Why English do not like Polish?

What does that rasict comment mean exactly " A certain section " ?

ummmm how is it 'racist' to say that different people have different views exactly?

Hmmmm you didn't say " different people have different views " you said " A certain section " referring to a group of some kind.

The question should be, "Why English do not like anybody but themselves ?"
It's not just the Poles that they look down upon, it's the whole world they look down upon.
Their silver spoon has tarnished since they fell from being the world power.
I think it is a pseudo culture thing that they are hanging onto not being able to accept that.

Since when have morons been a separate race?

And since when have Pole's been a race ?

Poles in the UK are hard working and tend to be polite and friendly. They have a work ethic that disappeared from the UK many years ago. The British are jealous of the Poles. I must however say I am biased, I am an Israel Jew of Polish heritage. I am currently living in the UK. I employ Poles and I would never employ an English person so I guess I am also prejeudiced and narrow minded!

You certainly are.

Do you know any English people?


I think you'll find that's illegal.

Also, you spelt 'prejudiced' incorrectly.

I saw this thread and thought I would answer. I am not Polish nor British, but rather American. I have lived in the UK for four years and am married to a Brit. It is not just Polish people that are treated badly. If you are not from here there is a good chance you will come across some prejudice. I frequent many American expat boards and we are just as confused by their behavior/coldness as you. We aren't liked either.

My four years here I have been boggled by the attitudes and behaviors of some British people. I find it very confusing as it literally makes no sense to me. My husband, British born and lived here his whole life is now finding his fellow Brits rather rude. We plan to move in the next few years. First, when you come over you already realize the culture is going to be completely different so you try to adapt as to try not to cause issues. I met my husband's long time friends and tried to be courteous, polite and so forth. Basic manners that you use no matter where you live. Even this failed. There is a big wall when dealing with British people that you have to maneuver. What you might be used to doing in Poland to gain friends, have a friendly relationship with co-workers and so forth may not work here. In the US when we meet people and want to show we are interested in them (as friends or as a person) we ask questions: Where are you from, what do you do for a job, what are your hobbies and so forth. This lets them know that we are being friendly and want to chat. This may be different in Poland. This does not always work here. In fact I am usually approached by Brits when they hear my accent and they bombard me with about thirty questions that you would NEVER ask a brit right away or within a few years of knowing them. Do they offer any information about themselves, usually no. If you were to do the same thing to them it would be extremely rude.

Gathering information from blogs and other expat experiences it seems that the friendships/relationships here are not the same as some other countries. Equivalent in the US these friendships may be more like acquaintances. (In my husbands case, friends he's had for 14 years and see's every week are still quite stiff and do not discuss any life issues - nothing but the activity in which they are doing) My husband's friends were never openly rude to me but usually passive aggressive. Brits can be very passive aggressive. I won't go into a lot of detail but over the last four years my husband is no longer invited to any social gathering and his friends no longer talk to him. He has began looking deeper into himself and his friendships (friends even since he was a young boy) and found them very strange. He found his friends being friendly when they wanted a hand or money and so forth. If he needed help they did not want to be around him. British have a hard time expressing their feelings. They can get mad and riot but they have difficulty a lot of time expressing a problem. I've been assaulted by one of my husband's friends (A gay man who didn't not like my husband and I together and slapped me across the face) and yet my husband can never ask the man why he did it or tell him that was rude. It's just not something they do. They accept things and move on. I have also found through others that it is rare or difficult for British people to pick up new friends after they finish school. It seems they make childhood friends and keep them. (There are a few blog posts on this, very interesting)

I am rambling on here. I have had a lot of very bad interactions with British people here. It really embarrasses my husband. We've lived with room mates that have tried to get me kicked out of the country, assaulted me, not made it easy to even use the kitchen to cook, use the toilet, stolen our things, etc. I have had many jobs try to take advantage of me, not pay me minimum wage, change my pay rate, be discriminatory, bully me, threaten to not pay me if I put in my notice to quit jobs and not give me my holiday pay, etc. I have worked in places where I have just quit as I have worked with other immigrants and have seen them be treated so utterly terrible I would not bear to stay and watch that. The job I have now is mostly immigrants and I love them. It is like being back home. They are fun, playful and have a good sense of humor.

