Life /
How do Poles view Polish-Americans? [8]
To answer "How do Poles view Pol-Ams" with any accuracy, one would have to invoke existing studies and conduct new opinion polls, peruse periodical and literary writings, interview people, etc. I can therefore only offer a few spot impressions for what they're worth:
-- A common view (not only of Poles but of other immigrants, eg Italians) is that the Americanised cousins are rich but rough round the edges in terms of sophistication and polish.
-- Level by level (primary, secondary, academic) they seem undereducated compared to Poles who have studied the same amount of time, esp. in the field of general knowledge; America being vast and largely self-contained is less interested in the outside world than the small nations of Europe (even Germany is only the size of one of the 50 states).
-- Polglish is often good-naturedly laughed at, but few Poles (who have their hands full trying to learn or improve their English) expect Pol-Ams to be perfectly fluent in Polish.
-- The myth of rich America still persists, so Poles are often surprised to learn their US cousins are not exactly rolling in dough, have financial concerns and worry about the future.
-- Poor Pol-Am table manners (such as Pol-Ams doing the knife & fork switching routine at table or pushing those last 3 or 4 peas onto their fork with their thumb!) are readily noticed but rarely commented on.
-- American ingenuity is admired. This includes even various small easy-to-use items and gadgets (eg can openers that actually work) that make life easier and do not necessarily require hi-tech engineering to create, just a little common sense.
-- Attractive young Polish females who link up with a visiting Polonians are often seen as god-diggers out to grab their American one-way ticket to prosperity. The possibility of genuine feelings on the part of the Polish female is often ignored.
-- The "wujek z Ameryki" or "ciocia z Ameryki" (Polonian aunt or uncle) stereotype has long functioned in the collective Polish psyche. Indulging and catering to the whims of such a visitor (or so it is believed by some) may translate into an invite to study, work or otherwise stay in America.
