Polonians obviously differ from other ethnic groups in terms of specific customs and foods, but what about overall attitudes? To the value of hard work, money-mindedness, home-owning, stronger family ties than your typical WASP-style American? Would Polonians differ that much from those of Hunagrian, Czech, Ukrainian, Lithuanian or even Italian (no mafia of course) and other European ancestry on a a generation by generation basis?
DO POL-AMS DIFFER FROM OTHER ETHNICS?
translatoradela - | 19
13 May 2009 / #2
I have contact with many Polish Americans who are searching for their Polish roots in Poland because I am a translator/genealogist. They are very proud of their heritage and see me as their link to Poland. Many of them have found their cousins in Poland and have visited them and write letters to them which I translate.
Most of them are Catholics and all have strong family values.
I have also translated letters, documents, etc. for Mormons, Jews & others who have roots in Poland. Most of my clients have also become my friends. We exchange letters, greetings, photos, etc.
None of them have said anything bad about Poland or the Polish people.
I don't think Polish Americans differ much from average Americans.
They are, afterall, all Americans, born in USA. I am talking about first, second
and third generation Polish Americans.
I have been translating/interpreting for over 20 years and everyone of them
have paid me ontime. No bounced checks :) Very honest people :)
Most of them are Catholics and all have strong family values.
I have also translated letters, documents, etc. for Mormons, Jews & others who have roots in Poland. Most of my clients have also become my friends. We exchange letters, greetings, photos, etc.
None of them have said anything bad about Poland or the Polish people.
I don't think Polish Americans differ much from average Americans.
They are, afterall, all Americans, born in USA. I am talking about first, second
and third generation Polish Americans.
I have been translating/interpreting for over 20 years and everyone of them
have paid me ontime. No bounced checks :) Very honest people :)
They don't call US The Melting Pot for nothing. By second generation ethnic differences disappear. I think they lingered longer in the time of massive emigration from Central & Eastern Europe at the turn of 19th c. when the newly arrived immigrants settled in their own neighbourhoods with their ethnic parish church at the center of not only their spiritual but also social lives. Churches organized youth groups, social events at which young people met, which led to marriages within the ethnic group and staying on in the community. That started to dilute after WWII, and subsequent immigrants integrated into the mainstream more quickly, so there are really no discernible differences in attitudes past the first generation.