Do many Polish people in America hate Americans?

I am Polish my self, Polish people do not complain about many things, and they do not hate Americans, if anything they are grateful, i admit that some do not show this gratitude but the Polish are paranoid, the Polish people feel as outsiders, although working and living and doing all the things people do in the exact same way as everyone else the Polish are outcasted along with other ethnical groups, Polish people are bitter, i live in Britain and Polish people here are really mistreated i dog know about America do, the Polish people isolate others from themselves ( people from countires like Britain and America) people say hardship things about Polands History about which the Polish feel realny stroniły about, this resurs in engraving strony bitterness into the Polish people, also anger and a barrier izolator, thats a brief summary of what i think.

Wow, I knew it was trendy to hate and ridicule Americans but this was thread was eye opening. I could understand resentment towards the US for largely abandoning Poland militarily after Poles committed to the US but the hatred or at least disdain by Poles living in the US is disturbing.

As to Americans not traveling to Europe, I guarantee that more Americans have coughed up airfare and hotel fees to visit Poland than have non-immigrant Poles to visit the U.S. Polish travel in Europe is only roughly analogous to Americans traveling between states or to Mexico, not to travel by Americans overseas.

Well it doesn't do any good to gripe that Poles seem to despise the US, apparently they do. However despite my and my wife's Polish heritage, after reading this forum we have decided to forego our every other year trip to Poland. Additionally, knowing the anonymous real disdain of Poles for the US we have decided to no longer host Polish students in our home as we have done on four previous occasions. Our kids actually warned us the last two times that their temporary Polish sibs were actually rude and disdainful but we chalked it up to pettiness on their part. Now I believe them. My great grandparents came to the US from Poland on both sides of the family and my wife's grandparents were Polish and Czech. They and successor generations loved America and Poland. I guess that was a fleeting phase in Polish/American relations. That's a shame.

You are a big baby if you are for real and if not you are yet another time waster.

Kind of sounds to me like you are the big baby resorting to name calling. I am advocating not contributing my patronage and support to those who take it and yet express contempt. You are just whining that I dare not enable such people. I could add 'entitled' to big baby in your case.

If I believed what I read on internet forums, I wouldn't go anywhere on holiday.


I'm not sure I understand your point here?

You certainly won't find much love for America in Europe. Poles are by no means unique.

Crazy to make such a decision based on a forum such as this surely? I grew up with Polish visitors to my Polish "uncle" in the UK in communist times and was shocked at what I had, in comparison to them. Todays' young people are just as grateful for travel. So I don't get your point; sorry you have had some negative experiences, but why not try again?

Name calling? I simply call you for what you really are, if as you say you were such a friend and contributed so much you surely wouldn't be so easily swayed out of your sentiments by some anonymous posters in same obscure thread. Either you were just waiting for an opportunity to cut your ties or deeds which you considered an obligation or whats more likely you are just yet another Internet drifter looking for a quarrel.


I don't care one wit for what you do or what you don't do. I just find it strange that you are offended by one thread so much that you feel the need to post it all here together with your petty vindictiveness.

It is more likely that you are some impostor and the only pole you ever been close to is the same one your mother tied you to by a chain when you were naughty.

This site is full or people from all walks of life and most of them are not Polish.
You will not get many replies, I have only bothered cause I sensed a creature that dwells under the bridge.

Look at you resorting to more personal vindictiveness while claiming I am vindictive.

If I advocated campaigning against Poles I could see your vetch but simply stating that the contents of this forum have convinced me to cease supporting Polish travel and exchange with my money and time is hardly vindictive. As to being a troll, would this not be a very odd place to ply my trolling?

Look I said my peace and further personal attacks certainly won't disprove my notions or change my mind.

Dougpol in Ironside agreement pact shocker! Read all about it! :)

As to not finding love for Americans anywhere in Europe, I agree. When I travel again to Europe I will not choose my destination based on the false belief that there was any mutual affection. Instead when I go it will be purely for recreational value. Alas that places Poland far done the list on which my misconception once placed it at the top.

But I am grateful for this forum. It is good to know the true opinions of people, individually and collectively, even if that opinion rankles you.

