Americans of Polish descent. How many of us are on Polish forums?

Exactly, i was born in Poland moved here when i was 9, yet some on this forum had the audacity to call me a Plastic Pole, since i don't live there no more. I of course feel more Polish but since i've lived here for so long and am a citizen of both countries i also feel a bit American.

Born in Poland and now live in the US, in your case having mixed feelings is absolutely normal.


yep, kids can be cruel but it's like this anywhere you go.

All I can tell you is that not all of you seem to have very close ties with Poland. When we lived in Germany in the area of Ramstein, we've met people from Chicago with an obvious Polish last name. He was a captain of the US AF (air force) and when I asked him if they have Polish roots,

he said that he doesn't know. Going by the name, I was strongly assuming it but obviously the name itself is not always showing one's origin and if then it's going so far behind that the person really doesn't know of any connection whatsoever.

True there are English Americans in the South, who are descendants of some of the first settlers came there in the 1600 or 1700s, they've been there for so long they're not sure where their family came from, so they just identify themselves as American.

It's like this where I live in NC but I wouldn't say English, more Scottish and Irish but even way more Germans. Alone around Charlotte, there are 150 German businesses.

You are what you want to be. Unless you live in a country that forces you to speak a specifc language, celebrate specific holidays and eat speific foods, you are free to choose. And America is certainly a land of choice. A person can choose that in his ancestral culture and mainstream US culture that strikes his/her fancy. No-one is required to declare whether they are Americans or Poles or Polonians or AmPols or whatever. But many Polish Americans resent being grouped in census reports as just 'whites', when other groups (Afros, Hispanics, Asians, Amerindians, etc.) are getting special perks and privileges based on ethnicity.

What special perks and privileges are available to those that are non-White?

I like that statement.
As far as the rest of what you said, I agree with some of it too however I strongly hope for huge changes soon to happen in the US. I believe that 234 years should be enough for us to become one big unit without all these differences.


Maybe I can help you this time. For example, when you're a business owner, the law tells you to employ so many blacks or Hispanics (etc.) so in some areas it's easier to get a job when you belong to one of these minorities than when you're white.

I understand that Native Americans can get help with college. Not sure if it is free, or just some kind of break. I am pretty certain one can even get help if you are a certain percentage of Native American. Considering what they went through when Europeans came here, it is probably one of the least things we can do.

During the great immigration period of the late 1800's and early 1900's, the census went into more detail about ethnicity of white people. It asked if you were German, Polish, etc, etc. What language you spoke at home and country of origin.

I imagine that because the main immigrants are now Hispanic, Orientals, and others that the focus is on them. I wish there were more details to the census. As someone who enjoys genealogy, they can be a treasure trove later on if there is more information on them.

Of course you're right as usually, :-)
The only thing is that I believe that it's time, after 234 yrs, to make us finally one big nation without all these differences so a German and a Polish American will finally sit down at one table, drink an ice cold corona with a slice of lime in it and will be able to say...we are Americans.

America has a hell of a lot to be proud of, and when people say "America has no history" - they're being rude at best. American history is very, very interesting - how can people deny history to America when it's much older than many other European states?

Even Germany was only created in 1870!

Thanks for your really nice statement.

An extreme case is the Amerindians who get to operate gambling casinos and rake in the profits, but other groups have access to various types of affirmative-action programmes, hiring quota systems (such and such a percent must be of a certain race), school ethnic curricula, etc.

To those hoping that after 234 years the melting pot will magerialise, I've got news for you. The notion that everyone would get boiled down into one, big, gooey and nondescript stew has not worked. America is a salad bowl. All its component parts form one big salad but you can always tell a piece of lettuce from a slice of tomato or cucumber. And to that we should say: VIVE LA DIFFÉRENCE.

The process ain't finished (234 yrs comparing with Poland 1000 yrs, c'mon) yet but it's way to early to say that it doesn't work or that it won''t work. At the moment you're right about the salad bowl but it's changing my friend. Especially in the south where I live, the only nation that stands out and is being talked about a little, are the Mexicans, that's it. Don't jump on me when I tell you that the south is more American than the north but I'm convinced, one day we'll all be one and I mean not only on the map.

This is just a fly by hello as I am starting my work day. I am married to a man of Polish descent. He was born of parents who emigrated to Australia in 1977 and he was born 3 months later. He grew up in a Polish Community in Australia and went to Polish School after private school and on weekends went to Polish heritage classes. We met on the internet 11 years ago and he moved to the U.S. We've been married 10 years now. His polish is getting rustier every year from not using it as there are NO Polish communities where we live. His maternal grandfather still lives in Poland, but his mother's only sister moved to Chicago 15 years ago. His entire paternal family moved to Australia in the late 70's to early 80's. I would love to visit Poland and am even thinking of talking to him about moving to Poland, although I'd need to get a Polish Rosetta Stone as I only know the "infant" words that we use around the house. So, hello!

1044.The time is flying.

yes it is indeed. Pretty old country :-)

In the last census there was no column to write in or check Polish, or Irish, or German, just white.

The process of unification has obviously already started and it's good so. It's about time to end this "salad bowl".

Yeah but i dunno if it's the kind i'll like, in the future i see no race stated, the people of this country will look like Brazilians all mixed together.

I wouldn't worry about it, it's still a matter of personal preferences whether someone is going to mix with another race or not. We're going through this mixing process at the moment due to our current government policy but it's only until the next election and things will change I'm sure.

People can call it racism but I call it personal preferences when it comes to making whoopie outside of your race. I have all kinds of colored friends but it doesn't mean that I have to sleep with them.

get a job with the census bureau. Who cares Pat, do you feel special?

I do, I think it's an interesting subject. Besides, the census bureau lies and will turn most minorities into Latinoes - Acorn Magic.

