Being ashamed of Polish ancestry?

I am Polish-American on my mother's side (4th generation). They came from Poznan Poland in 1902 and I am not sure when on my mother's mother side. My great-grandfather's birth certificate said Germany but actually German earned Poland at that time. His name was Stanley Adamski. My mother's father side (Frank Piojda) supposedly also has Hungarian Gypsy blood but he also came from Poland. So that makes me fifty percent Polish. I used to feel shame but no more. Living here in SC and missing Ohio, and losing my mom years ago while serving in the air force, I feel more connected or yearning to feel more connected to my Polish roots more than ever.

Because of your Polish ancestry? Are you mad?

Rightly so, because there was no Poland at that time and Posen was part of the province of Westpreussen.


For your ancestors that came to the US more than a 100 years ago? Seriously?


You're American who happens to be 1/16 Polish.

Good on you.

It would have been rather difficult to come from Poland in 1902.


You could easily be German too. Either way, it's meaningless - be proud of where you're from - America - not some random relatives in the distance past.

What is it with Americans and latching onto a distant ancestry that is pretty much meaningless when they have such a great nation to belong to?

Please explain why

Yes, and funnily enough, this often manifests itself in a desperate attempt to over-highlight Poland as a superior "pure" country as a means to hide their inferiority complex. Very sad, really.

I'm embarrassed to tell people I'm an American when I travel abroad. I usually claim "Canada" as my home country (except for when talking to customs...then I tell them the ugly truth).

Americans are butt of every joke and for good reason (our tyrannical government for the past ~14 years).

I love it when Americans say that they are *insert foreign country here*-American and then it turns out that their family emigrated over in the late 1800's, early 1900's.

I always say that I'm English when asked my nationality but my last name is Polish but originally German Schenk/Szenk.

It may help you to understand that when "Americans" ask about your roots, they do expect you to dig deep into your heritage.

Be happy to be Polish, eat Polish food, learn Polish language and history and ignore those who just don't get it, they are not worth your time. :)

Poles coming to America had NO more "baggage" than any other ethnic group coming to America. The Irish people were RIDICULED TREMENDOUSLY in America prior to WWII when it was common in America to make jokes about "Irish and Dogs Need not apply" and "Irish are like White monkeys", etc. American newspapers were filled with these jokes about the Irish prior to WWII.

During and after WWII....Hollywood and its new TV networks virtually ignored prior Anti-Irish stereotypes in America....and instead IMPORTED Nazi German subhuman intelligence hate jokes about Polish people...INTO America....and RENAMED them as "Polish Jokes" making sure to NOT REVEAL to the American public the Nazi German Origin of these Anti-Polish hate jokes that they RENAMED as "Polish Jokes".....that they used to beat down and degrade the Polish people with.

See youtube videos:

Polish jokes origin is Nazi German propaganda Part 2C

youtube.com/watch?v=nlASxvIfLCY

Polish jokes origin is Nazi German propaganda Part 2D

youtube.com/watch?v=o5v_V70ZFKQ

you are the woman . I needed some kid of source . thanks

being ashamed of Polish heritage i think, comesfrom a lack of knowledge of the rich history and culture.. being ignorant or in certain cases on the external cases.

id understand being ashamed of being British even.. all the stuff thatve done because of their Imperialism.. but id still even as a Pole, disaprove.. you should never be ashamed of your Country, Family and God.

Goofy. Why would I be ashamed because of what my country's rulers did before I was born? You, I believe, have enjoyed the generous benefits of Britain for a long time. Perhaps it's time to come home and help us build Poland.

Because you take credit for it.. face your whole country's based on the old Imperialistic values m8.. aapart from that you take direct advantage from your country's past as well.


Perhaps its time to hcome back to the UK and help out over here hahaah, at the moment i, myself am not at work so yeah, I dont help outver here m8 :D

I have no idea what you're talking about.

i can tell you one thing. i myself noted, on this forum, that i am, as a Serbian, greater Pole then some Poles here. i am actually for Great Poland and i dare to admit it. Great Poland is nothing but extended Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. People, its necessity of this Europe. We must have new Commonwealth.

shame on those who are ashamed of their ancestry.

What do you mean? Some kind of union between countries who were a part of PLC, or strictly one country?

Well from my extensive knowledge of the topic, Great Poland is an idea of having the Kresy Wschodnie added, good idea overall but we would need an independednt state first+ a stronger army.. possibly somekind of a friendly situation with the Russians.

I know what is this. I was asking if he wants resurrection of the past or other bs, or cooperation between countries which were part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

And I asked because I can't believe that someone really is so arrogant to judge the others and state that he is "a better patriot" due to his own "bright" ideas.

union of countries from Baltic to Balkan and Black see, following the idea of Pilsudski about Międzymorze (Intermarium). Realistic backbone of the project are today`s Visegrad Group countries plus Serbia. It giving fundamental structure and secure access to the warm waters via Montenegro (another Serbian state on Balkan). Macedonia would follow Serbia automatically, too. Same is with Serb Republic within Bosnia and Herzegovina. Most probably with Slovenia, too.

Deal should be offered also to Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia. No matter in original Pilsudski`s idea, we should exclude (at least initially) Finland and Romania from the deal but, expand original idea by offering the deal to the Greece.

