10 things that show you are Polish

Don't kill the messenger. Just sharing something I stumbled across on the net and do not neccesarily agree with. But it does show how many US-born PolAms perceive their Polishness -- largely nostalgia and comfort foods like busia, er, um, oops, -- I mean -- babcia used to make.

YOU ARE POLISH....

1. When no one knows how to pronounce your Polish name or surname.

2. When you sing for 1000th time "Sto Lat" on your families birthdays.

3. When you see Kiełbasa as most perfect form of sausage.

4. When your family after some good food and drinks start to polka.

5. When you are stubborn even when you are not right (those Slav genes)

6. When you see Pierogi as the most perfect form of potatoes.

7. When you have picture of John Paul II in your house.

8. When you post on internet forums how awesome Hussar Winged Calvary were.

9. When you have the most complicated Language

10. Because you're incredibly proud to be Polish.

In Poland all sausage is kielbasa - and everyone can pronounce your name, unless its foreign. I've never seen anyone starting to 'polka' either.

I always thought that this sort of thing was a perfect example of Orientalism.

If you ain't been there, don't knock it! You must have zero imagination is you can't grasp why a Wojciechowski would hate going through life Anglo-mangled into something like wodge-si-CHOW-ski or a Czarnecki being called zar-NEK-ee.

And your knowledge of American immigration history must be equally abysmal if you don't know the Czech dance known as the polka has become something quintessentially Polonian. But what can one expect from a Brit?

Hardly. My Polish name is always "Anglo-mangled", but Americans always respectively pronounce it correctly once I tell them how to. You must have quite a twisted imagination if you think anyone like me would "hate going through life" because of something so trivial.

One's name is one's most precious possession. Of course if you don't mind yours being twisted and distorted, that's your prerogative. If it's Zaleski, Duda, Ordon or Makoski (Makowski would be a bit problematic and contain a "cow"), there's hardly a problem. But what about Chojnicki (chodge-a-NIK-ee), Szczęsny (CHEZZ-nee) or Przybyszewski (purs-a-SOO-ski)?

Not mine. My most precious possession is something I cannot mention in polite company.


My name is more like these. Once instructed, most Americans gladly pronounce the name as correctly as they can with their phonemic inventory, just the same as Poles generally pronounce non-Polish names once instructed. I've never met anyone who was disrespectful in this regard, in any of the countries I have lived.

What's that got to do with people in Poland. Who do not do this polka thing and have mostly never heard of it.

By the way, names get mangled in Poland too. Changing it is very personal. My own name was Anglicised in generations past. I wouldn't change it again - if others can't be bothered to learn, it's their look out.

It was Anglicised from Polish name?

This was posted in the Polonian USA/Canada category so it has to do with our dear Polish diaspora. In America, in case you didn't know, kiełabsa = Polish sausage. It is not a generic term for sausage as it is in Poland but an ethno-specific one. After all, there are also bratwurst, pepperoni, bologna, salami, Italian, Cajun and other sausages on the market. Looks like you should sign up for US Immigration History 101.

More interesting facts about Poland than elsewhere. Like the sheer number of types of kielbasa.

I've been here for nearly 20 years and have never once seen anybody dancing the Polka. However, I have seen it being danced in its native land, the Czech Republic. Perhaps this thread would be more accurately titled 10 things that show you think you're Polish but aren't.

You guys are really bumpkins and yokels if you don't see this was compiled in good ol' America by and for Polish Americans based on their spot observations. In America "he's Polish" usually means his grandparents or great-grandparents came from Poland. If you go on your next holiday to Chicago or Greenpoint (Brooklyn), maybe you'll finally learn something and stop talking through your hat. Meet and mingle with the folk, 80% of whom (in Chicago) voted for Duda!

How charming of you to start your post with yet another insult.


So, not by and for the Polish people the title refers to.


Yes, but here in Poland (and everywhere else, other than the USA) the word is used correctly. Very few Poles would consider a person to be Polish just because one of his great-grandparents was Polish.

So that statement makes you (one person) an authority ?
Here in America when the Polish people put on a Polish Festival they ALWAYS have a dance floor
with Polka music and Polka dancing. ALWAYS ! (And more then enough beer)
Same with any Polish wedding that you go to.
You are not from here, probably have never been to The United States of America nor ever will, so
as you said,



Who told you that !
Whoever did is lying to you.

What a ridiculous, repetitive list.

Since being expelled from PF you now go by the letter of the PF law, so it's strange you've failed to notice this thread is in PF's Polonian USA/Canada category. If you can't stop badmouthing Polonians, then just bypass that section and spout your nonsense in the love, work, study, food, etc. sections. Let me repeat very clearly and slowly so maybe it'll sink in:

In America she's Italian, he's Irish, they are Polish 99% of the time means that the indicated individuals or of that particular extraction. No more and no less? Zrozumiano, compris, poniał, verstanden? - (understood?)

The Majority of the Armenians that are know are not born in Armenia but actually from Argentina, Brazil, USA, Canada...

Same applies for Lebaneses and Israelis.

I Think that this is a caracteristic of nationalities that suffered big diasporas. Like Poland.

Suddenly a top Pole-basher tries to make out that Poles in Poland are the centre of the universe to the poitn of violating the PF topic breakdown. Who cares what Poels in Poland say or think. This was a strictly Polonian thread that had nothing to do with Poland. It had to do with how PolAms perceive what the adjective "Polish" means.

So why isn't the title of this thread 'ten things that show you are Polonian'?

You guys really are dense. Because it originated in America and was by and for fellow-Polish Americans who refer to themselves as Polish. Do you call yourself a pom or limey? Probably not. You can call yourself whatever you want, and so can PolAms. Your PolAm baiting is getting boring, so don't expect another reply. I know even a pom can't be that stupid and you're just being your despicably contrarian self.

So in fact rather misleading...

Entirely misleading.

- said the pom.


- said the limey.

What is this discussion about? Keep to the topic.