Integration or separation? Nationality groups in the US and the Republican Party's ethnic politics, 1960s–1980s

Abstract

Using examples of American Latvians, Estonians and Ukrainians in the states of Minnesota, New Jersey and New York this article explores the ambiguous nature of integration of nationalities groups inside the Republican Party during the 1960s–1980s. Based on the analysis of available archival information, it is shown that the Republican Party intentionally brought in the ethnics during the discussed period and created the Nationalities Sections within specific electoral campaigns, Nationalities Divisions inside the state party organizations and the National Republican Heritage Groups (Nationalities) Council within the Republican National Committee in order to recruit the ethnics and engage in the partisan struggle with the Democrats. Consequently, the nationalities were given a sense of importance, but little real power to actually influence the internal processes inside the party. At the same time, the nationalities eagerly responded to the invitation to join the Republican national and state-level organizations specifically designed for the ethnics. Yet in doing this they perceived themselves primarily as ethnics with a distinct, mainly anti-communist, agenda and only secondarily thought of themselves as Americans dedicated to Republican politics. Consequently, the Republican political strategy of creating Nationalities Sections and Divisions seemed to integrate the ethnics on the surface, while in reality intensifying political separation and even ghettoization of the ethnics in American politics. This research initiates a larger project, which will compare the Republican and Democratic strategies of directly involving ethnic groups and minorities inside the party organizations in the second part of the twentieth century.

Keywords:

• Republican Party
• nationalities groups
• party structures
• ethnic politics
• US

Notes

The terms “nationalities,” “ethnics,” “white ethnics” and “ethnic groups” are used interchangeably in this article in reference to the Americans of European and Eastern and Central European descent and recent political refugees from communist-dominated countries. For a discussion of the concept of “ethnics,” or as the Republican Party called them “heritage groups,” as opposed to “minorities,” which was used in referring to Jews and African-Americans, see, for example, Horowitz 525–38.

On this accusatory writing about the Republican Nationalities Division and the connections between the Republicans and nationalities groups, see, for example, Zake 91–118.

Dick Otterson to Erick Dunduras, 11 Aug. 1960; Erik Dundurs to Dick Otterson, 15 Sept. 1960 and P. Kenneth Peterson to Erik A. Dundurs, 21 Sept. 1960, Box 9, Folder 3, Erik Dundurs Papers, Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

Statement by Erik A. Dundurs, 10 Oct. 1960, Box 9, Folder 3, Erik Dundurs Papers, Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

Theodore Humes to Erik Dundurs, 4 June 1964, Box 9, Folder 4, Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

Press release by Minnesota Citizens for Goldwater–Miller, n.d., Box 9, Folder 4, Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

Erik Dundurs to Clifton White, 29 May 1964, Box 9, Folder 4, Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

Erik Dundurs to Theodore Humes, 22 June 1964, Box 9, Folder 4, Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

William McFadzean to Colby Bowden, 28 Sept. 1964, Erik Dundurs Papers, Box 9, Folder 4, Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

It is interesting to note that the press release about this contained a typo, stating that Keire was appointed to create a “nation-wide organization of Czech-Americans for the Goldwater-Milller ticket.” Apparently those preparing numerous press releases about the creation of these ethnic sections did not bother to check whether they had put the correct ethnicity. News release from Citizens for Goldwater–Miller Committee's Ethnic Division, 29 Sept. 1964, Erik Dundurs Papers, Box 9, Folder 4, Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

Memo from Colby Bowden, 25 Sept. 1964, Erik Dundurs Papers, Box 9, Folder 4, Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; Memo from Colby Bowden, 29 Sept. 1964, Erik Dundurs Papers, Box 9, Folder 4, Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

William McFadzean to Colby Bowden, 29 Sept. 1964, Erik Dundurs Papers, Box 9, Folder 4, Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

Press release, 27 Sept. 1968, Eriks Dundurs Papers, Box 9, Folder 10, Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

Monthly Report of the National Republican Heritage Groups (Nationalities) Council, 15 Aug. 1974, Estonian Republican Club NY Papers, Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; Anthony Novasitis to Heritage Group Leaders, 23 Mar. 1976, Estonian Republican Club NY Papers, Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

The Republican Heritage Groups (Nationalities) Council, Memorandum, 10 Feb. 1976, Estonian Republican Club New York Papers, Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

For example, such a Republican State Committee's Heritage Groups Council was established in New York in 1975 and among its founders were local clubs of American-Irish, Bulgarian-American, Hungarian-American, Chinese-American, Cossack-American, Czecho-American, Estonian-American, Greek-American, Latin-American, Latvian-American, Romanian-American, Ukrainian-American and some Polish-American Republicans (see New York State Republican Heritage Groups Council, Constitution and By-Laws, Papers of Estonian Republican Club New York, Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis).

Alfred Korn, Analysis of Heritage Groups' Problem, n.d., Box 8, Folder 5, Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

It appears that all Nationalities Sections and Divisions of the Republican Party received copies of Korn's paper and the Director of the NRHG(N)C, Laszlo Pasztor, asked them to comment. Korn's writing was not received positively by some of them. For example, Erik Dundurs, the leader of Latvian Republicans in Minnesota, wrote to Pasztor that he was “disturbed” by Korn's analysis: “the whole thing does not make sense. The study is inaccurate, negative, naïve and outright stupid. Mr. Korn may well have some problems in New York but he should not indulge in to a national mailing, creating a negative atmosphere between the party and the nationalities.” Dundurs even suggested to Pasztor that Korn needed to be straightened out (Erik Dundurs to Laszlo Pasztor, n.d., Box 8, Folder 5, Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis) to which Pasztor responded that he indeed agreed with Dundurs and that he had advised Korn “not to do such things in the future without our approval” (Laszlo Pasztor to Erik Dundurs, 29 Jan. 1970, Box 8, Folder 5, Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis).

Barry Goldwater to Myron Leskiw, 19 Sept. 1964, Myron Leskiw Papers, Box 1, Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

E.(rik)D.(undurs), Republican Party Nationalities Division in Minnesota, 9 June 1970, Box 8, Folder 5, Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

Press release from Estonian Republican Club in Minnesota, 8 Sept. 1970, Erik Dundurs Paper, Box 8, Folder 1, Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

Laszlo Pasztor to Liivi Lepik, 21 Nov. 1972, Estonian Republican Club NY Papers, Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; Bob Dole to Liivi Lepik, 21 Nov. 1972, Estonian Republican Club NY Papers, Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

Ilmar Heinaru to Richard Nixon, 7 Oct. 1968, Erik Dundurs Papers, Box 9, Folder 10, Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

Richard Nixon to Ilmar Heinaru, 10 Oct. 1968, Erik Dundurs Papers, Box 9, Folder 10, Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

Erik Dundurs to Richard Nixon, 30 Oct. 1968, Erik Dundurs Papers, Box 9, Folder 10, Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

Laszlo Pasztor to Harry Flemming, 30 June 1969, Erik Dundurs Papers, Box 8, Folder 5, Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

Resolutions adopted at the 5th Annual Convention of the National Republican Heritage Groups (Nationalities) Council, 18 May 1975, Estonian Republican Club of New York Papers, Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

Republican Heritage Groups Federation of the State of New Jersey, Convention, 26 Sept. 1970, Myron Leskiw Papers, Box 1, Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.