Oh and Dougpol1, I have made six trips to Poland with my wife and later kids. When I was in the army in Germany I made three trips to Poland, two with my now deceased grandfather who traveled to join me. I have a long history of hosting foreign students here in Louisiana. I tended to favor Poles because of my heritage but have also hosted Brits, a Croat, and an Australian. They were, to be honest, much more affable than the Poles but I requested Poles anyway because I felt a cultural kinship. The last two were sullen but I shrugged it off as a trending European teen thing. My kids though told me that the Poles were quite unpleasant, hated the US and mocked our neighbors and the kids at school. I remember one incident that peeved me. I was showing the last Polish student a scrapbook started by my grandfather as a kid in Chicago. It was all about Polish American ancestors and Polish American club activities. He said to me, ' the lazy and unproductive Poles came to America making Poland stronger by their leaving'. I was shocked that he believed that but more so that he was rude enough to tell me such. Still I ignored it and just smiled. After all I am his family away from home. My wife was more upset. After he left with thousands of dollars worth of new clothing and electronics he coveted and for which we paid I talked to my kids about their impressions. They were very negative about the Poles but I discounted their opinion as jealous of the money and attention we showered on the Polish kids. Then today I looked on this forum. I owe the kids an apology. I feel I have given enough leeway and patronage to the descendents of my ancestors ancestors.

Thanks Louisiania.

I for one know what you are saying. All I can say is that we Brits can be total ******** too. You are generalising a touch though?

I wish I was still in contact with some of the fantastic Polish buddies I have had in my life. Unfortunately for me, as a sentimental British guy, very few of them stayed in my life, as I didn't treat them seriously enough (Polish family, over friendship).

I would like to think that it's much of a muchness, live and let live and all that.
I am almost in a forgiving mood...... and if a certain babe is reading this......it ain't an apology... just maybe :)

But that is where you and me go wrong Louisania. This is not a forum or blog for those who feel.

Doug the two Brits were actually wonderful guests and have both returned to visit. I have three kids, two girls and a boy. I work long hours and my son is often outnumbered and mercilessly teased by his older sisters and too often ignored by me when I get home. The two British kids overlapped staying here and they were like bigger than life big brothers to him. Both Brits took a keen interest in my business (I own an Outfitter, and rental business) and even pitched in when we were busy. They were both city boys but went home as darned good outdoorsmen. Wonderful, wonderful kids. Part of their great attitude may have been that they could easily communicate with their classmates at school and the local girls flocked to them. In all honesty the last Polish kid was a tad awkward and had a relationship problem with a female classmate. That may have embittered him somewhat. Anyway, the sun will rise in Poland and in the US without my patronage of Polish students.

Don't know a single person who would take friendship over family and none of them a polish. What a curious statement.

Outside of Chicago there are not many Polish communities. When I lived in San Diego, I met Poles thru the Catholic Church. Most Poles who immigrated to the USA do not return, unlike in Europe [distance/price to visit must be considered]. Which is why Poland is required Visa in the USA. But this also means many Poles are content with the American System: work = money = material things = work

In America you can be an immigrant but still an American. But otherwise you have to be Native. You could be British but not English.

Nothing vindictive about LouisianaPole's actions. They've made a reasoned response to an unfortunate situation. Europe was a place that most Americans ancestors chose to leave.. That is the context that I think of Europe in. Spend your energy learning western Spanish and Portuguese, the other tribal languages of Europe have no global future. Spend your goodwill in our own hemisphere.

My dad grew up in Chicago but moved to the U.P. of Michigan when he came out of the service. I grew up in a small town there with many other Polish American families. They were a very patriotic lot and proud to be American and of Polish descent. The other large ethnicities were Finns and Cornish-Americans.

I met my wife in Michigan and settled in Louisiana after I came out of the army. There are a lot of Polish Americans over in Texas but more Czech-Americans. There are not many opportunities for Polish-American camaraderie here in Louisiana so we enjoyed hosting Polish students and traveling to Poland and back to Michigan to enjoy the cuisine and culture with which we were raised. The expressed dislike of Americans by many Poles on this forum surprises me but I suppose I was wearing rose colored glasses before. I have a neighbor who is of Irish American descent and he has traveled to Ireland a couple times and found a general dislike of Irish Americans to be quite pronounced. He says he finds the UK friendlier towards him than Ireland.

I think hyphenated identifiers are probably delusional. Just as well I suppose.

Tymo.
.I think you make a good point. The future for the US lies in mending fences with our neighbors to the South and disengaging with Europe. Of course Latin America is not particularly fond of us but I can easier understand their ire.

Louisiana, your father served in the USA military. Mine served in the Polish. If one of my direct relatives were in the USA military, it would definitely add to my patriotism.

Most American politicians are still White Males. Latinos & Hispanics have been unable to affirm their influence by numbers. It will occur eventually just by demographic over-take.