- Born in Polska, raised in Sverige (Sweden) and have lived in the US for almost two decades.

The only family I'm in contact with lives in Sweden, Norway, and have some cousins who live in Sweden but work lengthy contracts (several years at a time) in Germany, Australia, etc.

- how many still talk with family in poland and have direct contact? -> None that I know of.

how many have mixture of polish with some other nationality. -> I have no kids but my entire family is a Swedish/Norwegian/Polish mix (the kids that is)

- what do you still know and still celebrate that was part of your familys traditions? -> Christmas, Easter although we have more Swedish than Polish traditions I think, or maybe they're so close that I can't tell the difference.

-> delphiandomine -I'd like to add two more questions -

- How many of you would consider moving to Poland for good? -> Probably not although my company has been talking about a European and an Asian base sometime in the future (probably Germany and China). If I were to get based in Germany I wouldn't mind buying a condo in Wrocław for example and then commute to/from Germany. If I ever get kids I'd definitely consider that as I'd want them to be at least tri-lingual (en, swe and pl) but ideally also learn a lot of Mandarin.). It's all dreams and ideas, who knows what the future will look like...

- If you have to choose, are you American or Polish?

I hate generalizations like that (see below) but if I had to rank it then I am:

1) a good man
2) an American by choice. I'm of European descent (Polish/Swedish to be precise)
------


I see your point and yes, from your perspective of genealogy research it is interesting indeed. As someone who's vehemently against the affirmative action and other reverse discrimination programs I wish the census never even asked the race question as I know that the government will use that information to expand the discriminatory practices. Don't want to turn this thread into left or right, black or white issues but felt I had to explain why I disagree with your wish.

Holy cow I can't believe it, I agree with you 100% on this one LOL

America is a very special nation indeed. A great nation I may add.

Are you an imposter of delphiandomine? What did you do with him? LOL

Certainly so - the achievements of the United States of America should not be downplayed in anyway. One of the greatest things about America is that you're not afraid to admit when you've been bad in history - it's obvious from American sources that you're deeply ashamed of the treatment of native Americans for instance.

I could talk for hours about American history and how endlessly interesting it is.

Sorry, you missed the word 'needs' from your sentence.

-->> MediaWatch - Disregard my comment below and my apologies, got screen names mixed up. You might agree with him or you might not but I got you confused with Marek11111. I'm leaving the comments below intact in case someone has already read them. Again, the person I thought I was replying to was Marek111111, not Mediawatch. <<--

Why do you have to destroy yet another thread? Why don't you create your own Fascist America thread? Amazing that a person seething with so much hate still manages to live here in the US. Poor you, right in the middle of Hell.

Your opinions are almost identical to my aunt's former neighbor. When she lived in Poland he'd come over and talk to her about America - this evil, fascist empire he loved to hate. Then there were the good Germans and the bad Germans (east and west) and America's Bastard child, aka United Kingdom, etc., etc. If you didn't agree with him you were uneducated, illogical, stupid, and a traitor. I just read your post on your other America Sucks thread and suddenly I felt this immense sense of déjà vu.

Her neighbor was a retired SB agent (although he was only in his 40s) and you probably used his books for your extensive studies of fascism. I think you'd feel so much better if you were to move away from the US. It's your choice of course but many of us would definitely love to wave a good-bye to you.

I agree, thank you, but its not about that for some of us.

Maybe we are misunderstanding, maybe you are thinking of the way everything
in America is commercialized?

I can agree on this.


Thanks sky, interesting. so maybe swedish and polish arent that far off in traditions
someone mentioned polish are like the italians, I have not seen this, I know they
( good percentage) are Catholic.


Well , from genealogy standpoint, its good that they did, because although
Slavery was a huge part of American history, some of the slaves that were freed
ended up taking on the names of their previous owners and so you had duplicate
names of two guys, so if you are looking for someone , you know that your ancestor
was white, and it doesnt apply to my family, but some immigrants were early settlers
And came early and to get accurate information you have to follow the paper trail.

Its not easy trail either.

Well, most Swedes are Lutherans, at least on paper that is. We always had fish but also Julskinka (Christmas ham) on our Christmas table. Barszcz but also Julgröt (Christmas rice pudding with an almond hidden inside). We looked at those traditions as our traditions, not just Polish or Swedish traditions.

As far as the census - I can't stand racism, sexism and/or discrimination whether it's legalized or not, that's all. Government affirmative action programs are a form of revenge and reverse discrimination, I'm against all discrimination.

Im not for it either, like I said , genealogical records are for finding relatives, and
not discrimination, my dog and cat are black and white, I have to decribe them when
I am speaking of them, what kind , color is all around you. your house a brick or
wood? that doesnt mean your discriminating against it just because you called it
a brick home.

I am white, that is a fact, so would I get upset.. no, now if you say, your a stupid person
because your black or white, then, thats discrimination.. or that you wont give a job to
a person because of their color. yeah, thats discrimination, or that you say, well , your
clothes are ripped and you look terrible you poor son of a immigrant.

my house is cream color, my dog black and white, my parents listed in the cencus as
white Americans.. does it affect anything now?no, did it back then, yes, it did, but thats over
with. we all share the same buildings, same bathrooms and same drinking fountains.
and no one makes anyone go to the back of the bus.. cause if they did, I would have
something to say about it,, or maybe I wouldnt say it, i would just change the color of their
eye..and lip.

anyways, back to the topic of Polish amies, who dont always get easily offended, we
just want to be left alone. everyone deserves a chance to learn, and if thats a crime
then I am guilty as hell.

:)

I asked him the same question, "why suffer, if you hate here just get the butt out". I believe, he has some kind of mental problem because his way of thinking is totally messed up.