Ukrainians of Darlington
Excerpt: “Ukrainians of Beaver County” by Kevin Farkas. Beaver Countians have long celebrated their ethnic heritage, and for good reason. Our local history of immigration is very much an important part of the wider American story of peoples (including African Americans) who left their homes and homeland to come here for a better life, which often included economic opportunities, freedom from religious oppression and government authoritarianism, and escape from the violence of war. From Poland to Afghanistan, El Salvador to Ethiopia, from Mississippi to Vietnam–immigrants have come to Beaver County and called it home, if only temporarily . . . Because Ukraine is in the news, I can’t help but wonder about our own Ukrainian heritage here in Beaver County, which I speak of in the collective sense–after all, their history is our history . . . At 7%, Conway Borough has the most residents in Beaver County identifying as Ukrainian, followed by Darlington at 5.2%.