Polish American Voices

A Documentary History, 1608–2020

Author: Anna D. Jaroszyńska-Kirchmann and James S. Pula Series: Routledge Advances in American History

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This volume presents over 140 primary source documents of Polish immigrants from different waves and backgrounds speaking about their lives, concerns, and viewpoints in their own voices, while they grapple with issues of identity and strive to make sense of their lives in the context of migration.

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Summary

Description

This volume presents 145 primary source documents of Polish immigrants from different waves and backgrounds speaking about their lives, concerns, and viewpoints in their own voices, while they grapple with issues of identity and strive to make sense of their lives in the context of migration.

Poles have come to America since the Jamestown settlement in 1608 and constituted one of the largest immigrant groups at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. As of 2020, the Census Bureau lists them as the sixth largest ethnic group in the country. The history of their experience is an integral part of the American story as well as that of the broader Polish diaspora. Each of the ten comprehensive chapters presents a specific theme illuminated by a selection of letters, press articles, fragments of memoirs and autobiographical fiction, interviews, organizational papers, and other publications, as well as visual sources such as cartoons, posters, and photographs. Brief introductions to the documents and a "Further Reading" section offer historical context and point readers to additional resources.

The book provides students and scholars with a broad understanding and an incentive for future study of the Polish experience in the United States.

About the Author

Anna D. Jaroszyńska-Kirchmann is Distinguished Professor of History and Connecticut State University Professor, Emerita, in the Department of History, Eastern Connecticut State University. She has published on various aspects of the Polish American history and is past president of the Polish American Historical Association.

James S. Pula is Professor of History Emeritus at Purdue University. He is the past editor of Polish American Studies and author/editor of over 20 books and 50 articles. His recognitions include the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland.