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1

Ekonomiczne uwarunkowania integracji Polonii z amerykańskim społeczeństwem

100%

Taras P.

Studia Polonijne

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1983

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vol. 6

101-127

EN

The development of human culture can be well observed when two national cultures are in contact, interaction and free exchange of cultural values, goods, experiences and talents. Emigration and ethnic groups are of importance here as long as they preserve their; cultural identity - produce the common good and the system of social interaction. Having their own culture they participate in creating the culture of the whole society. The article presents the role of the in-group and out-group integration of Polonia. Hard life conditions of early Polish immigrants and the lack of their mutual material support highly precipitated the process of assimilation of unorganized individuals. The first integration of Polonia into the American society concerned the economic level (participation in trade unions). The economic factor, namely, the insurance of the fraternal organizations (Polish Roman Catholic Union, Polish Alliance) laid the foundations of social life and preservation of cultural identity. The lack of social funds, however, makes the development of ethnic culture impossible and shows how weak the social life of Polonia is.

2

Rola dziedzictwa i wspólnej historii w kształtowaniu tożsamości kulturowej Polonii

100%

Taras P.

Studia Polonijne

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1984

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vol. 8

47-82

EN

W kulturze każdego narodu (społeczności etnicznej) można wyróżnić trzy grupy czynników, desygnatów tożsamości, poprzez które identyfikują się z sobą jego członkowie: 1) dziedzictwo i wspólną historię; 2) wspólne działania społeczne (ideologie, organizacje, instytucje); 3) symbole, sztukę, literaturę. Wszystkie czynniki tożsamości kulturowej mogą się wzajemnie wspierać i łączyć tworząc odpowiednie systemy kulturowe, ale niektóre mogą też istnieć niezależnie od innych. Może nie być własnej prasy, organizacji ani instytucji (parafii, szkół), ale mogą być zachowywane zwyczaje, tradycje, wierzenia, wzory zachowań, dzięki którym będzie się utrzymywała w jakimś stopniu własna, odrębna tożsamość kulturowa danej zbiorowości osób. Sformalizowane działania wspólne, będąc ściślej powiązane z tworzeniem i wykorzystaniem dobra wspólnego, mają większą siłę oddziaływania społecznego, poprzez dobro wspólne bardziej wiążą jednostkę z grupą społeczną, wyrabiają postawę zaangażowania, natomiast desygnaty dziedzictwa, będąc mniej społecznie zobowiązujące, niezależne od społecznych układów, są bardziej „prywatne” i z tej racji mogą być bardziej trwałe, bardziej odporne na presje społeczne i na asymilację. Zasługują zatem na szczególną uwagę.

3

Problem kulturowej tożsamości

100%

Taras P.

Studia Polonijne

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1984

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vol. 8

21-32

EN

The problem of cultural identity of ethnic communities has been recently rising up on all continents. It has been noticed in the United States that there is a group of uprooted people having neither cultural heritage nor cultural identity. What does cultural identity of an ethnic group or community consist in? Culture constitutes the quality of human needs (both intellectual and material), the ways of satisfying them, behavioral patterns, systems of social activities, and the supply of goods and inherited values (both acquired and created) in the situation of social perception. Moreover, culture is of social character and never constitutes a monolith. It consists of a number of elements which are either common or else characteristic of a given ethnic community designating its identity. Identity can be viewed upon either as an action or as a state. While considered as the action, identity consists in acquiring the goods and values, making use of them and co-creating them. Therefore, T. Parsons treats identity as the main mechanism of socialization and internalization of culture. While considered as the state, identity consists in sharing the same features, goods and values or belonging to the same system of social action. It is defined then by the social status of an individual in a given community (society). From the structural and subjective point of view there are four groups of factors which designate identity and identify all members of a given nation (ethnic community): 1) background, common history;2) tradition, customs, behavioral patterns;3) common social activities, organizations, institutions, ideology;4) symbols, language, art, literature. An individual identifies himself with his society as long as he is able to satisfy his needs. The greater the common good is, the more he is connected and satisfied with his society. Cultural identity depends on quality and quantity of identifying designates. If the designates are important identification is strong, and conversly, if the designates are unimportant (eg. some customs or a hobby easy to give up) identification is weak. Besides, an individual may belong to many social groups and participate in the life of many communities. Thus, his identification may have a number of stages though sometimes with slight differences between them. All the designates of cultural identity may differ only slightly and are typical only of a given community. They lie in the consciousness of its members and help them identify themselves as „we”. It is principal for the problem of socio-cultural identity of ethnic groups to accept the theory of gradation and minimal differences between designates. Similarly, personal identity consists of minimal physiological and psychic differences which help to distinguish different persons. Analogically, socio-cultural identity is based on some even minimal features which make a group of people feel identity and create their own culture through their way of living, behavioral patterns, created goods and values.

