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October is Polish American Heritage Month, and this one is especially important. This year marks the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first Polish immigrants in America. In honor of those first brave Poles—don’t ever call us Polacks; that’s a mangling of the Polish word Polak, which means a Polish male person, and is considered an ethnic slur—my family and Polish Americans everywhere, here are eight things you should know about us.
1. We got to the party early, and brought a lot of friends.
In 1608, the first Polish immigrants arrived in Jamestown, Virginia, and were quickly recruited by the colony as craftsmen in the colony’s glassmaking and woodworking industries. (They also dug the colony’s first well.) After a decade in Jamestown, the Poles still did not have the right to vote in the elections of the colonial government, and in 1619, they held the first labor strike in America. By walking off the job, they affected the local industry enough that voting rights were granted to them.
Just before America began to fight to gain its independence, Poland lost its own. In 1772, 1793 and 1795, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was partitioned by Prussia, Russia and Austria. The first of three major waves of Polish immigration occurred after the partition when Polish nobles, political dissidents and other Poles fled their occupied nation.
A second wave took place between 1860 and World War I. Although the reconstitution of Poland was parts of Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points, and Poland regained its independence as the Second Polish Republic, a few million Poles had already left for America because industrialization had driven them from their farms.
The third and largest wave lasted from the end of World War I to the end of the Cold War, again mostly made up of political refugees. After the collapse of the Soviet Union and emergence of the Third Polish Republic, a fourth wave of immigrants, who generally come to earn money and eventually return to Poland, began. Today, there are an estimated 10 million Americans of Polish descent.
2. We’re mostly found in clusters in the Northeast
Polish immigrants were considered well-suited for manual labor, and were often recruited for work in coal mines and the steel industry. Because of that, the largest Polish American populations can still be found in states that were industrial centers in the 20th century, like Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois, Ohio and Michigan (here’s a map of Polish American hot spots).
The largest Polish American population can be found in Chicago, which with 185,000 Polish speakers calls itself the largest Polish city outside of Poland. The cities and towns of Pennsylvania’s Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties, including Wilkes-Barre (my home sweet home), Scranton, Hazleton, Pittston and Nanticoke, are also home to large Polish populations because of the area’s once-large coal deposits.
3. We made some big steps for religion in this country
When the predominantly Roman Catholic Poles came to America en masse in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Catholic Church here had no Polish bishops and very few Polish priests. A group of Polish immigrants in Scranton broke away in 1897 and formed the Polish National Catholic Church. Today, the PNCC has 126 parishes in North America and 60,000 members.
While Poland is largely Roman Catholic, it has had a small Muslim population since the 14th century, when Tatar tribes began settling in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. A group of Polish Muslims who emigrated to the U.S. co-founded the first Muslim organization in Brooklyn in 1907 and, in 1926, built a mosque that’s still in use today.
4. We’ve got friends in high places
Polish Americans you might be familiar with include Kristen Bell, Maria Bello, Scarlett Johansson, John Krasinski, Mike Krzyzewski, Jerry Orbach, John Ratzenberger, Gore Verbinski, the Wachowski brothers, the Warner brothers, Pat Benatar, Dick Dale, Liberace, Richie Sambora, Jack White, Pat Sajak, Martha Stewart, Steve Wozniak, Richard Feynman, Gene Krupa and Mike Ditka.
While they may not be household names, other Polish Americans have done some pretty important things. Stephanie Kwolek developed Kevlar. Albert Abraham Michelson was the first American to receive the Nobel Prize in the sciences for his work on measuring the speed of light. Curtis Sliwa founded the Guardian Angels. Ruth Handler co-founded the Mattel toy company and created the Barbie doll. Leo Gerstenzang invented the Q-tip.
Of course, there are those Polish Americans that we’re not so proud of, like Leon Czolgosz, who assassinated President William McKinley, and Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber.
5. George Washington loved us
Among the Polish immigrants to America after the partitions was Casimir Pułaski, a Polish noble and soldier, who was recruited by Benjamin Franklin to help lead the American army. Pułaski was made a general and had a large role in training the Continental Army. He later created Pulaski’s Legion, one of America’s first cavalry regiments, and is regarded as “the father of American cavalry.”
