The Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA) was founded in 1940 to provide authoritative information about the plight of Ukrainians, as well as to represent the interests of the Ukrainian American community. As a national umbrella organization representing an estimated one million Americans of Ukrainian descent, the UCCA has a long history in actively pursuing issues which affect the Ukrainian American community.

Throughout its history, the UCCA has raised U.S. awareness of Ukraine as well as represented the interests of Ukrainian Americans before the government. Of its many achievements over the years, some highlights include: its work for the enactment of the law admitting displaced persons from Europe to America, which was adopted by Congress in 1948 and resulted in 110,000 Ukrainians being admitted into the United States; its support for the establishment of Ukrainian language services at the Voice of America and Radio Free Liberty; and its initiative of a Public Law within the House and Senate to erect a monument to Taras Shevchenko, the bard of Ukraine, in Washington, D.C., which was unveiled in 1964 by former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

During the height of the Cold War, the UCCA spoke out against Soviet human rights violations and was instrumental in promoting the Captive Nations Week Resolution (Public Law 86-90). It advocated for the liberation of Ukrainian intellectual, religious and political prisoners in the USSR.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the UCCA redirected its efforts toward supporting Ukraine’s democratic development and encouraging free-market reform while sustaining a vibrant Ukrainian community in the United States. It advocated for sustained support of U.S. foreign assistance to Ukraine under the Freedom Support Act. It initiated the formation of the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus. Through it’s efforts, the U.S. Congress passed the Resolution granting federal land in Washington, D.C. to erect a monument to the victims of Ukraine’s Genocide of 1932-33.

Due to its unique status as a broad-based American institution comprised largely of ethnic Ukrainians, the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, Inc. has succeeded in incorporating its own acute understanding of both the traditions and sensibilities of Ukrainian culture and attitudes with American values and standards. The UCCA is deeply committed to maintaining a vibrant and strong Ukrainian community within the U.S. by supporting the growth and development of our unique culture and heritage through the initiatives of our offices and various committees.

The UCCA is also dedicated to strengthening the relationship between both the U.S. and Ukraine, and insuring Ukraine’s role as a cornerstone of its strategic region’s stability. As a result, it has secured a reputation as not only a committed and highly regarded resource in the furtherance of Ukraine’s democratic development, but also, an organization that profoundly understands the trials and difficulties related to that process. Thus, the UCCA commands a level of trust, both in and out of Ukrainian government circles, which is unparalleled. As a result, it has helped to create and sustain channels of communication between the governments of the United States and Ukraine, worked to foster a secure and positive business environment for both Ukrainian and foreign businesses through its high level Ukrainian government and Fortune 500 contacts and has promoted awareness, support and participation of Ukrainian citizens in civic processes.