There are many people of Eastern European descent living in Ohio and Cleveland is home to some of the largest communities.
Explanation:
Polish communities in Cleveland: Half of Ohio's Polish population resides in Cleveland. The Polish community has established its own churches and business sectors. One Polish family even founded their own bank in 1938 called the Third Federal Savings and Loan which is in the top 25 financial savings and loan institutions in the United States. There are Polish cultural festivals in the city like the Harvest Festival. While there was some immigration of Polish people earlier who were used as strikebreakers in the 1880s. In the 1920s, Polish immigrants were accepting low-paying work in factories, or they worked in the stone quarries. Over time Polish businesses emerged to serve the local community with traditional Polish products. There are more than 200 000 people living in the Greater Cleveland area who claim Polish descent on the US Census.
Ukrainian communities in Cleveland: Parma in the Greater Cleveland area is home to Ohio's largest Ukrainian community and people of Ukrainian descent live in several suburbs of Cleveland as well. There are a total of 26, 000 people who claim Ukrainian descent in Cleveland in the 2000 Census. The first residents from Ukraine arrived in the Cleveland area in the mid-1880s, and they tended to settle in the Tremont area. The churches and community organizations are important to the Ukrainian community in Cleveland. There are Ukrainian Orthodox Churches and Ukrainian Catholic Churches. The community organizations helped workers to stave off discrimination and provided financing, like the Ukrainian National Association which was established in 1902. The Ukrainian Bank was established in 1915, and a couple of Ukrainian credit unions were established in the 1950s. There are radio programs and dance groups, and church choirs that have helped to keep the Ukrainian community vibrant and a center of Ukrainian identity in the United States.