In 1929, Congress passed a resolution designating October 11 as General Pułaski Memorial Day in observance of his death at the Siege of Savannah in 1779. Numerous states and cities also recognize separate holidays commemorating Pułaski’s birth and/or death.
6. There ain’t no Christmas like a Polish Christmas
[Image courtesy of Przykuta.]
Wigilia, the traditional Polish Christmas Eve dinner, begins when the first evening star appears. Twelve meatless courses (one for each of the apostles) are served after a white wafer called the oplatek, is broken and shared among the diners while they exchange good wishes (a separate pink wafer is shared with the animals). For the dinner, there should be an even number of people at the table to ensure good health, with one empty chair reserved anyone who happens to stop by. Tasting all twelve courses ensures good luck in the new year. After supper, Christmas carols are sung in Polish, and the celebration culminates with family and friends going to Pasterka, the Midnight Mass.
7. We didn’t invent the polka, but we do love it
While often attributed to the Polish, the polka actually originated in Bohemia. The name comes from the Czech word půlka (“little half,” in reference to the half-steps in the polka dance), but the spelling is the same as the Czech polka, which means “Polish woman.” I can see where the confusion lies, especially since polkas are in heavy rotation at Polish weddings and other celebrations, along with the Chicken Dance (which is also not our creation).
8. Our food is awesome
Do you like kielbasa? How about pierogis? You’re welcome.
Comments (49)
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I didn’t know Polack was an ethnic slur! Now I feel like a horrible person. I’ve called people that because I thought that was the name for a group of Polish people, not to belittle them! No wonder I got such odd looks when I said it…
Interesting Recaptcha: Know That Within.
posted by Taryn on 10-30-2008 at 5:48 am
Texas also has a strong Polish community. Bremond hosts the Polski Dzien (Polish Days) festival and the surrounding communities are filled with Polish names. And of course there’s Gary Kubiak, head coach of the Houston Texans.
posted by Logan on 10-30-2008 at 6:10 am
Don’t forget pąckzi as an important Polish culinary contribution. Not only are they delicious, but I’m pretty sure no food has eve made me fatter faster.
posted by Craig on 10-30-2008 at 6:28 am
Another Polish-born figure in the American Revolution was Tadeusz (Thaddeus) Kosciusko, an engineer. Kosciusko designed the fortifications at Saratoga, New York. The ensuing battle, and the American victory is generally regarded as the turning point of the war. For his efforts, the Continental Congress bestowed unto him a large sum of money, land, and some slaves. Kosciusko, opposed to slavery, immediately freed them.
Alan Kulwicki, in 1992, became the first non-Southerner, and first college graduate, to win what was then known as the Winston Cup NASCAR championship. Driving for a team he owned and built himself, Kulwicki outdueled the powerhouse Junior Johnson organization and past champion Bill Elliot, to capture the title by the narrowest margin in history up to then: 11 points.
posted by Mike D. on 10-30-2008 at 7:06 am
Ummm….Shouldn’t there be an eagle on the Polish flag?
posted by Mike D. Again on 10-30-2008 at 7:07 am
So who did invent the Chicken Dance? Weddings would be vastly different without it . . . (we Germans also love the Grand March).
posted by nutmeag on 10-30-2008 at 7:29 am
I’m of 100% polish descent and proud of it! The only thing that drives me crazy is when people call jelly doughnuts, pąckzi!! Real pąckzi is much heavier and is often not even filled (unless it’s something like apple or prune)…it’s great with real butter…yummmm. We must polka to burn those calories!! :->
posted by Kathy on 10-30-2008 at 8:17 am
My guy’s (polish) mom can cook a mean pierogi. Yummmm
Ha! I usually don’t post my recaptcha but today it’s “honeymoon badly”
Uh-oh…
posted by Caitlin on 10-30-2008 at 8:27 am
I’m a typical German/Polish/Irish/English/Native American mutt, but the Polish traditions are the ones that have stuck–especially the food!
posted by Gretchen on 10-30-2008 at 8:32 am
LOVE Pierogis… oh so much. THANK YOU, POLES! Also, this whole Christmas with even number of people at the table thing? What if you and your spouse have three kids. Does one sit out? Or do you invite a friend? Or put the family pet at a chair? I find this fascinating.