I think you will find people from the Americas far easier to relate to. The EU mentality is somewhere between RadFem and crazy cat lady. :)

Ironside, this must be a forum first if me, Doug and you are all in agreement ;)

Mods - please don't take this as me bashing Polish-Americans, I'm just trying to show it from a Polish point of view.


Many educated Poles aren't particularly fond of Polish-Americans. It might seem strange to you, but for instance - I've seen parades on YouTube where they're waving a flag that isn't the Polish flag. Or they will insist that their activities are Polish, but to Poles, the activities are foreign and without any real link to Poland. Or for instance - Polka dances are completely misunderstood by Polish-Americans as being Polish instead of Czech.

There are many such examples - you could say that many Poles regard Polish-Americans as being simply Americans with a strange hobby. So you shouldn't take it personally - the time and distance means that Polish-Americans have diverged quite dramatically from Poland. I've shown examples of Polonia parades to Polish friends, and they all have had the same "...what on earth?" reaction. Even small things are perceived as complete ignorance, such as using words like "pierogies" and "golumpkies".

The biggest support from the Polonia will come from lesser educated, rural Poles. But you won't read their opinions on here because they're highly unlikely to speak English.

Maybe this is a cultural thing, but why on earth would you spend thousands of dollars on an exchange student? If he could afford to come in the first place, then I rather suspect that he was from a pretty wealthy Polish family. Ironside will no doubt be along to explain to you that anyone that can afford to send their children to the US for an exchange trip will be wealthy by Polish standards.

It's also worth bearing in mind that the Polonia had an unfortunate habit of boasting about what support they gave Poland. Poles tend to get quite hurt by it, especially when it's used to justify some sort of...hmm, niekulturalne behaviour.

Then in general, it's also worth considering that "something-Americans" tend to annoy Europeans. It's not just limited to the Poles - I find the Scottish-Americans to be very annoying people, and Irish friends tell me that the Irish-Americans were pouring a considerable amount of money into IRA funds without even considering the consequences. The list goes on...

I'll start by answering why I spent thousands on a Polish student. In fact none of them came from wealthy families. The last two had their fares and expenses largely paid for by a fraternal organization based in the US. I bought clothing and electronics and paid for some extensive dental work for the last kid. He came here with very little clothing and coveted a decent laptop and ereader which everyone else in my kids school possessed. My wife took him shopping on a trip to Lansing because he had grown (upwards, not outward) and needed clothing suitable for his return to the Polish winters. I thought at first that in fact my kids were jealous that we outfitted the Polish kid so well with better than they had.

I am aware that many Europeans make fun of hyphenated Americans who try to show their pride in their ancestors. We do so out of love for the unique traditions that helped shape our forefathers. I view disparaging us for our heraldic slip ups as petty and a discredit to those Europeans however I do think we are getting the message that there is no real kinship.

As to resentment over real aid tendered, that is utterly childish but I suppose not uncommon in human nature in general. Resentment towards Americans who are boastful should not be taken out in vitriol such in this forum against Americans in general.

When I was in Lodz a few years back a young man in a restaurant sat with us and proclaimed his love for American Blues and proceeded to sing a barely recognizable rendition of Molly Malone which is of course neither. American nor by any stretch of the imagination 'the blues' (although he was quite soulful in his effort) We were still touched by his effort to express his feelings and would never mock him or excuse any vitriol against Poles based on a simple mistake.

Americans have mistaken past European expressions of solidarity for real ties. We are beginning to realize that there is no love lost and in fact isolationism sentiment is now growing faster among well traveled Americans than among those with little European exposure.

Nothanks... My great grandfather came to the US when he was 17 and enlisted in the US Navy when he was 22. My grandfather served in the US Army as did my dad and myself.

When I was in the army there was a lot teasing about my Polish last name but it was mostly good humored. I hung with other Polish-American soldiers when stationed in Germany but more because we all came from Michigan than that we were of Polish extraction. By the way I have tremendous respect for the Polish military tradition.

Laughing at between radfem and crazy cat lady. 😁

Well, you do have that thing about Americans delph. I don't, I just cannot take that dude LP seriously. Come on teenagers saying something or acting like teenagers, some posts on PF and here he is a big drama queen. WTF?

Adults do not act like that or at least sensible adults don't.


That my Scottish forum mate is something that you and your buddy Harry perceives as ignorance, do not project your opinions on Poles.

