Polack/American Polonia/Plastic Pole "culture"

Not nearly the same as that the people pump in........money shouldnt buy votes yes?

No. Not even close. Yes, slaves were sold here, but many people came here to escape the crowns in Europe.

As for "Polish" you are talking about Nationality, while I am refering to ethnicity. It's just part of American Culture that you need to deal with. We just do that kind of thing here. We use our last names and we identify ourselves ethnically with whatever kind of ethnicity the last name signifies, especially if the last name is Polish, Irish, Italian, Japanese, etc. People with last names like Johnson or your surname Taylor typically do not because they are just thought of as typical American last name. It's typical that someome with a Polish or Italian last name considers themselves a Polish or Italian American, and it's nbd.

I happen to have closer ties with another country than some Americans because a large portion of my family are still in Poland and my Grandfather and Great Grandparents are all from Poland, so it's easier for me to identify ethnically with the Polish side of the family since they all come from one place: Poland, than the hodgepodge of Irish, Scottish and German on my mother's side of the family. That, and the fact that I have my father's Polish surname which is really visible and obvious while no one really knows or sees my mother's last name unless it's requested on a form of some kind. Now if you have a problem with this dtaylor, so be it. But it's just the way things are in the US.

To Poles who've largely felt shunned by W. Europe.. it probably buys the right to participate.

Look one Polish person didn't decide that.. lots of people did.. and they think it's okay for Pol Ams to vote. Apparently, at core, they like being affiliated with Pole-Ams.

Why do you think that is??

Of course, but then again you cant even trace ur family history to that date can you?


Which would mean more than just having a father or mother from a given country.
As for the rest, please dont lecture me about it. You are American, not Polish. End of story.


Maybe, but they never stuck it out long enough did they?


Last time it was put to a vote, the Polish people voted against it.

Not as much as most of us living here pump in, and if money buys votes, why can't we vote for President but the Plastic Poles can?


So - you're not even 50% Polish?

He isnt even 1% Polish...

My Great Aunt has that information. She is the official record keeper.


Polish-American :D. And I don't see why you have such a problem with this. What does it matter if a few people in the US who have family members who immigrated from Poland call themselves Polish-Americans? It's such a trivial matter, anyway.

Don't ruin his dream, after all, Busha and Jaja told him otherwise!

From what I gather, Poles are quite happy to take their dumb cousins money, but they don't consider them to be equal.

(anyway, you can't be Polish if you don't have a dowód osobisty)

See, you sad feck, you cant even say if you are one or the other! let me put this simply....ARE YOU POLISH????

I don't know.. I didn't set up the system man. I would suspect that if the PEOPLE of Poland ( a democracy) didn't want it they would tell Pol Ams to feck off with it.. which they haven't. Now given the vitriol (according to this site) they seem to have for us I found this very odd.

I will pose the same question to you as I did to Scottie boy.. why do you think that is? Why do think they allow the Pol Am to participate in their elections. Why are they participating in Afghanistan?


Over the centuries? Yeah, right.. some limey teacher gives like a Pol Am?

What do you think of Polish festivals outside of Poland and Oktoberfest? Do you want them banned? Is it because they aren't being held in Poland and Germany? What is the big deal?

What about Valentine's and St Patrick's day? Christmas? It's because it originated in one place, no one else can participate unless they go to Rome and Bethelehem? You need to broaden your cultural horizons.

good luck to them, they might magically be held by people who have some kind of Polish ties...unlike you.

Unlike yourself. You don't have any, period, and it probably annoys you which is why you are picking on all the Polish-Americans!

..Apparently, not to a limey living in Poland. After all , we should account to them everything we do.. justify our every action.. it only makes sense. Lol.

Because to me, a nationality is more than about voting.
it's about getting locked drunk on paddies day, about roaring about how Halloween is an ancient Celtic festival made popular by Americans, about getting drunk and being poetic.

Did I mention drinking twice? :)

And Taylor is such an Americanized name, too!

Unlike you, I have lived in the country and paid my taxes. I have contributed while you sit on your ass pretending to be what ever nationality you like.


16th century, you know, before your homeland was a country....

i share this problem. most of my ancestors are border folk. and as great-gran used to say ''not english, not scottish. borders'' the family names include carruthers, elliot, wilson, and belong to scotland. the land they would reive and settle, england.