I’d love this to be a series about ethnicities in America!!!!!
posted by Kelly J on 10-30-2008 at 8:34 am
What??? No mention of Dingus Day???
posted by Kathy on 10-30-2008 at 8:38 am
in regard to Casimir Pulaski, there’s a Casimir Pulaski Day, the 1st Monday in March, which is an official state holiday in Illinois. Chicago has a fairly big parade on this day as well.
posted by Eric on 10-30-2008 at 9:16 am
As someone who has dated about as many Polish-americans as not, I’d say there’s at least one other thing women should know about Polish guys;)I’ve never found an exception to the rule:)
posted by Mandragora on 10-30-2008 at 9:23 am
Thanks for this! As a 2-nd generation Polish-American (on both sides) from the Boston area, can I give a shout out to one of the most famous Polish ex-pats? Not an American, but really, really important: Marie Slodowska Curie, the discoverer of radium and winner of the Nobel Prize.
posted by Cathy on 10-30-2008 at 9:32 am
cole scego, a designer from the midwest is polish, i recently saw him at the pecha kucha night in kansas city where his presentation was things that make we wanna stab someone, he’s an interesting character. a bit out of context here but oh well it was interesting…. watch out bluetooth earpiece wearers, he wants to stab you
posted by virginia on 10-30-2008 at 9:40 am
Yay Poles! My mother’s father was born in Poland and came to the U.S. through Ellis Island.
Our family does not practice too many Polish customs, but the one that has stuck is passing around the oplatek (we say “plot-key”) before Christmas dinner and wishing each other peace and Merry Christmas. This ritual is near and dear to our hearts.
Thank you so much, Matt, for writing this post, teaching me more about my ancestry, and making me smile!
posted by Cherylita on 10-30-2008 at 9:52 am
Hurrah! Thanks for the article, Matt. Last year was my husband’s first Wigilia with my family and he’s excited about this year’s. (Well, except the pickled herring. He slips that on my plate when no one’s looking.)
One tradition you forgot to mention is that you must have straw, wrapped in a napkin on the Christmas table. All the dishes have to touch the straw before you can serve them. I’ve always been told it has to do with honoring the manger before you eat, a little ritualistic prayer.
And Kelly J, we always count the empty chair as one of the places if need be. If we have an odd number of people, then it counts as a person, if even, we don’t. Probably not true to the SPIRIT of the tradition (ensuring no one is lonely on Christmas eve) but works to the letter. :-)
posted by terri on 10-30-2008 at 10:00 am
I think both flags variants are acceptable
posted by Dave B on 10-30-2008 at 10:41 am
Half Polish
There is a large number of Polish in south Texas, around San Antonio, i have learned it is not safe to marry another Polish person in the area because you are probably related in some way,apparently everyone in the region came from two families that settled down here together
i have meet about 10 cousins in the last 4 years
I am involved in a German/Polish folk dance group and am happy to say we have never done the Chicken Dance
posted by lindsey on 10-30-2008 at 10:57 am
I agree with Kelly, this would be a fun series. Cool article–thanks for giving polka credit where credit is due. Go Czechs!
And Taryn, that is why we read MentalFloss. Just think, you could have gone your whole life not knowing that (unless you said it to the wrong Pole, I suppose!) On a related note, if you’re calling people whose ancestors came from Czechoslovakia/Bohemia, “Bohunks”, you should probably stop. :)
posted by kate on 10-30-2008 at 11:12 am
Don’t forget Stanley Kowalski.
posted by Flibber T. Gibbet on 10-30-2008 at 11:46 am
@nutmeag: Tulsa, OK claims to be the home of the chicken dance. Ask a real Tulsan for the full story, but I heard it like this. They have an Oktoberfest every year, and they often bring over German bands to play. The story goes that some band in the 80s brought over the latest craze, the duck dance.
(Think about it: the “quack quack” hand movements and the sort of waddling movement? Totally a duck, not a chicken!)
