Just as with many other cultures that make up America, the Polish people have contributed in numerous ways through the centuries. These robust and hard working people came to America as craftsmen, farmers, and scholars, and they are still coming to the New World. In fact, the very first Poles could be found at Jamestown at the very beginnings of the nation’s history.

At the beginning, Poles among the first colonists were essential for their skills, such as glass making and woodworking. Later, others would come and bring their families to escape the never ending wars in Europe and to set down roots in the New World. Land was often their dream, and many hard working farmer found free land to plow, and a new country to fight for. In the Revolutionary War, these Poles fought and sometimes died for this freedom. Two of the best known are the Polish generals, Kazimierz Pulaski and Thaddeua Kosciuszko.

For the next one hundred years, more Polish people arrived, escaping from the homeland which was not free, and from persecution and war. These hard working and skilled farmers became pioneers, settling in remote areas and turning the wilderness into farmland. In some cases, they even started their own settlements such as Panna Maria, Texas, a colonization that was led by Father Loepold Moczygemba in 1864.

In the late 19th and early 20th century, Ellis Island saw many Polish families, as they arrived in the New World. Many were poor, as well as unschooled. And sterotypes developed, leading to hurtful jokes that still remain. As with all of the sterotypes of all the various nationalities that arrived in America, these were unfounded. Immigrants attempted to blend in as quickly as possible, and even altered or completely changed their names to avoid detection.

Today, the Polish culture is celebrated. Polish communities hold festivals that everyone enjoys, and serves food such as the popular Polish Kielbasa, and the familiar doughnut treat known as paczkis. Thanks to a new awareness of their culture and their contributions to America, family names are no longer changed, and there is a renewed interest in Polish traditions, dance, and customs that the entire country can enjoy.

As with every other nationality that immigrated to the United States, over the years the contributions and culture of the Polish people have become a part of American life, and are all a part of the patchwork fabric that is America.