute in St. Paul to pay tribute to a was "a token of the high esteem confined. distinguished Ukrainian immigra– which all of us have for this distin– Recalling his long life in America, According to the External Representation of tion scholar, to announce the publi– guished scholar. Dr. Halich was a Dr. Halich, a widower and a long- the Ukrainian Helsinki Group, men and women cation of a long-awaited biblio– pioneer in his field," concluded Dr. time resident of Superior, Wise, political prisoners are isolated from each other graphy of sources related to the life of vecoli, "and his long and productive concluded his brief acceptance re- in the camps, so that even if the Rudenkos had Ukrainians in North America, and to life serves as an inspiration to those marks with an admonition to the been in the same camp at the same time, they hear papers presented by immigra– who came after him." younger generation. "1 am distressed would not have been able to see each other. tion scholars from the United States in accepting the honor, the first of that many younger Ukrainian Ame– Nevertheless, the External Representation went and Canada. its kind presented by the 1HRC, Dr. ricans are assimilating. Some argue on to note, Soviet authorities decided to transfer Halich, who came to America prior that their non-Ukrainian spouses or Mr. Rudenko to a different camp. The event was co-sponsored by the to World War 1, thanked Dr. vecoli their communities make it difficult Mrs. Rudenko, who is in her early 40s, was University of Minnesota immigra– and reviewed the circumstances for them to retain their heritage. І sentenced on charges of disseminating anti- tion History Research Center which prompted him to write about don't buy that. І was married for Soviet materials. (1HRC), the Ukrainian National his people. (Continued on page 11) CH1CAGO - Walter Polovchak, assertions that its powers to grant the Ukrainian teenager who refused Relatives want to adopt Polovchak; asylum are limitless, even to minors, to return to the Soviet Union with his and unreviewable by courts. They parents some 16 months ago and has contend that the asylum award made been embroiled in a protracted cus– legal battles drag on to a 12-year-old without any consul– tody conflict ever since, petitioned a chak retained the services of the supremacy clause in the U.S. Consti– tation with his parents represents "a Cook County court several weeks American Civil Liberties Union, tution, which says in pa rt that federal grossly unreasonable and unwarrant– ago to allow an uncle and aunt in whose lawyers argued that Walter laws adopted under it bind state ed invasion of the privacy and inte– California to adopt him, reported should not be a ward of the state but court judges, forbids the state court grity of the family." The New York Times. should be returned to his parents. to rule in any manner that could By tradition and precedent, courts Shortly after that day in July 1980 They contended that, without a vitiate its grant of asylum to young have generally ruled that the federal when Walter, then 12 years old, and showing of gross neglect or physical Polovchak and facilitate his return to government ranks far behind the his .17-year-old sister Natalie left or mental abuse, the juvenile court's the Soviet Union, the Times reported. family itself and the state in adjudi– their parents' home in Chicago rather decision represents an infringement "The grant of asylum is an integral cating domestic problems. than go back to the USSR, the boy of constitutional rights to raise and part of this country's immigration has been the center of dispute bet- educate a family, rights established in law, international law and the foreign "Traditionally, disputes involving ween two superpowers, experts on a long line of Supreme Court cases. policy power of the executive," U.S. domestic relations, including child juvenile law, as well as the federal Several months ago, it looked like Attorney Dan K. Webb of the Nor– custody and adoption proceedings, government and the state of illinois. the federal government was close to thern District of illinois argued in a have been thought to be wholly When Walter's parents decided to hammering out a deal with the brief as a friend of the court submitted within the province of the state return to the Soviet Union after six ACLU, reportedly offering to drop to the Appellate Court of iHinois. courts," the U.S. Court of Appeals unhappy months in the United States, Walter's asylum status if the illinois "The judiciary is foreclosed from for the Sixth Circuit held in 1978. they agreed that Natalie was old Appellate Court granted custody to nullifying or subtracting from that "The cases recognize the 'local' enough to make up her mind about the Polovchaks, who have since grant." nature of domestic-relations pro– where she wanted to live, but they returned to the USSR amid a propa– According to the Times, Mr. Webb blems, the strong interest of the state wanted to take Walter back with ganda spectacle rife with charges that took no substantive position on how in addressing such questions without them. The Polovchaks have another Walter was drugged by the СІА and the illinois court should decide the interference and the expertise of local son, 7-year-old Mikhail. held against his will. custody question, but he suggested agencies and courts in monitoring As soon as Walter was tracked But the deal fell through after the two options that the federal govern– and resolving domestic-relations down at his cousin's house, Warren Justice Department apparently rea– ment considered consistent with the matters." M. Christopher, then deputy secre– lized the political implications of grant of asylum: denying the parents According to the Times, that tary of state, ordered that the boy not rescinding religious asylum. The custody, or granting it but barring attitude was endorsed by the U.S. be forcibly returned to his parents Reagan administration now says that them from removing Walter to the Supreme Court in 1930. and, .three days later, the federal it will "defend vigorously" the go– Soviet Union against his will. Although a ruling on the custody immigration and Naturalization vemment's initial decision to grant Since Walter's lawyers have been question is expected soon, the case Service granted Walter religious asylum to Walter. unable to establish neglect or abuse could foreseeably drag on for years. asylum. Shortly thereafter, he was in making its case, the federal on the part of the parents, the federal While awaiting word on his latest deemed a "minor in need of super- government contends that its autho– government is said to be bracing petition concerning possible adop– vision" by a Cook County Juvenile rity over immigration matters and itself for an adverse ruling in the tion by his aunt and uncle, Walter Court. foreign policy severely curbs the custody battle, the Times said. remains in a foster home in Chicago, At first refusing to leave without discretion of the illinois court.

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