The newest addition to Arcadia Publishing’s popular Images of America series is Ukrainians of Metropolitan Detroit from local author Nancy Karen Wichar. The book boasts more than 200 vintage images encompassing all aspects of Ukrainian life, giving readers a unique opportunity to reconnect to the history that shaped their community.

Ukrainians have contributed to the diverse ethnic tapestry in Detroit since the arrival of the first Ukrainian immigrants in the late 1800s. Bringing their history, culture and determination to achieve, they established a foundation for the resilient community that would continue to emerge during the decades to come.

Ukrainian neighborhoods formed on both the east and west sides of the city. This is where they constructed the churches, schools, cultural centers and financial institutions that would allow them to maintain their cherished ethnic identity while integrating into the American way of life. This book is a pictorial history of the people and events that created a community that would come to be known as the Ukrainians of metropolitan Detroit.

Highlights of Ukrainians of Metropolitan Detroit:
• The majority of the photographs were contributed from the private collections of local Ukrainians.
• The book exhibits the vibrant talent of Ukrainian artists, dancers, musicians and vocalists.
• Many of the images celebrate religious life in the Ukrainian community.

Author Bio: Nancy Karen Wichar is a proud second-generation Ukrainian. Throughout her career in education, she created several ethnic pride units utilizing her rich Ukrainian heritage background as a model for her students to find and appreciate their own ethnic identities. Ukrainians of Metropolitan Detroit is her gift to her parents, Stephen and Nadia Wichar, and to the Ukrainian community, past, present, and future.