4

Problemy duszpasterstwa polonijnego na przykładzie sytuacji w USA

100%

Taras P.

Studia Polonijne

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1977

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vol. 2

181-205

EN

The Polish emigration into America couting over 3 mlns, in course of time created an 8-mln US population, called Folonia. From the very beginning there arised certain pastoral difficulties. They were caused by: 1° - a lack of Polish priests.2° - conflicts arising between Polish Catholic priests and the Catholic hierarchy tending to a speedy assimilation of Poles.3° - unsatisfactory understanding of a proper place and role for Poles in American society’s culture which has many connections with the process of building and decaying of the Polish colonies.

5

Problem kulturowej tożsamości i etnicznego getta

100%

Taras P.

Studia Polonijne

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1981

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vol. 4

127-157

EN

There exists personal and group (national) identity, which is a separateness having its own value which is reflected in the social interaction and in the culture of a given individual and society. Culture denotes the quality of possessed needs and the ways of their satisfying as well as the resources of values (serving to satisfy those needs) acquired or produced owing to the possessed skills, in the context of the social life. In the USA the dimentions of the pathological phenomenon, which is a certain cathegory of uprooted persons, depraved of group and cultural identity, have been shown. Similar to the great value of personal identity in the social interaction, national identity also has its undeniable value in the international interaction, as far as the general development of human culture is concerned. The United States are an interesting example for a sociological analysis in this matter. The present article presents the problem of the coexistence of the Polish ethnic group with the rest of the society, the problem of maintaining its cultural identity and integration with the whole society of the USA. The problem consists in maintaining the proper proportions between losing their own cultural identity and creating a ghetto. Retaining a ghetto is often imputed to the Polish communities. The article shows that insinuations of this kind are untrue and harmful for keeping their cultural identity. Poles, who started to settle in great quantities in Detroit after 1857, after breaking the language barrier, strove for a full integration in all the fields with the whole society However, they met with religious discrimination (this is expressed by bishop C. Borgess's attitude towards the Polish priests: Rev. Wieczorek and Rev. Kolasiński), economic discrimination (in the times of crises Poles were dismissed in the first place) and political discrimination (they were not admited to the Civil Service). This discrimination did not allow the Polish community to properly join the social mechanisms ruling the American society. This did not, however, deprave the Poles of their own identity, although close housing estates disappeared and many Poles changed their names. The problem of the place for the Polish community in the USA society is still current and can only be solved by the community itself.

6

Parafia polonijna jako instytucja duszpasterska i problemy wynikające z jej struktury i funkcji

100%

Taras P.

Studia Polonijne

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1979

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vol. 3

79-85

EN

The parish constitutes the basic social unit of religious life, being the place where the mystery of Christ, the God and Man is fulfilled in the commonwealth of people led by their pastor. The notion of parish includes sociological elements: the people as a social group, the church and its ideology as the group centre, the pastor as a leader and representative of power, certain activities common for the group, institutions and organizations. In each of these aspects, however, there is something of religious character, a mystery that cannot be expressed solely in sociological terms: the faith of the people, the „sacrum” (the word of God and Sanctissimum), the pastor as the vicar of God and the „sacred” activities. Thus, the parish cannot be included in some social system and indiscriminately analyzed by means of some sociological theory of social group. It also is impossible to consider its problems entirely from the purely formal viewpoint of theology or canon law. This attitude seems to be proved by the very existence of ethnic parishes. Under certain circumstances the links with the own society or factors of native culture may be prized rather than religious dogma and regulations of canon law. Poles have set up nearly 2000 parishes outside their own country and this fact must have influenced the development of religious culture of various nations. It would be worth while to undertake sociological studies' of this problem with particular stress being laid on the structural and functional analysis of the parishes. This means correlation of religious and economic structures to socio-ethnic structures with subsequent analyses of religious and non-religious functions of these parishes in Polish ethnic environment as well as of the role of the environment in maintaining these institutions.

7

Renata Siemieńska, Siła tradycji i siła interesów. O źródłach Białego ruchu etnicznego w Stanach Zjednoczonych

88%

Taras P.

Studia Polonijne

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1979

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vol. 3

423-431

8

Szkoła polonijna jako czynnik kulturowej tożsamości w systemie działania społeczności polonijnej w Stanach Zjednoczonych

63%

Kościelska R., Taras P.

