What are the political views of Russia minority in the USA regarding the Ukraine war etc?

24 comments

1. Fresh immigrants mostly just don’t talk about it at all, in my experience.

   Ethnic Russian-Americans are generally pro-Ukraine. The only people I really hear these days with Pro-Russian stances are folks who I would typically associate with either the Far Right or the Authoritarian Left (tankies).

2. When I was in school it was common to adopt Russians and by 4th or 5th grade the kid is fluent in English because of the language at home. That’s sort of my only exposure to Russia. I know a couple of Ukrainians but they moved here ages ago. They see their country through English media. One of them is in his 30s and has offered his services to the US government because he’s fluent in Ukrainian but they haven’t called him.

3. Every Russian I know in the US is pretty openly anti-russia. I’d imagine that a pro-putin Russian wouldn’t have the US on the top of their “places I want to emigrate to” list

4. Honestly, in the last 5 years I’ve met exactly one Russian so it doesn’t really come up for me. Met lots of Ukrainians though.

5. Those I’ve spoken to are extremely hostile to Putin’s regime.

6. I have a few relatives by marriage that are Russian, moved here over the last 10 years, and they are all very, very anti-Putin

7. It’s mostly refuseniks in my area, many with family in Israel. They have a low opinion of the “Axis of Resistance.”

8. I don’t believe there are many Russian enclaves in the US. They don’t tend to centralize themselves like in a Chinatown part of a city. They tend to just blend in with the rest of the Americans of European ancestry.

   As a result, I’ve never heard of a prevailing opinion among Russians in the US regarding the war. I’d expect that there will be those who fall along both sides.

9. Concurring with what others day.

   An openly pro-Putin Russian minority is pretty much non-existent here. Most people with pro-Putin views are non-Russians on either the far left or far right (mostly the latter).

   More recent Russian immigrants (a pretty small group) tend to be apolitical. Meanwhile, most Russian speakers in the US are from non-Russian ethnic groups from the former Soviet Union (Ukrainian, Jewish, Central Asian, etc.) and tend to be vocally anti-Putin.

10. Friends of my parents moved to the US from what is now Ukraine in 1977. For most of Putin’s presidency they approved of him and thought he was a really good world leader. When he invaded Ukraine in 2022 they changed their mind and said he was a lunatic.

11. My own anecdotal experience with Russian immigrants has been overwhelmingly anti-Putin and Russian government. They’ve said many times that the government in Russia has never changed, just the dictator in charge. Many have family stories of persecution.

    In my experience, Russian immigrants are proud of their heritage but generally embrace western liberalism and love the USA.

    The biggest concern for them is being treated poorly due to the current political climate with Ukraine war and general anti-Russian sentiment.

12. A large portion of “Russian Americans” are Russian Jews and other religious minorities, political dissidents, etc who were heavily persecuted under the USSR and came here as refugees – or are descendants of.

    They may speak Russian and retain certain cultural attachments (foods, holidays, classic literature/arts, etc), but to be blunt: Many of them fucking hate everything about the Russian *state* with a fiery passion.

    A friend (who was born here, to parents who came here on refugee visas in the 80s) was told that if she sets foot in Russia, ever, she’ll be disowned entirely. Unless it’s as part of an army fighting it – *then* they’d approve wholeheartedly.

    Even the old Cubans and South Vietnamese I’ve met don’t hold a candle to how much many of the “Russian Americans” I’ve encountered truly hate Russia.

13. I live in an area with a decent number of Russian immigrants and have a few coworkers who were born in Russia. Despising the current government of Russia seems to be the norm. My coworkers from Russia have Ukrainian flags on their cars.

14. Every Ethnic Russian, or Russian Immigrant I have met IRL is anti-Russia. But I admittedly have not met many.

15. Belarusian-American here – part of the diverse post-Soviet community here in the US.

    *Every single person* in our community knows a Ukrainian family affected by the war.

    There is unanimous rejection of the war and of Putin, even among those who were previously supportive over the years. We are more united than ever in our hatred of that motherfucker.

    We immigrated here to escape a corrupt, dictatorial authoritarian system. “Russian values” once meant culture, music, art, food, poetry, literature, history, folklore, etc. It certainly doesn’t mean fascism, genocide and the persecution of ethnic, religious, sexual and gender minorities.