The only thing I have against some Americans are their unreasonable expectations as if their ancestry and few customs they have kept entitle them to prise and an instant recognition of kinship. As if Americans-Poles were tight-knit community in their own right. They are not, they are fragmented and they don't have as much pull in the USA as they could have would they acted otherwise.

Overtly that is a small thing. Often in the way gets misunderstanding between European and American thinking, if an American say I'm Polish, he more oft than not means, I'm of Polish origin, I know and identify with some customs and food that are being assassinated with Poland in Polish community in the USA.

Whereas Europeans think - WTF? You don't even speak the lingo and I bet you would have a problem with pointing Poland on the map. What are you trying to pull? You are an American.

See different meaning, same word.

Well, I'm being objective rather than simply mocking Polish-Americans like I used to - as you say, these are teenagers, and that sort of behaviour is entirely normal. I'm still confused by the "we spent thousands of dollars on them" part, though.

At the same time, Americans do have some sense of "honour" that Europeans don't have. I can't put my finger on exactly what it is, but to me, it's very strange that the guy above chose to spend his little free time with some exchange students rather than his own family.

I suppose the cultural differences between Americans and Europeans is a lot bigger than we normally think. It is very American to me to be shocked by how little Europeans care about any perceived friendship with the US.

Have you actually come across any hatred or disdain by Poles living in the US in real life?


Oh ffs...
I have enough of this.
This forum should have a disclaimer on its front page:
"WARNING: THIS IS NOT A POLISH FORUM. THIS IS AN AMERICAN FORUM AND MAJORITY OF POSTERS ON THIS FORUM ARE BRITISH EXPATS WHO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH POLISH-AMERICANS."

Instead of "ignoring and smiling" you should ask him why he thinks that/who told him that. And challenge his notion.
It doesn't matter that he was far from home, his behaviour was very rude in my opinion. I don't know whether he was just a spoiled teenage a$$hole or had a bad experience in the US and was just venting at your expense, but I would never behave in such a way towards my host, no matter whether I would be in Chicago, Warsaw or Timbuktu.

I'm not sure what you mean by expressions of solidarity and "real ties". People in Europe may dislike some American policies, American love for guns and that sort of stuff. Poles might have not be too fond of Obama's foreign policies - the loss of American interest in our part of Europe, before the Ukraine crisis, leaving Poland with that CIA prisons issue, I guess.

But that doesn't have anything to do with American Polonia.
The only issue that Poles (who aren't PiS supporters) can have with American Polonia that I can think of is that there's this stereotype that Polish Americans are supporters of PiS (a right-wing political party). But apparently this isn't the case as I was explained once here on this forum.

In my opinion Poles in Poland usually do feel at least some kind of level of kinship with Polonians, no matter whether those people of Polish origin live in the US, Brazil or in freaking Siberia ;)


Poles aren't in love with the US to such an extent as they used to be during the communist times and after the fall of communism. Their view isn't as idealistic as it was before, it's more realistic nowadays. But that's far from "hate and disdain".

Btw, the dislike for Polish Americans by the British expats on this forum usually comes from the fact that those Polish American posters are often right-wingers, pretty often not very tolerant, some of them are racist, anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim, homophobic. It does make you wonder what's wrong with Polish Americans but maybe it's just this forum that attracts such people, dunno.


Exactly.


I don't see anything strange about Polish parades in the US - the Irish have those, so why not Poles? Sure, it's an American thing, but I don't see anything wrong in it.


Funny, I'm not a "lesser educated, rural Pole". My English is fine, it seems.
And yet I'm touched when I see people of Polish origin remembering their roots, especially considering what our country and our people have gone through in the past and in what circumstances they often had to emigrate.

There was a time when Poland wasn't even on the map of Europe and thanks to the love of Poles for this land it was reborn. Quite a few Poles important for Poland were emigrants, like Kościuszko, Chopin, Mickiewicz, Słowacki, Maria Curie, etc.

In the light of this I don't really care if someone is saying "pierogies" instead of "pierogi" lol
But I guess that's something, you, being British, willl probably never understand...

Sorry for this rant, it's not only meant for LouisianaPole, as I don't even know whether he's for real but I'm sick and tired of British expats speaking on behalf of Poles on such matters. My post is for all the Polonians out there who will have the misfortune of stumbling upon this forum and this thread one day...


Gość w dom - Bóg w dom, I guess ;)

Biggest support, Paulina ;) Are you sure it's fine? (I'm teasing, don't take it seriously)

I think their views are very much in the minority among Polish-Americans, and it's a shame that the forum shows them in such a light. From what I can gather, most of them would be rather appalled by the racist, backwards views seen on here.