Studia Polonijne

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1983

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vol. 7

51-125

EN

The first period of Polonian life in the United States (to 1920) - a period of building systems of social action - was characterized by the constant arrival of new immigrants (2,5 million persons) and the partial return to their native land (about 25%). Because of this, lively ties were retained with their mother country. In the new country the arrivals obtained a livelihood and personal freedom. However, since they were exploited, they had to care about themselves and the fate of their children, who were to remain „in their place” until the moment of assimilation with White Anglo-Saxon Protestants (L. H. Carlson, C. A. Colburn. In Their Place. White America Defines her Minorities, 1850-1950). The principal group of reference for the settlements they formed was their „own” in the old country, the Polish nation. They created their own organizations and institutions which were welded together through their own communications system, the Polish language. Poles distinguished themselves from among all ethnic groups by concern for their children’s education. By 1920 they established 530 grade schools and 11 high schools. These mirrored their life. Every parochial school experienced its evolution along with that of the parish. In its first years it was poor and, just as the entire parish, struggled with many difficulties (modernization of facilities, concern for assistance and teaching personnel). W. Drake (The American School in Transition) indicates that half of the public schools in the nineteenth century struggled with similar difficulties. Concern for the quality of its schools permeated Polonian centres. “Undoubtedly, we must accept the unceasing complaints about deficiencies of our parochial schools as a positive sign”, wrote W. Rylski (in Sprawa polska w Ameryce) [...] “and we do not look on with folded hands at the strangers who are so obviously ready to take away our children and model them after their own pattern”. Usually after a few years, with the growth of the parish, the Polonian school became one of the better learning institutions in the United States. An important role in this respect was performed by nuns, especially the Felician Sisters. Being an institution of local social action, the school accomplished a suitable role: it taught the Polish language and culture. It cared for the formation of good parish members. It also taught the American language and culture, integrating the young generations of Polish immigrants with American society. The interwar period was decidedly significant for Polonian life; it crystallized its system of social action and -the character of its educational system. At that time about 70,000 persons in Detroit (about 1,5 milion persons in the United States) were second and third generation Polish immigrants. Knowing the English language (some better, some worse), ties with their countrymen were no longer a necessity. Their social attitude conformed with general rules: people organize themselves in order to attain specific values and goods which will aid in satisfying their material or spiritual needs. They will, therefore, belong to Polonian organizations and institutions as long as these will fulfill this kind of role. And this will depend on understanding the social mechanisms of advancement and creation of a common good (community funds). To achieve this purpose, cooperative taxation (among other means) is necessary. Parishes did this (through an envelope system) but after unsuccessful attempts to attain autonomy they entered into the diocesan social action system of the Catholic Church, which in no way cared about cultural identity or Polonian interests. The Polish National Alliance did this by taxing its members (5 cents per month) for the Polish people. Unfortunately, nothing was done for the purpose of creating a common fund for Polonia. And, it must be emphasized that the chances of accomplishing this were there. In the 1920’s the Polonian community had a sufficiently developed organizational network. There existed 1105 organized local groups in which 833 parishes functioned. At the time, these cultivated Polish religious culture. 572 elementary schools, 73 high schools, 6 colleges, 3 teachers’ colleges, and 4 seminaries taught Polish culture and language to about 300,000 children and young adults. A system of social communication functioned: nearly all knew the Polish language, about 100 periodicals were published (including 20 dailies) with a combined circulation of 1,329,000 copies. Besides this, hundreds of other institutions existed: „Dom Polski’s”, libraries, nursing homes, orphanages, hospitals, etc. There were about 12,000 local associations, cultural groups of all kinds, fraternities and clubs, as well as 25 supralzocal organizations. Hundreds of millions of dollars were invested in building community life. In Detroit, for example, the property of 13 parishes was valued at $ 3,675,000. The value of other Polonian real estate was $ 2,416,000. There was a need to encompass all organizations and institutions through a mutual center for the collective disposition and maintenance of a suitable community fund. Unfortunately, there arose a series of circumstances which impeded mutual identification and formation of a common system of social action for 'the entire Polonia: Formation of the independent Polish state undermined one of the principles •which motivated Polonia’s organizations. And an improper attitude toward Polonia resulted in the Polish nation’s loss of its position as a group-of reference. Notable here was the bad treatment of Haller’s and Paderewski’s followers, dishonesty and disarray of the national administration, carry-over of party quarrels into Polonia’s political life, the loss of great sums of money invested in Polish business enterprises, and constant beggary.2. Ideological disruption and quarrels in Polonian settements.3. Departure of its own intelligentsia.4. Suspension of immigration and the American Establishment’s pressure for assimilation.5. The economic crisis of the 1930’s destroyed Polonia’s economic achievements, set back the formation of a common good and intensified the assimilation process. Existing Polonian enterprises, banks, property, and savings were literally decimated. Wide masses of Poles, discriminated against and first to be deprived of work, fell into great poverty. The reason for this state was attributed to their attitude toward retaining their Polish cultural * identity and they were branded with the epithet of “ghetto”. A mass reversal from this identity began in the direction of assimilation. Organizations and Polonian periodicals declined, the English language was introduced into churches, more and more persons changed their Polish names, traces of Polish descent and Polish culture began to be erased. All this was also reflected in Polonia’s educational system. Improved parochial schools entered into the orbit of the diocesan system. Polish suhjects and language began to be. eliminated (and this also met with support of parents). The number of Polonian children decreased from 60% in 1920 to 40% in 1940. Parochial schools were ceasing the role to which they hat been called: formation of ethnic cultural identity. This shows the dependance of schools on the existing social system. “Little schools” of Polish culture and language developed after World War I. In the early 1930’s there were nearly 300 of them, including 184 in the Polish National Alliance. About 22,000 children attended them. Because the number of Polonian youth in public schools and universities increased significanty at this time, teaching of the Polish language was begun there and Polish courses and departments were established (in over 30 high schools and several colleges and universities). This was a significant process of language change in Polonian centers. Whereas before World War I the Polish language was in daily use while the community elite knew English, now the English language entered daily use While Polish was becoming the second language of the Polonian elite. The question -arises: how long will this pattern exist in United States Polonia? Further disintegration of Polonian systems of social action followed World War II. This was mainly caused by population movement. New immigrants and colored populations poured in to the great urban centers. The enriched families of former inhabitants left. .This applied also to Polonian settlements. Of a 350,000 Polonia in Detroit (1940) about 100,000 remained (1970). Of 27 flourishing parishes possessing their own schools (including 11 high schools)f 15 liquidated their schools and almost entirely. (One parish was completely liquidated; the church was demolished in 1981.) Sisters demanded remunerations equal to that of teachers in public schools, which parish budgets were unable to meet. About 300 parochial schools still remained in all the States; the majority lost their Polonian character entirely (the Polish language was taught in 42); all children who apply are accepted, with no regard for their ancestry. About 200 ’’little schools” of the Polish language remain with 3500 students. About 2,000 students are enrolled in Polish courses at 60 colleges and universities. In the 1970’s in an ethnic movement atmosphere, many parochial schools attempted to introduce study of the Polish language. This was a fiasco after a brief enthusiasm. It would seem that the Polish language should be introduced in only one class (the third, far example) and then a separate class (set in the school’s schedule of studies) should be formed far those children with an aptitude for the language. This would have great significance for the foundation of a Polish elite in Polonia. In order to maintain Polonia’s cultural identity it would also be necessary to teach children and young adults the history of Polonia and the Polonian literature which originates in the United States. In spite of everything which was preached for years-that Americans of Polish descent did not want to be educated-the young generation of the 1970’s attained one of the best educational positions in American society. However, this did not give them the same social positions that White Anglo-Saxon Protestants, Jews, or organized Blacks occupy. It becomes evident that it is not enough to have an education in American society; one must also have ’’backing” and belong to a proper system of social action which cares for its members.