    When the Soviet Union failed us, we found the promise of pluralism and prosperity here in America. Tolerance, rule of law, fair elections, freedom, enterprise – these values help our culture flourish. That’s what immigration is and should be – bringing the best with you, leaving the worst behind.

    Many Russians have friends and family abroad who have been impacted by disinformation, ruining their relationships and ability to communicate openly. I know folks in Moscow that’ve lost their fucking minds. They’ve doubled, tripled down on this war – and tied their entire identity to it. What’s sadder is some of these people protested the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan back in the day. Their younger selves would’ve been deeply ashamed.

    Within our Slavic American communities, we see each other as family. Until recently, we were all commonly labeled as “Russians” by American society. Few Ukrainians and Belarusians ever corrected this. Hell, it took the 2020 Belarusian Protests for me to stop identifying as Russian to people.

    If there are members of my community who support the war, they have done a remarkable job of hiding it in shame.

16. I live 500 ft from one of two Russian churches in the area. It is the more conservative church I’ve been told, all the ladies wear dresses and hairs usually covered. And a lot of my neighbors are Russian because of it. A couple of them have Ukraine flags in their yards but majority of them just don’t talk about it if they are pro-Putin. I doubt a lot of them are though, some sure, but not enough to feel like they can advertise it.

17. Most Russian-Americans I’ve met (there’s a lot in NY) are anti-Putin. They’re Americans same as the rest of us.

18. Interesting podcast that provides some perspective from several Russians in the US. I find it quite chilling, and I would venture not grasped by Americans on the right who are pro-Russia, although I may underestimate their affection for totalitarianism.

    [https://www.thisamericanlife.org/831/lists/act-two-11](https://www.thisamericanlife.org/831/lists/act-two-11)

19. Every person with Russian heritage that I know (which, admittedly, isn’t a lot) is very against what Russia is doing to Ukraine, as well as anti-Putin, pro-LGBTQ, etc. I mean, they came over here for a reason.

    I feel bad for them because some have been targets for anti-Russian hatred. One person I know still has a noticeable accent and lives in a city where people can identify that accent as Russian. No matter how pro-Ukraine she actually is, some people just see an enemy because of her heritage. She still has family in Russia and is very concerned for their well-being, but doesn’t feel like she can talk to people about that without them labeling her as a Russian sympathizer.

20. The few Russian’s I know are very against the Russian government.

21. We integrate our immigrants (Russians included) rather quickly, so I don’t think it is even an issue. Maybe in a small Russian immigrant community in a large city, you probably will find some pro-Putin folks, but there are probably more in the Trump campaign (just kidding).

22. Im russian (0 gen immigrant living in america since i was a kid) and most Russians in general are not as political as Americans. The war isn’t really something thats discussed, alongside most political topics at the house in comparison to americans.

    This is speaking with broad strokes obviously but I’d say a lot of Russians gave a pretty apathetic and nihilistic view on politics in general. As for the war – most just want it to end and for there to be peace irrespective of who they think is “at fault”

    That being said, most russians left Russia for a reason and generally are more “progressive” in their views of Putin and aren’t as nationalist as many are today.

    Putin for many russians was a great president (even to westerners) up until the end of his second term, from which there he became more and more authoritarian/totalitarian so many view his presidency with more rose colored glasses. In other words, he did a lot of good, but overstayed his welcome and is the prime embodiment of “absolute power corrupts absolutely” to me personally.

    On the other hand, you get some ultra nationalist and proud russians who associate any attack on the government as a personal attack on themselves and the russian people, but I think most have more measured and nuanced take on everything. I don’t appreciate being called a pro russia bot for calling out the treatment of some russians by the Ukrainian state post 2014, but I also don’t think Russias invasion is justified nor beneficial to its people.

23. I know a few refuseniks (Jewish Soviets denied permission to leave) who fled the USSR and are now naturalized American citizens. They’re the most patriotic Americans you’ll meet.

    They’re very anti Russia and anti Putin.

24. I live in an ex-soviet immigrant neighborhood. Everyone here hates Putin. They left for a reason.