The Russians and Ruthenians in America; (1922) Bolsheviks or brothers? PDF book by Jerome Davis





The New Americans Series consists of studies of the following racial groups together with a study of the Eastern Orthodox churches: Albanian and Bulgarian, Armenian and Assyrian- Chaldean, Czecho-Slovak, Greek, Italian, Jewish, Jugo-Slav (Croatian, Serbian, Slovenian), Magyar, Polish, Russian and Kuthenian, or Ukrainian, Span- ish (Spaniards) and Portuguese, Syrian. These studies, made under the auspices of the Interchurch World Movement, were undertaken to show in brief outline the social, economic and religious background, European or Asiatic, of each group and to present the experience social, economic and religious of the particular group in America, with special reference to the contact of the given people with religious institutions in America.It was designed that the studies should be sympathetic but critical. It is confidently believed that this series will help America to appreciate and appropriate the spiritual wealth represented by the vast body of New Ameri- cans, each group having its own peculiar heritage and potentialities; and will lead Christian America, so far as she will lead them, to become a better lover of mankind.The writer, in each case, is a kinsman or has had a direct and intimate relationship with the people, or group of peoples, presented. First-hand knowledge and the ability to study and write from a deeply sympathetic and broadly Christian viewpoint were primary conditions in the selection of the authors. The author of the study of the Russians and Ruthenians was born of missionary parents in Japan and is a Congregational minister. He is a graduate of Oberlin College and Union Theological Seminary and has a Master of Arts degree from Columbia University where he was Gilder Fellow in 1920-21. During the war, he was secretary to Sir Wilfred Grenfell of the Labrador Mission and for over two years was with the Young Men's Chris- tian Association in Russia. He speaks and reads Russian. At present, he is an assistant professor of sociology at Dartmouth College.These manuscripts are published through the courtesy of the Interchurch World Movement with the cooperative aid of various denominational boards, through the Home Missions Council of America. At this writing, arrangements have been made for the publication of only six of the Series, namely, Czecho-Slovak, Greek, Italian, Magyar, Polish and Russian, but other manuscripts will be published as soon as funds or advanced orders are secured.The great outstanding fact which has been forced upon me as a result of this study has already been expressed by Jane Addams for the immigrant in General: "We still have no method by which to discover 1 the Russians, to spiritualize, to understand, to hold intercourse with them and to receive of what they bring. " When we realize that the total number of foreign-born in the United States from all the Russian empire in 1910 exceeded that from any other country except Germany and that is the one the year 1913 before the war stopped further immigration, there were admitted to this country over 51,000 Russians alone, we see the colossal challenge presented to us by the Russians and Ruthenians within our own borders. And now, according to varying authorities, there are between 200,000 and 400,000 Russians and 400,000 to 600,000 Ukrainians in the United StatesAuthor: Jerome Davis Publication Date: 1922