Ethnic Identity Discourses of Recent Ukrainian Immigrants to Canada: Interactions between New Ukrainian-Canadians and the Established Ukrainian-Canadian Diaspora by Susanna Mairin Lynn A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Slavic Languages and Literatures Department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies University of Alberta © Susanna Mairin Lynn, 2014 ii ABSTRACT Ukrainian-Canadians are a relatively well-established group in this country. This thesis focuses on an as yet unstudied segment of this community, namely the new, post-Soviet Ukrainian immigrants. As an interdisciplinary project, the thesis researches the ethnic identity discourses of recent immigrants to Canada by examining their interactions with the established Ukrainian diaspora in Edmonton, AB. The thesis focuses on interactions that shape their identities and integration. I begin with a socio-historical overview of the first three waves of immigration; then I discuss events in Ukraine since its declaration of Independence in 1991. The analysis of interviews which I conducted with new and established members of the community reveals that both the ethnic identity discourses of both groups are negotiated, at least in part, in relationship to each other. It also exposes some of the similarities and differences between the two groups, highlighting the evolving nature of this community. iii PREFACE This thesis is an original work by Susanna Mairin Lynn. The research project “ Identity Discourses of Recent Ukrainian Immigrants to Canada: Interactions between New Ukrainian-Canadians and the Established Ukrainian-Canadian Diaspora,” of which this thesis is a part, received research ethics approval from the University of Alberta Research Ethics Board, under the ID “Pro00034327,” on December 18th, 2012. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I would like to sincerely thank my co-supervisors, Professors Oleh Ilnytzkyj and Natalia Pylypiuk, for their guidance, discussions, time, energy, insight, practical advice and inspiration throughout the entire period of writing this thesis. I would like to express my genuine gratitude to my reviewers, Professors John-Paul Himka and Alla Nedashkivska, for the time, effort, and care they put into being a part of my committee and reviewing my thesis. I am indebted to Professors Natalia Pylypiuk. Oleh Ilnytzkyj, Alla Nedashkivska, and Irene Sywenky for their exceptional instruction in both graduate and undergraduate courses I took with them. The passion they have for their respective areas of study, their dedication to students, the high quality of their instruction, and the intellectual rigour they cultivate and encourage in every student was a large factor in both my decision to apply for, and pursue, this degree. I am most thankful to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) for awarding me the Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship, and the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research at the University of Alberta for the Queen Elizabeth II-Masters Scholarship. Thank you to my interviewees, without whom this interdisciplinary study would not have been possible. Their courage, candor, insights and thoughtfulness are very much appreciated. Finally, I would like to thank my family and friends for their love and moral support during the course of my graduate studies. v TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 1 CHAPTER 1: “The First Three Waves: A Socio-Historical Overview of Pre-1991 Ukrainian Immigration to Canada” ......................................................................... 7 The First Wave of Ukrainian Immigration (1891-1914) ................................. 7 Ukrainian Internment (1914-1920) ................................................................ 12 The Second Wave of Ukrainian Immigration (1919-1939)........................... 15 The Third Wave of Ukrainian Immigration (1946-1961) ............................. 18 CHAPTER 2: “The Transformation of Ukraine and the Fourth Wave of Immigration to Canada: What Happened, What Effects It Has, and Why It Matters (1991-2012)” ......................................................................................................... 25 1991: An Extraordinary Year for Ukraine and the Beginning of a Unique Decade ........................................................................................................... 26 The Orange Revolution of 2004 and the Events That Followed ................... 32 Interpreting the Orange Revolution and Beyond: What Does It All Mean, and Why Does It Matter? ..................................................................................... 37 1) The Transformation of Post-Soviet Ukraine ......................................... 39 2) The Reconfiguration of Meanings around Nation and Identity ............. 43 CHAPTER 3: “ Interdisciplinary Methodology and Principles of Analysis”....... 47 Theoretical Concepts and Terminology ........................................................ 47 The place of essentialism within a constructionist view of ethnic identity 47 Ethnicity and ethnic identity ...................................................................... 50 The Four Dimensions of Ethnic Identity ................................................... 55 Hybridity, diaspora, and the possible simultaneous ideologies of multiculturalism and assimilation .............................................................. 57 The subareas of hybridity which concern ethnic identity ...................... 60 The Interview Process ................................................................................... 64 Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) ........................................................... 69 Pronouns in the construction of identity ................................................ 73 Presupposition and Implicature .............................................................. 73 Ideology and CDA ................................................................................. 75 Mutual Knowledge ................................................................................. 75 vi Metaphor ................................................................................................ 76 Context ................................................................................................... 77 CHAPTER 4: “The Interviews”............................................................................ 79 Section 1: Commentary on Selected Interview Questions ........................... 80 Questions 6 and 7 ....................................................................................... 80 Questions 8 and 9 ....................................................................................... 83 Question 13 ................................................................................................ 83 Question 15 ................................................................................................ 86 Question 36 ................................................................................................ 87 Section 2: Digressions in Interview Questions .............................................. 91 Questions 27 and 28: Perceived similarities and differences between NUCs and EUCs ................................................................................................... 91 Question 35: Opinions on the importance of cultivating Ukrainian culture in Ukraine and Canada ............................................................................... 95 Section 3: Implicit Beliefs and Prescriptive Cultural Attitudes and Values.. 99 Reading Literature and Translations ........................................................ 100 Politics and the Ukrainian state-language law of 2012 ............................ 103 Differences in Prescriptive Cultural Values and Attitudes; Implicit Beliefs in the “Ranking” Questions ..................................................................... 105 Section 4: The Four Dimensions of Ethnic Identity ................................... 111 ‘Being’: Self-identification and ethnic labelling...................................... 112 ‘Feeling’: Evaluation and importance of, and commitment to, an ethnic identity ..................................................................................................... 116 ‘Doing’: Participation in group activities, music etc. .............................. 122 ‘Knowing’: Culture, history etc. .............................................................. 129 Section 5: The Role of Language in Ethnic Identity Discourses ................. 133 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................... 143 WORKS CITED ................................................................................................. 147 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................... 153 APPENDIX A: Interview with Participant “NUC1M” ...................................... 155 APPENDIX B: Interview with Participant “NUC2M” ....................................... 186 APPENDIX C: Interview with Participant “NUC3M” ....................................... 205 vii APPENDIX D: Interview with Participant “NUC4F” ........................................ 218 APPENDIX E: Interview with Participant “NUC5F” ........................................ 239 APPENDIX