Belarusan-American Association (, ''Bielaruska-Amierykanskaje Zadzinočan'nje'', BAZA) is a non-profit organization of
Belarusians
, native_name_lang = be
, pop = 9.5–10 million
, image =
, caption =
, popplace = 7.99 million
, region1 =
, pop1 = 600,000–768,000
, region2 =
, pop2 ...
in the United States. In the United States, the Belarusan-American Association is a member organization of the Central and East European Coalition (CEEC), which coordinates the efforts of national ethnic organizations representing 20 million Americans, whose members continue to maintain strong cultural, economic, political, and religious ties to the countries of Central and East Europe.
General information
Currently Belarusan-American Association, Inc. (BAZA) is the biggest and the oldest Belarusian organization in the USA.
The Association unites people of Belarusian descent, people who migrated from the territory located within ethnographic borders of Belarus and those related to Belarusians through marriage or though professional relations irrespective of party affiliation.
Hanna Surmach is the Chairperson of the Belarusan-American Association (BAZA) at present time.
Creation of the Association
Belarusan-American Association (BAZA) was established in 1949 in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
.
The first preparatory assembly of the Association was held in June, 1949 in
Brooklyn, New York
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
. On July 31, 1949 the second assembly took place in
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
, where the Belarusan-American Association was actually created. The cofounders of the Association were Mikola Garoshka, Mikola Darashevich, Uladzimir Mashanski, Janka Stankievich, Janka Nikhaenak, Aliaksandar Orsa and Mikhas Tuleyka. In 1950 the Association was officially registered in the
State of New York
New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. state ...
.
Organizational structure and chapters
Belarusan-American Association (BAZA) has of two structural levels: the National Headquarter and Chapters.
The National Headquarter, located in New York City, consists of the Board of Directors, which is the executive body of the Association
The Board of Directors governs the policies of the organization and oversees functioning of the local Chapters.
There are seven local Chapters of Belarusan-American Association (BAZA):
*
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
Chapter;
*
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
Chapter;
* Brooklyn, New York Chapter;
*
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
Chapter;
*
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
Chapter;
*
Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...
Chapter;
*
South Florida
South Florida is the southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three most commonly referred to directional regions; the other two are Central Florida and North Florida. South Florida is the southernmost part of th ...
Chapter.
Each chapter is governed by the locally elected Executive Board that consists of the President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer, and other members.
Newspaper ''Biełarus''
The newspaper ''
Biełarus'' is an official periodical of the Belarusan-American Association (BAZA). It was first issued on September 20, 1950 in New York City.
''Biełarus'' often publishes opinions of its readers on political and economical situations in Belarus.
See also
*
Belarusian Congress Committee of America
The Belarusian Congress Committee of America ( be, Беларускі кангрэсавы камітэт Амерыкі) or BCCA ( be, БККА) is a non-partisan not-for-profit national umbrella organization uniting different national Belarusia ...
References
External links
Official web page of the Belarusan-American Association (BAZA)Southern California Chapter of the Belarusan-American AssociationNew York Chapter of the Belarusan-American AssociationSouth Florida Chapter of the Belarusan-American AssociationOfficial web page of the newspaper Bielarus
{{Authority control
Belarusian-American culture in New York City
Belarusian-American history
Non-profit organizations based in New York City
Organizations established in 1949