This month's feature story

FEATURE

by David J. Jackson

Among those who study the Polish American identity, there is much discussion about the concepts of persistence and dissipation. Is the Polish American ethnic identity fading away, lost in a sea of suburbanization and commitment to the American monoculture of consumerism and blandness (if in fact there is such a culture); or are there some elements of Polish American ethnic identity that continue on, even though for many members of the third, fourth, fifth generations and beyond, the Polish language and Polish neighborhoods are long gone? As the vast quantity of research generated concerning these topics demonstrates, this is an important question. Here, I’d like to take a slightly different direction.

There is no doubt that Polish American ethnic identity changes over time. Just think about how differently your great-grandparents, grandparents, parents, and you experienced and think about being Polish American. However, it is important not to focus exclusively on how American culture has changed and continues to change the Polish American experience, but also to think about how Polish Americans change American customs, at least for themselves and for their families.

Holidays are an interesting means of exploring the potential addition of Polish elements to American culture. Some holidays have more of a national character than others. For example, Thanksgiving and, especially, Independence Day in the United States, have very a very different patriotic feeling than Christmas and Easter do. It is well-known the ways in which Polish Americans continue celebrating the latter holidays in uniquely Polish ways, through food, music, and maintaining traditions that originated in Poland. But what about the other, more national and American holidays? Do Polish Americans add Polish elements to their celebrations of Thanksgiving and Independence Day? In addition, do those who identify as Polish-Canadian add Polish elements to their celebrations of Thanksgiving (celebrated on the second Monday in October) and Canada Day (celebrated on July 1)?

To investigate these questions, I surveyed Polish Americans, Polish Canadians, and a handful of respondents who do not ethnically identify in either of these ways. The survey was distributed through Polish ethnicity and polka music Facebook groups between February 15, 2024, and February 28, 2024. So, while not a national random sample of all Polish Americans and Polish-Canadians, it does give us an opportunity to understand how the respondents feel about their ethnicity, including the holidays.

In all, 384 people responded to the survey. However, no question has more than 292 responses due to respondents’ skipping questions and not completing the survey. 58% of respondents identify as female, while 42% identify as male. Fully 48% are 65 years old or older, while 28% are between 55 and 64, and 12% are between 45 and 54. Only 12% are between 18 and 44 years old. Fully 98% of respondents identify as white, and 49% say they were “not born in Poland, neither of my parents were born in Poland, but at least one of my grandparents were born in Poland.” Fully 83% of respondents report that they consider themselves Polish American while 8% report that they are Polish Canadian. Just 9% report that they do not have Polish ancestry.

First, respondents who identify as Polish American were asked if they celebrate Thanksgiving and add any Polish elements to their celebration. There were 189 responses to this question, although a fair number of them indicated there were no Polish or Polish American elements present. Not surprisingly, the overwhelming majority of respondents who said they do, said what they add has something to do with food. Typical responses along these lines come from the female respondent aged 45 to 54 from Maryland who wrote, “We add kapusta/bigos. I make a lovely Polish celeriac-pear salad (sorówka) too. Since Thanksgiving isn’t Polish, we add these things because they go well with the standard American Thanksgiving foods that we also love,” as well as the female respondent who is 35 to 44 years old and from South Dakota who wrote, “Thanksgiving is my brother and my chance to showcase our heritage and we really enjoy making Polish dishes in addition to the turkey. We especially enjoy sharing czarnina with our friends and family at Thanksgiving since it’s such a unique food!” For some, not only is the food an added Polish element, but so also is the material on which the food is served, such as that cited by a female respondent who is 65 or older and from Montana who wrote that she, “Serve(s) using Polish pottery and add(s) some authentic foods.”

Many respondents were keen to point out they do not do anything Polish for Thanksgiving, and most of them just stated that fact. A few, however, suggested that for other holidays it makes sense to add some Polish elements, such as that from a female 65 or over respondent from Pennsylvania who wrote, “Totally different holiday. Christmas and Easter I celebrate in Polish custom. Turkey day, I eat whatever I want.”

Multiple respondents indicated that they said prayers in Polish, and some play Polish music. This indicates an abiding interest in the Polish language, even if it is not something the respondents use on a daily basis.

Some respondents appear to mix in some Wigilia traditions with their Thanksgiving celebrations, such as the male 65 or over respondent from New York who wrote, “Polish food items like kielbasa, kapusta, mushroom soup and bigos can be served alongside typical Thanksgiving dinner fare. While opłatek is generally a Christmas Eve tradition, one can exchange wishes and greetings as well as prayers, before enjoying their meal.”

