emkos are a Slavic gorup from the Transcarpathian region of eastern Europe who variously identify as an independent ethnic group, as (Carpatho-)Rusyns, or as Ukrainians — and linguistically there are close connections within a zone of transitional Slavic varieties. There is a large Lemko diaspora in the US, with many having fled a series of deportations in what is now southeastern Poland. In the New York area, a distinct Lemko community has been present and active for over a century in preserving historical and cultural memory. Though Lemkos are scattered in the tristate area with significant settlements in Westchester (Yonkers) and Connecticut (Terryville), the Ukrainian section of the East Village remains a hub, with a Lemko Vatra festival taking place upstate, meetings of a branch of the Organization for the Defense of Lemkivshchyna, and other activities.