History of Polish- Americans

The Story of two Polish  immigrant farm families who built a successful life for themselves and their families starting with only 40 acres of tree stumps. Published  in a chapter of Polish Heritage: The Story of a Proud Community in Western Massachusetts

Negatywny stereotyp Polaków i Amerykanów polskiego pochodzenia
zdominował amerykańskie produkcje filmowe od lat 50. aż po lata 90. XX wieku. Czy scenarzyści amerykańskich seriali telewizyjnych równie chętnie kreślą zabarwione stereotypowo postaci Amerykanów polskiego pochodzenia, ukazując potomków Polaków w Stanach Zjednoczonych jako zdegenerowanych wieśniaków, agresywnych pijaczków i, owszem, urodziwych, ale także mało inteligentnych robotników czy też coraz częściej odchodzi się od przedstawiania polsko-amerykańskiej grupy etnicznej jako prymitywnych podludzi? Odpowiadając na powyższe
pytanie autorka stara się ukazać, jaki obraz Amerykanek polskiego
pochodzenia wyłania się z amerykańskich seriali komediowych
na przykładzie Dwóch spłukanych dziewczyn i Rozpalić Cleveland, które zostały wyprodukowane na początku XXI wieku w Stanach Zjednoczonych.

In American ethnic literature, food — apart from fulfilling a biological function — also has a cultural role. Cookery, which includes all activities related to preparing a meal, serving or consuming it, but also simply treating food as nourishment, is an expression of cultural belonging
and attachment to a particular ethnic group. A kind of culinary nostalgia is also observable in the prose of Leslie Pietrzyk and Anthony Bukoski, contemporary American writers with Polish roots.
The foods shown in the debut novel by Pietrzyk and selected stories by Bukoski serve as indicators of ethnicity, specific emotional bridges, thanks to which the characters can be transported to the times of their childhood, thus being defined anew and achieving a sense of rootedness
in a strange for them American land.

Polish people’s knowledge about the Polish diaspora in the United States is shaped by the messages of mass media. This knowledge is limited and incomplete. Access to academic texts for those who could be interested in the Polish diaspora in the United States is relatively limited, while the press usually discusses topics related to the diaspora only on the margin of important events, especially parliamentary and presidential elections in Poland, other events of political, sport, cultural character or celebrations marking historic anniversaries. But the community in question is not accurately represented by newspapers or films. First and foremost, the diaspora is very diverse, both culturally and materially, in terms of their education and attitude to American culture, while its political attitudes are not those with which a reader of Polish press and the audience of Polish TV channels and radio stations are familiar with. This book aims to analyse the activity of the Polish diaspora in the United States in terms of its politicality, including the conditions of such activity shaped by non political factors that affect political attitudes.
The book you hold is a result of a decade of research on the Polish diaspora in the United States carried out both in Poland and in the United States. As a part of this project, library research was carried out in the United States, including but not limited to the library of the Polish Museum of America in Chicago. The analyses and conclusions that followed are juxtaposed with direct observations considered by the present author to be one of the most important methods of academic research.

SOLIDARITY
Lisa Stein. Evanston-based writer Lisa Stein writes frequently about the arts for the CHICAGO TRIBUNE 1999

Essay about Polish American contemporary artists living in Chicago:
Ed Paschke, Miroslaw Rogala, Gosia Koscielak, Jerzy Kenar, Jan Brud, Grazyna Lippert-Zajaczkowska, Marion Kryczka



https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-08-22-9908220375-story.html

Alice Mikus and her younger sister Irene both displayed musical talents very early in life. Their hard-working Polish immigrant parents encouraged their interest in music and even saved enough money to provide them with formal lessons. While both daughters continue in music for the rest of their lives, Alice became a much sought after classical performer in the Greater Springfield area even before she married Dr. Stanley S. Stusick. Her solo career was only briefly interrupted by the birth of her two daughters Veleda and Mary-Alice. In fact, her eldest child Veleda was encouraged to play the harp even at two years old. By the time Alice's two daughters reached high school, the three Stusick had already been successfully performing as a trio at local events and venues.

Alice Mikus and her younger sister Irene both displayed musical talents very early in life. Their hard-working Polish immigrant parents encouraged their interest in music and even saved enough money to provide them with formal lessons. While both daughters continue in music for the rest of their lives, Alice became a much sought after classical performer in the Greater Springfield area even before she married Dr. Stanley S. Stusick. Her solo career was only briefly interrupted by the birth of her two daughters Veleda and Mary-Alice. In fact, her eldest child Veleda was encouraged to play the harp even at two years old. By the time Alice's two daughters reached high school, the three Stusick had already been successfully performing as a trio at local events and venues.