Belonging :: Ukraine Traditions Culture Society Essays

belongThe ideals embodied in the word community deal with the scientific verbal description of specific human cultures. While traveling throughout the city of Warren, Michigan, you atomic number 18 bound to nonice one of the many signs stating the following Welcome to Warren, the terzetto largest city in Michigan. In the midst of this large city harp approximately seventeen thousand humans of Ukrainian descent. With this many raft you would need Cobo Hall to throw a get-together however, we all seem to foregather happily at the Ukrainian ethnic center(a). Throughout the Ukrainian Cultural circle rounds twenty years of existence, the Center has faithfully serviced its patrons with libraries of knowledge, a museum, great food, and a social place to gather, the Odessa Lounge.The Ukrainian Cultural Center serves as the hub of most activities for Ukrainians in the metro Detroit area. You might say that I grew up in the place, nurtured by the members of Ukrainian decent who have se rved me exchangeable surrogate parents. Its a large community, but Ive large to personally know most of the members and their families. The Center, as it is called, is not just a place to learn about me heritage, attend lectures, concerts, weddings, social and cultural activities. For me the Center is a place of belonging where everyone knows my name, just as the words to the poem in the TV sitcom Cheers.The Ukrainian Cultural Center is located south of Interstate 696 on the west- side of Ryan Road. This brown brick edifice does not come out extremely elaborate or fancy, but rather, has the appearance of a large house. The building faade is complimented with almond colored trim and brown shingles, the kind found on many homes in this residential area. The buildings pitched roof further adds the look and feel of a large family home. The elaborate landscaping intensifies the large house effect as well as hiding the road that runs across the front spark advance to the massive fo ur hundred ninety-space parking lot in the rear. back the road with stones, shrubs, and several pine, maple and crab apple trees makes it look attractive and inviting from the front.Upon entrance the building, you automatically know it is not a typical banquet hall. It has the look and feel of another country. The display at the entrance is filled with Ukrainian artifacts, like embroidered pillows, decorated pysanky, wedding wreaths, and other objects reflecting Ukrainian ethnicity.