Life / Is the word "Polack"rascist? [185]


Great post brother !!!

Life / Is the word "Polack"rascist? [185]


For whatever/many reasons Poles are very quick to "drop" their Polish heritage or atleast put it in the back seat and completely become involved in the United States, especially in places where Poles aren't too common like Southern California. Change their last name, or start supporting everything the U.S tries to do involving Poland like the Iraq war for example.

While it's obviously the easy road to take, to simply become yet another immigrant turned American, I for one am not like that. It's funny at times because when I'm in Poland everyone considers me American - 20 years in U.S and 4 years old when I moved here. Counting the 5 summer trips I've made I've probably spent a total of 5,6 years in Poland but yet when I'm in the U.S i get the common "wait so your a Pollak" question.

Like I stated before, usually it's just out of ignorance not knowing the word Pole is the right term to use but at times it's definitely used to demean me. The oh so common 'Dumb Pollak' jokes and such. Honestly though I would be lieing if I didn't admit it bothered me. I have shared these feelings to my family recently wondering why Poles have such a 'dumb' reputation. I will do whatever I can to try and change that so my children do not have to grow up in the same 'Dumb Pollak' world especially since I PROBABLY won't marry a Polka just based on the percentage of Polish women I meet here in San Diego. I would love to marry one but it probably won't happen so It's my job to make sure my kids stay close to their Polish heritage and are most importantly proud to be a European and Pole.

Life / Is the word "Polack"rascist? [185]


For the most part I agree, but then again i've definitely been asked how do you say, I'm AN "American" but if your Polish?

You wouldn't say i'm a Polish. Most people still don't know your supposed to say Pole. They either ask me or just say Polack and figure Polack jokes are just like Mexican jokes. Obviously the joke is on them since they are using a Polish word to try and insult an actual Pole.

It would be like me saying someone is a dumb latino instead of mexican. Either way it's stupid and for the most part I do believe we get a raw deal. I dunno where all the Polack jokes originated from or why but I just figure it was our turn to face the same crap every other nation did when they immigrated to the U.S.

On the other hand, me being from San Diego, you don't see/run into many Poles which sucks on one hand but then again you don't interact with the scum/lower denominators of a large population. I've heard stories from my family and seen news clips on Polish channels of Poles in Chicago. Big population = more poor/uneducated Poles which give the rest of us a bad name.

Something odd is that I rarely am asked if I'm Polish. I have a 12 letter last name but usually i'll get asked if i'm Czech, or from Ukraine and sometimes Russian which is really odd to me. I do believe that for the most part Poles get a raw deal and deserve better.

Life / Is the word "Polack"rascist? [185]

Thread attached on merging:
Does being called a Polack/Pollak offend you?

Obviously Poles understand that the term Polack is an actual Polish word meaning a male Pole but many times the term is used to demean Poles. For example in the United States the term POLE is just starting to be used but many people whether it's ignorance, not caring or usually just not being aware, do not know that in English a person of Polish decent should be called Pole and not a Polack. I don't really have a problem with being called a Polack but for whatever reason the term has a negative feel to it in the United States.

Just like the Irish, Italians in the past and basically every other culture/nationality in the past has faced being the butt of jokes, it seems that Poles are just starting to get past it and it's fallen onto Hispanics now. How many Polack jokes did you hear growing up? I still to this day will over hear someone saying a Polack joke in the background before they find out I am actually Polish and then they did the whole "oh yeah you know I wasn't trying to offend you it's just how the joke goes it could be a Irish, Mexican or blah blah person instead"

Anyone else have this similar experience? Basically the 'Dumb Polack' ******** that i'm sure we've all experienced at some point in our lives.