I post here because I am curious of the Polish point of view. One of my jobs was at a factory and I met a nice Polish couple who I became friends with. They have returned to Poland now as they do not wish to raise their child here. They seemed just as boggled by the attitudes here. The Polish people that I have met in the UK I have found to be nice and have a good sense of humor which I appreciate. I do tire of hearing about how Polish are out to steal jobs. The jobs that a lot of Polish do are very hard and many are taken advantage of. These jobs I know British people would NOT do and for the pay rate. I absolutely tire of hearing about this bad immigrant or that. :(

I totally agree with you.You can even see that here on PF.Brits have attitudes and i think is inferiority complex,jealousy and attitude that now noone cares for,and that makes them even more frusterated.Oh well they better learn to live with it face the tune.

Lady I think that you overreacting and although there are plenty of sad, miserable people in England, they don't know their living.

It's almost always difficult for expats to make REAL friends abroad. Check this one out. It's about foreigners in the US and how frustrating it is for them.

britishexpats.com/forum/usa-57/difficult-make-friends-america-777535

Have you wondered if there might be other reasons for that?


Not in my experience.


Some people find that; I've had very different experiences.

Maybe it isn't isolated to disliking only polish people,but most Europeans... Because not all of them want to work, but take advantage of the national health, benefit and housing systems within the UK... Also the other issue is they work over here but send the money back to their country, so the British economy suffers. My personal opinion is they aren't so bad. Can be very nice in fact.

You can find xenophobes everywhere. Poland has plenty. The UK far less so but they do still exist.

Polish are viewed like Pakistan people are in the UK, I have heard it said a few times. The white Pakis...lol. I think it's because of the language and the Polish shop's and how they all stick together, even I can see the similarities.

I did laugh the first time I heard it but I don't think its anything to be touchy about, its just a term given, although it might upset soom.

What makes you think that it is any of your business what I am doing with MY money?

No shyt t. Why don't you sign up and post as a guest for years in here. Is that cause you have another acount on pf? Coming as a guest posting fibs of yours, being snarky smart ass wannabe, prezenting typical passive aggressive behaviour of English loosers. White Pakistani lol, in your circles maybe chavie heaven.


Really.? I would say the opposite true.

You're certainly entitled to your opinion, however far it be from reality. All studies, official and otherwise, shop the opposite - that Brits are among the least xenophobic in Europe and Poles are at the other extreme - like some stats for that?

Yes, it's true. The English DO hate the Poles and with a vengeance. They hate them nearly as much as the hate the French or the Scottish, the Welsh, the Irish, the Germans (despite the fact that the British royal family are half German), the Italians, the Czechs, the Slovaks, the Romanians, the Bulgarians, the Russians, Indians, Chinese.........How many more countries are left in the world?

I've thought about this for some time and wondered why the English, not the British as a whole, view the world with such vitriolic xenophobia. I think it's an Empire thing. Despite the fact that the British Empire has disappeared into the mists of history, and England has now become a second class citizen of Europe, most Englishman & women, deep in their subconscious, still think that they have an empire. And because they think they still have an empire, they look down their noses at everybody else, especially from the former Colonies, Americans take note.

I can't help commenting about what really puts the cat amongst the pigeons. It is the fact that thousands of Eastern Europeans, Middle Easterns and North Africans have heard about this country called Shangri La (England) that showers people with free money, free housing and free healthcare, just for turning up on its doorstep. And the best thing is you don't even have to work for it! No wonder this so called 'benefit seeking' multitude (tabloid press) cross many national borders, some countries very much richer than England, in order to get to the 'Land of Milk & Honey'.