Next, respondents who identify as Polish American were asked if they celebrate Independence Day by adding any Polish or Polish American elements to that celebration. There were 156 responses to this question, but again many of them had various ways of saying they do not do so. Among substantive answers indicating there are no Polish elements added, a female respondent from Nevada who is 45 to 54 years old wrote, “With my family’s immigration to the United States, their main focus was assimilation. Only the cooking and very little language were passed down generations at all.” As with Thanksgiving, among respondents who do add Polish flair to their 4th of July, much of the addition includes food such as kiełbasa (many were keen to point out, instead of bratwurst). Some respondents suggested they take their celebration away from home and look for Polish festivals, which are plentiful at that time of year. One particular festival was mentioned by a female, 35 to 44 year old respondent from Ohio who wrote, “We attend the Polka Fireworks celebration at Seven Springs Mountain Resort outside of Pittsburgh every July 4th weekend, for the past 30 or so years. 2-3 days of great Polish music, sometimes the resort serves Polish food, there are Polish vendors selling wares and music. It’s an older crowd but in recent years the younger generation in attendance has been growing.”

One male respondent who is 55 to 64 and from Massachusetts, and who was not alone in this, acknowledged the Polish contribution to the United States struggle for independence, writing, “Unfortunately I don’t know enough about my 25% Polish heritage to add Polish elements to my celebration of Independence Day. However, I do know about and admire Tadeusz Kosciuszko and Casimir Pulaski as genuine patriots.” Along similar lines, another respondent who was not alone in this activity and left no demographic information wrote, “I’d wave the Polish flag in addition to the American flag.”

Clearly respondents include more Polish elements in their Thanksgiving celebrations than in their Independence Day celebrations. This is not surprising as Thanksgiving is a food-centric holiday, and food ways are a typical means for those extensively removed from the immigrant generation to hold on to some elements of their ethnic identity. Also, given the patriotic and national character of Independence Day it is not surprising that there are fewer people bringing in non-U.S. elements to those celebrations. But when they do, they tend to be food-oriented, or point to the Polish contribution to American independence.

Only 58 respondents who identify as Polish-Canadian answered a similar question about Canadian Thanksgiving, with many indicating nothing Polish was added to the celebrations. One female respondent 65 or over from Connecticut wrote, “Since I have dual citizenship, so consider myself Polish-Canadian and Polish American since I grew up in Canada and now live in the United States, I never considered Thanksgiving in Canada much of a holiday. My mother only started cooking turkey in Canada when I was an adult.” Among those who do add something Polish, again the focus was on food, along with some borrowing of Wigilia traditions, such as setting an extra place at the table for a stranger.

There were only 51 responses to the question of whether Polish-Canadians add anything Polish to Canada Day celebrations, including many who made it clear that they do not do so. One male 35 to 44 year old respondent from Ontario explained his reasons for separating his Polish identity from Canada Day thusly, “The flags share the same colours but we try not to mix the two. Canada day is a day for Canada, so we stick to Canadian stolica for that day. We try to make a point of celebrating November 11 every year as Polish Independence Day and Remembrance Day. My ancestors fought and died during wars, and some were even murdered during them so November 11 is a poignant and important day for me.” Interestingly, almost no respondents mentioned adding Polish food to their Canada Day celebrations.

We should be very circumspect in the conclusions drawn from one sample of Polish Americans and Polish-Canadians. However, some things are pretty clear. First, among the Polish American respondents, Polish elements are added to Thanksgiving and Independence Day celebrations, and these mostly include adding Polish foods. However, other elements are added as well, including Polish prayers, Polish music, and Wigilia customs. Independence Day celebrations tend also to include the addition of Polish food, but more than a few respondents include acknowledgments of Polish contributions to the American war for independence. Some attend Polish and polka festivals held around that time. Perhaps due to the smaller sample size, Polish-Canadians do not report adding many Polish elements to their Thanksgiving celebrations, but some do include food. As to Canada Day celebrations, adding Polish elements did not seem very common at all.

While the experience of immigration changes the language, customs, and traditions of the immigrants, it is worth pointing out that this is not just a one-way street. The evidence presented here suggests that some Polish Americans and Polish-Canadians do not just accept the Thanksgiving and national holiday traditions of their adopted homelands – or, in most cases, the homelands their ancestors adopted — but sometimes amend those traditions a little to include Polish elements, especially food ways. This interaction among traditions calls into question the entire concept of authenticity — but that’s a discussion for another day.

David J. Jackson is Professor of Political Science at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. His major research interest is the interactive relationship between politics and culture. He is the author of the book Entertainment and Politics: The Influence of Pop Culture on Young Adult Political Socialization, 2nd Revised Edition (Peter Lang Publishing, 2009), as well as scholarly articles in such journals as Political Research Quarterly, Polish American Studies, International Journal of Press/Politics, and Journal of Political Marketing. In 2007-2008 he was a Fulbright Fellow at the University of Łódź. His book Classrooms and Barrooms: An American in Poland, was published in 2009.

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