The problem was that they couldn’t find a duck costume to rent anywhere in Tulsa. One of the local radio stations had a chicken costume, though, and a phenomenon was born.
posted by Rachel on 10-30-2008 at 1:49 pm
I’ve never found Polak to be offensive.
posted by rutkowskilives on 10-30-2008 at 1:59 pm
Apparently it’s hard to find pierogis outside of NEPA (Unless your in a highly Polish populated area I suppose). I have a friend who moved from here (Scranton) down to DC and said she has a hard time even FINDING them.
I myself am not Polish, but do love perogis. Especially fried with sour cream. Yum. :)
posted by Amanda on 10-30-2008 at 2:02 pm
Sufjan Stevens has a song called “Casimir Pulaski Day”, and now I understand why…
posted by Megan on 10-30-2008 at 2:18 pm
12 meatless courses on Christmas Eve? I’m a vegetarian, and so many Holiday dinners seem to be centered around meat, so it’s always nice to hear about one where the opposite is true.
I will have to find out more about the traditional dishes served for that feast.
I do love pierogis, but naturally not kielbasa — I wonder if anyone has come up with a “faux” version of it though?
posted by Nerak on 10-30-2008 at 3:00 pm
Mostly German, but I agree with the great foods in PA. I am in very PA Dutch (German) country but I have travelled for work up through the coal country and you find the best food up there too.
posted by bucsfan on 10-30-2008 at 3:00 pm
Oh, I guess “fish” is not considered “meat” in this case. :(
Oh well… guess I should have looked it up before posting that.
My dad was raised Catholic too, so I should have known better — eg: No meat on Friday but fish is allowed.
posted by Nerak on 10-30-2008 at 3:07 pm
Ahhh it’s good to be Polish, I love this list!
But as fantastic as Wigilia is, I managed to miss out on meat last christmas – in my christmas day dinner -when relatives decided to serve wigilia dinner leftovers since they didn’t have time to make anything.
posted by K. Borcz on 10-30-2008 at 3:46 pm
I’m half-Polish and proud of it! And I adore pąckzi. My mom (my Polish parent) always makes sure we have pąckzi around for Fat Tuesday. Yum! :D
posted by Kelly on 10-30-2008 at 4:21 pm
Good article, but one omission, and one BIG clarification:
1) How could you forget one of the biggest days in Polish culture: March 19th, AKA St. Joseph’s Day. ALways a good bit of ethnic back and forth between the Irish on St. Paddy’s Day, and the Polish on St. Joe’s Day two days later.
2) As a Scranton native, please don’t lump Scranton into dirty, dirty Luzerne County. Scranton is in LACKAWANNA County, and is also the county seat. People think Springfield vs. Shelbyville in “The Simpsons” is a town rivalry, but thta doesn’t hold a candle to the wicked hatred/competiton of Scranton vs. Wilkes-Barre!!
posted by JoeyJjo-Jo Junior Shabadoo on 10-30-2008 at 4:41 pm
scar-jo has polish descent? i always thought she was 2nd generation danish-american or something?
posted by liz on 10-30-2008 at 6:25 pm
My hubby’s great-grandparents came straight over from Poland, with their daughter (my hubbys grandma). Sadly, the great-grandparents are no longer with us but the grandma and grandpa (aka: Dzia Dzia) are here and both are very much Polish. I love their tradition, their language and, of course, their food!
The grandparents moved here (san diego) from Buffalo, NY.
posted by ErinM on 10-30-2008 at 6:53 pm
Thanks Matt! I am 100% Polish and learned quite a bit from your gathering of information. I, too, love the food and I LOVE to polka! :-)
posted by Chris on 10-30-2008 at 7:07 pm
JoeyJjo-Jo Junior Shabadoo,
You’d think, being from the area, I would not have made that mistake. Brain fart on my part. That’ll get fixed ASAP.
posted by Matt on 10-30-2008 at 7:52 pm
I also just noticed that I linked to a Buddy Rich drum battle and not Gene Krupa. This will not be fixed, because watching Animal at the kit is that good. From that page you should be able to find some Krupa videos, anyway.
posted by Matt Soniak on 10-30-2008 at 7:58 pm
Oh my! I just gained 3lbs just reading your comments! My absolute favorite Christmas course is a cheese blintz, called nalesniki. Made with sweetened farmers cheese stuffed into a sweet crepe and baked with butter. This dish is the real reason Poland has been invaded so many times!
