Polish Immigration

                  It has always been said that America is land of opportunity, where everyone is free.  Many of our ancestors immigrated from other countries to find a better life in the United States.   The Polish had two significant waves of people who came to the new world.  The majority of Polish immigrants came in between the 1800’s and World War II. The Poles were one of the groups that came to America for a better opportunity and escape religious and political persecution.

                        The first major wave of Poles traveling to America totaled in at 2,000 people.   In the early 1800’s the vast majority of this number were among the middle and lower class.  They typically held positions such as nobles and intellectuals.   The reason these people wanted to come to the US was to escape political revolts.  (Polish Immigration into America)

                        The second boat of immigrants came in after WWII.   The majority of these people were farmers who had lost there land and had nothing else.   They came in search for a better life for them and their families. 

This second wave was the biggest of the waves of immigration for the Poles.  About 2.5 million Polish civilians came to Ellis island for a better life and to escape religious persecution.  Some Poles wanted to make money in the US and send it back to their home land.  Others wanted to start fresh in America and make it their home. 

These immigrants either went through Castle Island or Ellis Island.   Here there were many inspection processes.  Doctors checked each individual for disease that could infect the American people.  Only 2 percent of Poles got shipped back home. 

After going through procedure at Ellis or Castle Island, Poles were thrown into a new world and a new life.  Most of them stuck together and lived in a community.  They had very close ties with their religion and established small Roman Catholic churches.   The Polish finally assimilated into the typical American life.

 

 

 

Polish Immigration into America.  Reisner, Lenny. http://nhs.needham.k12.ma.us/cur/kane98/kane_p3_immig/Poland/Polish.html

(I will find out more on my families story from my Grandmother over the holiday) =D