9

Polonia paragwajska

63%

Taras P., Brączek A.

Studia Polonijne

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1976

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vol. 1

243-254

PL

Powiedzenie, iż „nie ma na świecie kraju, gdzie nie byłoby Polaków”, nie jest dalekie od prawdy. Różnorakie przyczyny sprawiły, iż nasi rodacy są na wszystkich kontynentach i we wszystkich zakątkach świata. Jednym emigracja przyniosła względnie szybki awans ekonomiczny i społeczny, dla innych stanowiła twardą drogę życia. Rację, jakie skłaniają nas do szukania łączności z wielkimi skupiskami polonijnymi, nie dają podstaw do zapominania o innych - małych - polskich społecznościach. Takim niewielkim skupiskiem, żyjącym w trudnych Warunkach, jest Polonia paragwajska.

10

K. Symonolewicz Symmons, Ze studiów nad Polonią amerykańską

50%

Taras P.

Studia Polonijne

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1983

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vol. 6

374-397

11

Theresita Polzin, The Polish Americans - Whence and Whither

50%

Taras P.

Studia Polonijne

|

1976

|

vol. 1

291-313

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11 Studia Polonijne

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Ekonomiczne uwarunkowania integracji Polonii z amerykańskim społeczeństwem

Rola dziedzictwa i wspólnej historii w kształtowaniu tożsamości kulturowej Polonii

Problem kulturowej tożsamości

Problemy duszpasterstwa polonijnego na przykładzie sytuacji w USA

Problem kulturowej tożsamości i etnicznego getta

Parafia polonijna jako instytucja duszpasterska i problemy wynikające z jej struktury i funkcji

Renata Siemieńska, Siła tradycji i siła interesów. O źródłach Białego ruchu etnicznego w Stanach Zjednoczonych

Szkoła polonijna jako czynnik kulturowej tożsamości w systemie działania społeczności polonijnej w Stanach Zjednoczonych

Polonia paragwajska

K. Symonolewicz Symmons, Ze studiów nad Polonią amerykańską

Theresita Polzin, The Polish Americans - Whence and Whither