Poles in New York — history, organizations, Polish community life

Introduction

The Polish community in New York is one of the oldest and largest in the USA — it is estimated that there are 200,000 people of Polish descent in the city, with an equal number in the metropolitan area (NJ, CT, NY suburbs). Since the 19th century, Poles have built churches, organizations, newspapers, and businesses here.

Brief history

• 1880-1920: The first major wave — economic emigration; Greenpoint (Brooklyn) and Lower East Side
• 1920-1939: Stabilization, construction of churches, Polish schools
• 1945-1965: The second wave — war refugees, "Displaced Persons"
• 1980-1989: The third wave — Solidarity emigration
• 1990-2010: The fourth wave — economic
• 2010-present: Decreased immigration after Poland joined the EU

Polish parishes

• St. Stanislaus Kostka (Greenpoint) — 1896; an icon of the Polish community; cult of Fr. Popiełuszko
• St. Stanislaus Bishop (Maspeth)
• Our Lady of Czestochowa (Maspeth)
• Holy Cross (Maspeth) — parish school
• Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Ridgewood)
• St. Mark (Manhattan East Village)
• Plus dozens in NJ (Wallington, Linden, Garfield)

Polish organizations

• Polish American Congress (PAC) — the largest umbrella organization
• Polish & Slavic Federal Credit Union — bank (300k+ members)
• Polish Cultural Foundation (Clark, NJ)
• PIASA — Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences
• Pulaski Association of Business and Professional Men
• Polish American Folk Dance Company

Pulaski Parade

• When: first Sunday in October
• Where: 5th Avenue, Manhattan (36th-52nd Street)
• History: Since 1937; honors Gen. Kazimierz Pulaski
• Hundreds of thousands of participants; schools, scouting, bands, veterans

Polish media

• Nowy Dziennik (dziennik.com) — newspaper since 1971
• Radio RAMPA — online
• "Wektor" News — magazine of the NJ Polish community
• Facebook: "Poles in NY" (50k+), "Greenpoint NY Polonia"

Annual events

• Pulaski Parade (October)
• Polonia Day in Greenpoint (summer)
• Polish Heritage Month (October)
• Polish Christmas Eve (December) in parishes
• Polish Film Festival (fall) — Lincoln Center

Where to meet Poles

• Churches — Polish masses (Greenpoint, Maspeth, Ridgewood)
• Restaurants: Karczma, Króla Maciusia, Sokol
• Shops: Polam, Syrena Bakery — Saturday mornings
• Polish & Slavic Center (Greenpoint) — dances, concerts
• Facebook groups "Poles in NY", "Moms in NY", "Single Poles NY"

Polish Consulate

• Address: 233 Madison Avenue, Manhattan
• Passports, powers of attorney, civil registry, ZUS benefits
• Appointment: e-konsulat.gov.pl

What you should know

• Greenpoint is a declining community (gentrification); still the strongest tradition
• The Polish community operates through informal networks (church, shops)
• Two generations: older (Solidarity) conservative; younger more liberal
• Cultural conflicts are normal — there is no "one Polish community"
• It is worth getting involved in a parish/organization — networking = jobs, housing