USA, Canada / Why do Americans (and Canadians) hate Polish people? [226]

This is a test. I would like to know how many Poles are offended by this Joke. I realize that it is English language centric. I am not sure how many native Polish speakers would get why it is funny.

Q: Why do most Poles have 'ski' at the end of their name?
A: Because they cant' spell 'toboggan'!

The title of this thread is just another in a long string of generalizations in these forums that are made that have insufficient evidence of validity. In my personal experience (I am 50 years old), I have very rarely met anyone who has displayed or expressed a hatred for Poles. My last recollection is childhood school mates. Most of them probably got it from their parents but they seemed to grow out of it. Maybe I have lived a sheltered life.

But the question of why anyone would hate a particular group of people is an interesting one. Motives are not easy to identify. It is not always because they feel the other group has taken something from them or wronged them in some way. I believe that sometimes it may be a way to make themselves feel like they are superior in some way. The next question would be therefore why they have feelings of inadequacy. Now you are getting into a full college course in psychology.

USA, Canada / LIVE POLISH CHANNELS IN US / Canada? [5]

Rafiss92
Thank you! I love this!

USA, Canada / Only one county in the USA has more Polish-Americans than any other group! [38]

The reason there is so little discussion of Polish immigration to Brazil is because they speak Portuguese. Very few Brazilians seem to speak English. I have more Facebook friends with the last name 'Mileski' who live in Brazil than live in the US. I have one Facebook friend with the name 'Milewska' who lives in Poland. She lives in Sarnetki. She is 15 and speaks English passably.

USA, Canada / American Polonia. Wisconsin - the most Polish state? [112]

LOL, there are more than two Polish stores in Wisconsin.
The Catholic Church in Wisconsin Dells has a mass in Polish on the first sunday of everymonth. Most of the people who attend are native Polish born. The catholic school also has a weekly school for children in Polish.

There is still a Polish language newspaper Published in Stevens Point:

gwiazdapolarna.com

USA, Canada / Why do Americans (and Canadians) hate Polish people? [226]

I am not sure where you got anything about selling anything in that post.

The joke is that it is not really a 'Polish' joke. It is an American (maybe Canadian or UK also?) joke that merely uses a coincidence in language (look up the term 'false friends' as it relates to language study). If you get the joke immediately, it is funny. If you have to take time to think about it, it's not. The funny part is that it is ostensibly a joke about dumb pollacks that can't spell but most Americans would have trouble spelling 'toboggan', irrespective of their background.

I think most jokes are funny when the punch line is unexpected but immediately understandable. Most Americans with a last name ending in 'ski' but do not speak Polish, that I try this joke on, think that it is hilarious. Anyone that I have tried it on who is a native Polish speaker, even if their English in very good, just look at me like I am a nut.

USA, Canada / American Polonia. Wisconsin - the most Polish state? [112]

Not bad, only two grammatical errors.

USA, Canada / Why do Americans (and Canadians) hate Polish people? [226]


I knew 'spelling' is what was meant' It was a joke.

Why are you calling me 'Madame'? Is that a joke also? I would much prefer 'Sir'.

USA, Canada / American Polonia. Wisconsin - the most Polish state? [112]

Heath care is free if you go to the emergency room and you don't pay your bill.

Health insurance is a mess right now because of the so-call Affordable Care Act and the fact that the President is making it a moving target and nobody can figure out what is coming next.

Most rural areas where you would get 2-3 acres are zoned for ag use so keeping a cow would be no problem. Many urban areas allow you to keep chickens but not roosters. Just have to check the local zoning laws regarding any type of livestock BEFORE you buy.

USA, Canada / Why do Americans (and Canadians) hate Polish people? [226]

As has been said before, every ethnic group/nationality/race has its share of idiots and geniuses and the full range of normal distribution in intelligence. You just can't reliably make generalizations such as all 'x' hates 'y'. For example, why do you think that redneck jokes seem to be so universal. That type of person shows up everywhere as a small percentage of every population. I know there are idiots all over the world after watching 'Worlds Wildest Police Chases' on SpikeTV.