Bulgaria, if Germany and Russia have consensus about it. Same goes for Romania but, it depend on tripartite deal of Russia, France and Germany. Finland, if Russia and Germany agree. Croatia is excluded if its up to Germany and ruling elite in Croatia that is deeply anti-Slavic but pro-Germanic.

Belarus is big question. It may want deal with Międzymorze if it has neutral stance on other world powers (if is Międzymorze out of NATO).

Ukraine should be called into Międzymorze when finish negotiations with Russia about their new borders.

As we see, a lot of depend on western European powers, USA and Russia. Its a big game. But, judging by the actions of Serbia and then, judging by the Russian support to Serbian stance, we have to conclude that Russia founded interests to support creation of Międzymorze or at least not to oppose to it. EU and NATO leading powers play just solely on their interests ready to sacrifice Poland in their game. It seams to be that way by our reality.

Essentially, after process is finished we should have Eurasian Union, Intermarium and European Union (Western European Union). i am sure this scenario is inevitable.

As you probably know, Poles and Lithuanians are not really friends today. Such offer, even if somehow appreciated by the Lithuanian government, would result in negative opinion in society. Especially, due to original idea of Polish "supremacy" in this... union.


Germany and Russia are excluded by the definition.


Belarusians are divided between pro-Western and pro-Russian. Government is the part of the second.


What "new borders"? O_o


This scenario is abstract.

No one will join Intermarium of your dreams (it cannot be truly even named Intermarium), because:

1. They are afraid of results of leaving the EU;
2. Hatred between nations;
3. Alliance with Russians;
4. Archaic, panslavic ideas, without freedom and liberty.

No one will join such "union" - it would be like Soviet Union but without Russians and commie nonsense. Even I would be anti this idea, as I don't want any... genetic preservance in political cases. And the biggest thing: it has nothing to do with "Great Poland" you have mentioned.

you are probably right here. There goes then same as i said for Finland. Exclude Baltic states. Germanic factor strengthened there.


Excluded from what? You don`t see them as factors which would have their opinion in case of formation of new Commonwealth?


Its about to be seen


true


It existed and would always exist, this way or another


no. New Commonwealth needs to have neutral stance on Russia.


Things change


Why then tolerate existence of any ethos on Earth? We see that USA and Canada creates American and Canadian ethoses. Today, its around idea and culture, tomorrow who knows. Let`s follow trend and let`s create Commonwealth around idea and culture.


questionable.

i see Great Poland as idea that evolve.

Intermarium's main goal was to prevent countries located between Germany and Soviet Union losing the hypothetical (as we know now, not hypothetical) war. Germans and Soviets were the biggest threat, and this was the purpose of Intermarium.


This point was actually about Belarus.


Yes, but Americans and Canadians have different history. There is no such ethinicity (despite of native Americans), this nation was created by the colonists. European countries were not. In other words - Americans and Canadians wanted to unite to create free country - in Europe such thing will be impossible, as there is no chance to forget about history and unite.

Americans, let's say, have beginning of their history in times of colonization. After the War of Independence they became one nation, no matter if they were British or French - the same with "American Dream" period. These people became Americans. Do you believe, that for example, Serbians will shake hand with Albanians even though they have argues about Kosovo? I doubt it. The same with other nations in Europe. Many Poles complain about Volynian Massacre and blame Ukrainians, many Lithuanians blame Poles for being "superior" during PLC, for wars about Vilnius; many Greeks are still in conflict with Macedonians about the name of their country etc. This is simply impossible to create peace here - such Union will bring the same results as Yugoslavia - wars. Because there had to be leader, and no matter who he/she will be, other nations would start talking about superiority of one nation.

I'd be more convinced about union focused on cooperation, without ideological context.

i want Poland strong and reasonable, not weak and servile.

Please Poles make an effort. Will you

And I want to be rich, to be like Casanova, to be the most wise person on the Earth, and on every field be successful. Dreams are for free.

Your wishes and the idea you propose are impossible to create in real world. The only way to make such "union" which is in other words... the conquer of neighbour lands, is the fastest way to destroy Poland and erase it from maps and kill many of its citizens. Great idea, definitely. We do not live in ancient nor medieval times.

I agree with my Slavic brother Crow.

As Crow says.....Poland should be strong and reasonable, not weak and servile.

As a Polish American....I appreciate Non-Poles like Crow supporting Poland today.

In my opinion.....Crow being a fellow Slav only wants to see the best for his fellow Slavic brothers like the Poles, which I think is nice.

That would go with price

Poland has numerous diaspora. How would Polish diaspora react when Poland start to focus primarily on its own interests? How would NATO and EU leading powers react? many, many questions.


by some things we feel and see that continuity of old Slavic civilization still exist in the sense that those who feel Slavic in their meta-ethnicity, no matter nationality or religion, simply feel Slavic world as a whole. For those people, being Slavic isn`t in conflict with their local ethnicity


Thank you.

Poland must be careful. Too much is at stake. Those casualties that Slavs suffered in both great wars were enormous. Similar things in the future should be avoided if possible. But, some price must be paid, sooner or later. Even in the economic sense (at least temporary), in any sense. That`s how it goes with freedom. It comes with a price.