Again you talk nationality and not ethnicity. It's obviously not about being a Polish national, it's about where the ancient roots are. I have extensive family research on both my mother's and father's side!

But that's the whole point isn't it?

The old world just can't fathom the new world.

As if everyone fits in to a nice little box, I should know, I talk enough shite on here about it.

So although they are Americans many have the will to know about their European roots.

Why should I believe him when its obvious he is giving you special treatment that other bloggers don't get? You get to throw around the word "Polack" but I get criticized for using the word "Russky".

You can go around bashing Polish people as "Polacks" which the moderator tolerates for some reason, but the moderator criticizes me for saying you are a "Russky" because I believe you sound like a "Russky". I mean its not like I used a curse word or anything. But then again maybe some people see being seen or portrayed as a Russky as being a curse.


I guess this is supposed to be some kind of Russky reverse psychology here? You are the one who has the FSB/Russian viewpoint on the Smolensk plane crash, NOT me.

Its interesting how your attacks on Poles started to go up after criticisms of Russia.

Hey What is bothering you? In U>S they celebrate, Scottish, Irish, Dutch, German and other traditions .....what i big deal about Polish tradition ?

As for the right to vote in Poland's elections, can only those holding dual citizenship, not big deal either!
What is your beef ?

Yeah, what is that 10,000 - 50,000 people? Probably doesn't even make a difference statistically in the outcome.

I personally would never want to vote in any Polish elections unless I had Polish citizenship.

I would never call myself Polish-American or consider myself part of Polonia because I do not live near any Polish centers anymore. I am American. Some people do the hyphenated name thing. I personally prefer to just be American. However, what Plastic Pole says is true. People here with last names of a particular ethnicity are often asked what country were your ancestors from, or simply....what are you?

When asked, I say that I am of Polish descent and German descent. Ethnically, I am about 50% Slavic (Polish/Kashub combination), and 50% (Dutch/Frisian/North German) Germanic. My Dutch/Germans lived in Poland for 250 years before emigrating to America. They were invited to Poland by the Nobles to help drain the swamps and make productive farm land.

So, ethnically, I am about half Slavic and the other half of my background were Polish by nationality. I am American, but we all love to talk about what constitutes our background. I find it very surprising how vehemently upset OP is about this issue.

I do know the dates of all my families' emigration to America. My mother a first generation American, spoke Polish, I know a little bit. My Dad, a first generation American, spoke Low German from the Vistula Delta. (Niederung Platt). Very heavily influence by Dutch and Polish.

I have been to Poland three times, and love it there. I feel a connection to the land and the people, but I am American. Everyone knows I am into genealogy and all I come in contact with have been educated by me about Poland, the Partitions, how the country bravely fought for freedom all over the world, what a great ally Poland has always been, and how it has risen like the phoenix from the ashes. I've told them all about how Poland is an ancient kingdom with a long history and love of freedom and democracy. I truly believe I have been an ambassador of Poland and raised the respect that people here have for the country. And it makes me feel sad when some are so angry that we have a sense of connection.

First of all, great thanks for your sensible contribution to this topic. You don't need to feel sad about it, there will be always people like him anywhere you go.

Actually, one thing that they often do (from what I can see) is ignore the bits of history that doesn't agree with what they want to hear. For example, Irish history - many of them knew fine well that Noraid was funding the IRA. But they ignored all the dodgy aspects of the IRA's operation - choosing only to focus on the part that was actually fighting the British. Or - many of them have the view that it should be BRITS OUT. The problem is that most of them have absolutely no idea who the "BRITS" are, nor do they have any concept that the Unionist faction is in the majority in Northern Ireland.

But they do seem to have a lot of knowledge about the things they want to know about.

The same can be said for every nationality.


British media in world press left out the bits about the U.F.F, the red hand command, the U.V.F etc... and that the majority in Ireland are Irish not Unionists.

It didn't agree with them.

Of course, but in their case, they have no real reason to. That's what makes it odd - you'd think that an American of Polish descent would be able to have a decent, critical viewpoint, but it seems that they have quite the opposite.

I don't understand your point, could you give an example perhaps?

and you'll have to excuse me for editing posts, I never know if it's the last :)

While you stand up for the Star Spangled Banner, the OP jumps up for the Internationale.