[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 4252-4253]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   CELEBRATING THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UKRAINIAN AMERICAN YOUTH 
                              ASSOCIATION

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. RODNEY P. FRELINGHUYSEN

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 13, 2016

  Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 25th 
Anniversary of The Ukrainian American Youth Association, located in 
Whippany, Morris County, New Jersey.
  In 1925, in Kyiv, Ukraine, the Ukrainian Youth Association was 
formed. At the time, Ukraine was under Russian Communist oppression. 
The goal of the organization was to continue Ukrainian national and 
cultural identity and start a struggle against the Russian Communist 
effort to carry out a genocide of the people of the Ukrainian nation. 
From 1929-1930, the majority of the organization's members were 
repressed, their commanders were arrested, confined in Soviet Gulags 
and in the end, murdered.

[[Page 4253]]

  By the end of World War II, many Ukrainians were living in displaced 
person camps in Germany. The people noticed the need to start the 
organization again, so that the displaced Ukrainian youth army might 
benefit from its programs. Once again, they wanted to continue to 
promote the national and cultural heritage of the Ukrainian people 
living outside Ukraine and to protest against Russian Communism. In 
1946, in Augsburg, Germany, the first branch of a revived Ukrainian 
Youth Association was officially formed.
  In 1991, Ukraine gained its independence and branches of the Youth 
Association were formed across the territory of the new democratic and 
independent Ukraine. After the first branch of the Ukrainian Youth 
Association was formed, other branches formed in Europe, North and 
South America and Australia. In 1991, one branch, located in Whippany, 
New Jersey was formed.
  Today, the Ukrainian Youth Association is filled with energetic youth 
trying to learn more about the principles of democracy and emphasizing 
the importance of the rights of individuals and the rights of nations 
in order to develop and continue their individual and national 
spirituality.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing the members of the 
Ukrainian Youth Association of Whippany, New Jersey for all of their 
service to the community.

                          ____________________