Not really, rather majority of British on this forum are lefties and PC by breed, education and definition. British right in Polish understanding of that term i.e. patriotic, educated and with class practically do not exist, they have no intellectual capacity, background or think-thank, most of them wouldn't know how to spell ideology, they are expositions of of course but that is generally true that most of British intelligentsia adhere to the leftists world view.

It all explain why Brits in Poland project circumstances of their home country and tend to see movements label as a right wing and radical in the same light as they see right wing and radical in Britain. Which is a big mistake and the very reason they do not understand Polish political scene.

America is a big country and people tend to use freedom of speech regardless of PC inroads. You should listen to some American Jews or Homosexuals or *******, in comparison most of American_Poles writing on this forum are moderates.

Support for what?


What, did I use the wrong word? I meant that it's "OK/all right/not bad".


Then if you and others don't like what some Polish American is writing on this forum I think you should attack him and not offend Polish Americans in general (calling them "Plastic Poles", etc.).

Right-wing in Polish understanding simply means "conservative". Poles can be patriotic, educated and with class, etc. no matter what their political views are - right-wing, liberal, centrist, leftist, etc.


Not giving in to PC and racism/chauvinism, etc. are two different things. I think I can distinguish between the two.


I've read some of their comments and I didn't like those as much as the ones written by some of the Polish Americans on PF (the likes of "WhitePower", for example, if he's a Polish American, that is).

I think the word is "Afro-Americans" or "blacks". Or are you stuck in the 1950s?

What is the point of being a polish american or any other type. You are just american nothing else. Looking from this angle they are ridiculous comments if I turn on tbe telly watch a usa news show there are 4 nationalities sitting on the panel. None of them say they are xxxx American just american. Secondly it is laughable that somebody would think usa is a white country when clearly it is not. Nor will it be in the future, it is less white every minute. It's travelled such a long way since those initial white people it's not funny. Doesn't surprise me when people say usa will look inwards or it has nothing in common with some of europe. This is correct, I don't see why this multicultural melting pot would identify with eu? You are not european and for most ties are distant and strange. You are certainly not polish unless you were born there or perhaps lived there for ages. Otherwise you are American period. How you refer and talk to each other there is irrelevant since when we see your shows we see lots of different faces and realise it isnt s country it is a conglomerate of different nations called America. A successful one. There's no need for you to pretend you have something in common just looking at your leader it is obvious you are not part of this group or anything eu.

And you are just an Aussie and nothing else. What's your point ?
That's just your opinion as you don't live here in the Great United States of America where WE can call ourselves anything we want without YOUR opinion or permission.

If I want to say that I am a Polish American then that is what I am.
For the last time, "that" in America is interpreted as being an American with Polish ancestry.
We really don't care who has a problem with that. Build a little bridge and get over it.
And you being an Aussie Marsupial why are you so concerned about something that is really none of your business ?
Does Australia really care what the American people do beside mixing kangaroo meat in their McDonalds ?
We have every right to be racists.
The people that we "racist" deserve what we call them because they have earned it through their actions.


Then you would be laughing at yourself because you are the only one that made such a statement.


We don't, we identify with our ancestry silly.


You are the one pretending because who ever said we had something in common besides our ancestry.
Can we not be proud of our ancestry ?
What is your ancestry big M, English you say, so you are a English Aussie. lol


Our leader is 50% white, there are no mulatto's in Europe ?
How about Australia ?

I am not going to defend australia I have no reason to. It is true I am an ozzie and that's it because I became a citizen 6 months after I got here also was in army. When in poland I am treated as polish.

Forget maccas mate I don't eat it we do not consider as actual food but I never heard of kangaroo in it. Had kangaroo once, didn't like the taste, it is very strong and weird. The rest...bait...strongly defended by you...I was sceptical but maybe you are polish if you are williing to defend your links to it.

Back to the topic please

I saw a post about Poles not liking America earlier on...

These are actually a minority. Look online on various polls and you will find Poland has one of the highest if not the highest positive views on the US.

Its actually the rest of the EU in Western Europe which is slowly gaining some antiAmerican sentiment.

As for Pole- Americans im sure most like the US as they are living there...
I visited Canada and i find in multicultural countries its common to identify with both your ethnicity and nationality.
So there is nothing wrong with an American saying he/she is Polish-American.

Some people are critical of the US because of its fairly aggressive foreign policy. Others might criticze its liberal aspects, while others might criticize its conservative aspects. No country is perfect.