Group: Polish Americans
Where Did They Come From: All Polish Americans come from Poland.
When: The history of Polish immigration to America falls into four periods. The first, from 1608 to about 1800, was one in which small numbers of people came over for personal reasons. The second was from 1800 to 1860 which involved more political reasons. The third took place from 1860 to 1914 which was the major wave and involved more political and religious reasons for moving. The fourth was the years since World War I which has been mainly refugees. The wave of immigrants that is most significant is the second wave. Approximately 2.5 million Polish immigrants came to America during this time frame
What region of the US did they settle: Most Polish immigrants tended to flock to the rural industrialized cities in the Midwest and middle Atlantic States such as New York, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Chicago and St. Louis. They became steelworkers, meat packers, miners and eventually autoworkers.
What occupations did they take part in: The Polish that arrived first which was about a tenth of the total number were able to live out in the country and farm. However, those arriving later had to be content with industrial jobs in the city until they could afford to buy a farm.
What are the family patterns: Their social life, working conditions, their socioeconomic level, and spiritual needs were largely those of a working-class Roman Catholic society. Polish communities developed and prospered in similar ways, producing a rich and active cultural life.
Rituals: Polish immigrants were quick to establish parish churches in the United States. In most cities they had developed from meetings of the local religious society in the local store or inn.
Are they a group that appreciates schooling: No, because priority was given to real-estate and church contributions, little money was available for educating the young, particularly before 1940.
What are the basic demographics today? The total population of Polish Americans today is 10,050,122. Polish Americans rank somewhat above national averages in education, income, home-ownership, home-values, home ownership and marriage rates. They are below the average in poverty and divorce.
Fun facts: Across the nation, there are also many Polish-Americans who are prominent in public life, such as former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski; former general and ambassador Edward Rowny; Governor Frank Murkowski (R-Alaska); U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)--Frank’s daughter; and Barbara Mikulski (D- Maryland); Congressmen Dan Lipinski (D-Illinois), who recently succeeded his father, Bill Lipinski; and John Dingell (D-Michigan), who has served his district for over 50 years; and former Congressman Ed Derwinski (R-Illinois), who also served as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Prominent Polish-American clergymen currently include Cardinal Adam Maida, the Archbishop of Detroit; Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk of Cincinnati, Ohio; Bishop Thomas Wenski of Orlando, Florida; and Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Chicago.
For Further Reading:
Bukowczyk, John. 2007. A History of the Polish Americans. New Jersey: Transaction Publishers.