And please remember the man who tamed the ‘green monster’, Mr. Carl ‘Yaz’ Yastrzemski.
posted by BobT on 10-30-2008 at 8:41 pm
Proud to also be representing Wilkes-Barre, PA. My father’s entire side of the family is Polish. Mm-mmm, food.
posted by Michelle on 10-30-2008 at 11:06 pm
Hi!
Nicolas Copernicus and Madam Curie deserve to be mentioned here as well! :)
posted by Elaine DeFelice on 10-31-2008 at 1:14 am
So now it’s so late that probably no one will read this, but are there any good Polish restaurants in Scranton? I live in New York state, but for some reason, it’s substantially cheaper for me to fly out of Scranton when heading west. So, for Christmas, I am. And since my plane leaves at 6:00 am, I’m coming down the night before. I’ve never eaten Polish food, but it sounds like that might be a good place to try it! Suggestions welcome.
posted by kate on 10-31-2008 at 9:50 am
Thanks for the list. I’m 1/2 Polish, as is my wife. Her family did not do Wigilia, but mine does. She and my sister are trying to change things up a bit this year, having no appreciation for history and tradition. While I’ve been part of Wigilia every year of my life I was never told the meaning behind some of the traditions (I’m 37). Now I know and will resist, even more so, their efforts to change the menu!
posted by Kirk on 11-2-2008 at 1:26 am
I love the Polish! I live on North Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago and it’s all Polish, all the time. They know how to party and are always nice. Even though I’m German, they are always nice, now towards the Russians…that’s different story.
posted by Derek on 11-3-2008 at 1:08 pm
What about Polish Jews? My grandfather’s family was from Poland and Jewish. Surely you could mention Judaism in your religious segment.
posted by Betsy on 11-3-2008 at 5:27 pm
I first discovered pierogis in college (Erie, PA), and I heartily thank the Poles for them!
posted by Dawn on 11-4-2008 at 4:45 am
Betsy, Jews living in Poland historically have been denied citizenship in that country. They were subject to numerous pogroms in the country and forced to live in ghettos in the city.
Their ethnicity is Jewish, not Polish. My father’s parents (z”l) always, always, always defined themselves as, “Jews from Poland.” Never “Polish.”
posted by Laini on 11-4-2008 at 6:39 pm
I myself am a Polak having grown up in Hamtramck, MI. My family never found it to be a slur…but then again I suppose we don’t find anything to be a slur. But I must agree that our Christmas Eve dinners are THE BOMB. They aren’t traditional like described, but there is nothing like 50 Poles, about 25 different foods to choose from and a overwhelming flow of blackberry brandy, vodka and beer. Na Zadrowie.
posted by Stacey on 11-5-2008 at 7:03 am
that’s weird about the ethnic slur thing cuz i’m a full pole & everyone in my family calls each other polaks. the food thing is definately true though, polski food is the best ever. end of story. period.
posted by sparkgrl54 on 11-9-2008 at 6:27 pm
Laini,
Actually your statement is quite flawed. Jews enjoyed many privilages granted to them by the Polish (more than most European countries), which is why the jewish population in Poland was so high. They held good jobs, were able to own homes and land, attend schools (quite a privilage in those days). As you know WWII started with Hitlers invasion of Poland and it is then that the jewish ghettos were formed. Many Poles risked their lives to help the jews in the ghettos (their families and even entire villages could be killed for this). My grandmother used to make a weekly trip with their family horse and cart to smuggle in food, clothing and sanitary supplies to the ghettos. Our family “adopted” 3 jewish children (a common practice Poles did to save the jewish kids’ lives) despite the fact that they already had 7 kids to feed during WWII. Priests forged documents to prove to the Germans that the kids were Polish Catholics. Almost every family I knew while I lived in Poland has a similar story. I though it is necessary to correct your post. I’m sure you are aware of these historical facts, with your grandparents having lived in Poland during that time and all. How did they make it through WWII?
posted by Izabela on 11-19-2008 at 12:05 am
I always thought Richie Sambora was Italian. ???
posted by Lisa on 12-5-2008 at 6:10 pm