If this potential flood of humanity, seeking a better life in England, (and why not?) ever do get into England, they meet the mindset of the superior, empire wielding, flag waving, xenophobic locals i.e. they are not welcomed with open arms. What a surprise!

And so we come back to the original question 'Why do the English not like the Poles?' My personal opinion is that the Poles should feel glad that they are not liked by the English. If they WERE liked, I'd be very suspicious as to why?

I've read some rubbish here over the years, but sorry to say, that takes the biscuit. You get haters everywhere, but in the UK (and especially the England bit), far less so than in most places...

Sure I would like it and who sponsored that research if you can.
I still think that English are more xenophobic than Poles, but their law keep them muzzled tight.
Poles can be talking much but than do nothing and once they meet a person they treat him as a person regardless.

Poles isolating themselves from natives is mostly a result of not knowing the language. It's understandable but on the other hand English dissapproving such a behaviour has its base too. Even if those misstakenly assume Poles don't like them they've every right to do so. I know a lot of my fellow Poles being right like that although Poles closest to me all can speak English on at least communicative level so if not being eventually liked by natives comes to what their character is. None of them was the stereotypical "I'll come to UK coz for doing nothing they pay" (rhyme on purpose) mindset. They all hoped to get paid better for the hard work they had been doing when in Poland.

There have been a few surveys. CBOS did one in Poland, the UK government did one (last month I think) in the UK.

I suppose there's the silent majority and those who shout loudly - in the UK it's the UKippers and their sort.

Spot on tatieash1407 ! You nailed it.
Go back and read my post #186.
Thank for elaborating on it.
The have bullied every American that has come on the P.F......what does that tell you ?
The English are very pretentious by "wanting to still be" at the top of the food chain.
The only problem is that they are nolonger on top and sliding fast.
The Poles "use to feel" belittled by the English superiority but now that the Polish can go there
without a visa, have gone there and seen, worked there, now know first hand that the quality of
living in Britain is no better then Poland and in some areas much worse.
When the Brits now start their arrogant smack the Poles look at them and say, "Big Deal", I am
not impressed, been there, done that, as we have better where I come from.
The Liberals wanted Socialism so bad and they got it and Britain is living proof that it does not work.
In so doing the British are embarrassed that they have failed miserably and are jealous that Poland
has a much better society to live in, raise their children in, and be happy in then they do.
Post after post here all have similar words to descibe why, jeolousy, inferiority complex, embarrassed,
low self esteem, unhappy, miserable, which brings us to.........Why are Brits BULLIES !

You said it all Mr Reb

You have said it all , Johnny Reb!

We hear a lot about The Battle of Britain in WW2 and of the courage and bravery of the RAF fighter pilots, 'The Few', and rightly so. I have one question. Which RAF fighter squadron shot down the most German aircraft in The Battle of Britain? Answer, the Polish 303 squadron. Question. Which British agent (SOE) was one of the most acclaimed agents in WW2, and featured prominently in the long running TV series 'Wish Me Luck'? Answer: Christine Granville (Krystyna Skarbek), born in Warsaw and daughter of a Polish count.

There are countless other examples I could name, simply to emphasise what short memories the English people have and how they now ignore the fantastic contribution that thousands of Polish men and women are today making to the British economy. You are not benefit seekers or scroungers but decent, hard working and intelligent people. Please don't go home or be angry when insults are thrown at you. These insults are borne out of ignorance and bad manners. Don't respond in like manner. Don't lower yourself to that level.

I am neither English or Polish but I greatly admire Poland and the Polish people and I feel it when you are insulted or treated badly. Yes, I have been to Warsaw and to Chopin's home in the country nearby. Similarly to Torun and the birthplace of Copernicus. A beautiful country and wonderful, friendly people.

Thank you for that.

After reading a fair amount of entries on this board in the last couple of days I have to say that I also concur with Johnny Rebs assessment of the British posters here.

If Brits don't like you, probably you are doing something right.

Just look how screwed their country is becoming.

I am happy that Poland is going to the opposite way. If anything should be done, it is exactly the opposite of what UK is doing.