Poles in Chicago - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Chicago Polonia, refers to both immigrant Poles

Poles

thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...

and Americans of Polish heritage living in Chicago

Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

, Illinois

Illinois

Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

. They are a part of worldwide Polonia

Polonia

The Polish diaspora refers to people of Polish origin who live outside Poland. The Polish diaspora is also known in modern Polish language as Polonia, which is the name for Poland in Latin and in many other Romance languages....

, the proper term for the Polish Diaspora

Diaspora

A diaspora is "the movement, migration, or scattering of people away from an established or ancestral homeland" or "people dispersed by whatever cause to more than one location", or "people settled far from their ancestral homelands".The word has come to refer to historical mass-dispersions of...

outside of Poland

Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

. Poles in Chicago have contributed to the economic, social and cultural well-being of Chicago

Chicago

from its very beginning. Poles

Poles

have been a part of the history of Chicago

History of Chicago

The history of Chicago, Illinois, has played an important role in the history of the United States. Americans founded the city in 1832. The Chicago area's recorded history begins with the arrival of French explorers, missionaries and fur traders in the late 17th century...

since 1837, when Captain John Napieralski, along with other veterans of the November Uprising

November Uprising

The November Uprising , Polish–Russian War 1830–31 also known as the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in the heartland of partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. The uprising began on 29 November 1830 in Warsaw when the young Polish officers from the local Army of the Congress...

first set foot there. As of the 2000 U.S. census, Poles in Chicago are the largest European American

European American

A European American is a citizen or resident of the United States who has origins in any of the original peoples of Europe...

ethnic group in the city, making up 7.3% of the total population. However, according to the 2006–2008 American Community Survey

American Community Survey

The American Community Survey is an ongoing statistical survey by the U.S. Census Bureau, sent to approximately 250,000 addresses monthly . It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census...

, German American

German American

German Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...

s and Irish American

Irish American

Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...

s had slightly surpassed Polish Americans as the largest European American ethnic groups in Chicago. German Americans made up 7.3% of the population, and numbered at 199,789; Irish Americans also made up 7.3% of the population, and numbered at 199,294. Polish Americans now made up 6.7% of Chicago's population, and numbered at 182,064. However, Polish Americans are, by far, the largest European American ethnic group in the Chicago metropolitan area, with as many as 1.5 million claiming Polish ancestry.

History

A number of Poles contributed to the history of the city together with Captain Napieralski, a veteran of Cross Mountain during the November Uprising

November Uprising

. Along with him came other early Polish settlers such as Major Louis Chlopicki, the nephew of General Józef Chłopicki who had been the leader of the same insurrection. Not to mention certain A. Panakaske (Panakaski) who resided in the second ward in the 1830s as well as J. Zoliski who lived in the sixth ward with records of both men having cast their ballots for William B. Ogden in the 1837 mayoral race in Chicago.

Distribution

According to Dominic Pacyga, most of the Poles who first came to Chicago settled in five distinct parts of the city. The first of those Polish Patches, as they were colloquially referred to, was located on the Near Northwest Side. Centering on the Polish Triangle at the intersection of Milwaukee

Milwaukee Avenue (Chicago)

Milwaukee Avenue is a major diagonal street in the city of Chicago and the northern suburbs. True to its name, it once led to the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Starting with a short section at N. Canal and W. Lake Streets, it begins in earnest at the corner of N Desplaines and W. Kinzie Streets...

and Ashland avenues with Division street it later became known as Polish Downtown. The second large settlement, developed in Pilsen

Lower West Side, Chicago

Lower West Side located on the west side of Chicago, Illinois, is one of 77 well-defined Chicago community areas.-Government and infrastructure:The United States Postal Service operates the Pilsen Post Office at 1859 South Ashland Avenue....

on the west side near 18th street and Ashland avenue. Poles established two separate enclaves in the Stock Yard district, one in Bridgeport

Bridgeport, Chicago

Bridgeport, one of 77 community areas of Chicago, is a neighborhood located on the city's South Side. It is bounded, generally, on the west and north by the Chicago River, on the east by Canal Street, and on the south by Pershing Road.-History:...

, the other in the Back of the Yards near 47th street and Ashland avenue. Another Polish neighborhood developed in the area around the massive Illinois Steel works in South Chicago in the area colloquially referred to as "the Bush". Polish communities in Chicago were often founded and organized around churches mostly by peasant

Peasant

A peasant is an agricultural worker who generally tend to be poor and homeless-Etymology:The word is derived from 15th century French païsant meaning one from the pays, or countryside, ultimately from the Latin pagus, or outlying administrative district.- Position in society :Peasants typically...

immigrants who named their neighbourhoods after them, like Bronislawowo, named after St. Bronislava.* Sometimes the neighbourhoods are contiguous so its difficult to say precisely where one ends and one begins, as in the case of 'Stanislawowo' by the church of St. Stanislaus Kostka and 'Trojcowo' by Holy Trinity Polish Mission

Holy Trinity Polish Mission

Holy Trinity Church - historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago. It is a prime example of the so-called 'Polish Cathedral style' of churches, in both its opulence and grand scale. Along with such monumental religious edifices as St. Mary of the Angels, St. Hedwig's or St...

in the former area of Polish Downtown.

* In Polish

Polish language

Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...

the ending 'owo' in e.g., Bronislawowo functions similar to English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

'ville' in Johnsville or 'ton' in Charleston. When added to a name of a saint, it indicates a Polish sounding town or a village. This is a colloquial phenomenon, not present in educated Polish; however, it persists in the names of different Polish areas of Chicago.

Original historical Polish patches

Polish Downtown

Trojcowo – The area around Holy Trinity Polish Mission
Holy Trinity Polish Mission
Holy Trinity Church - historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago. It is a prime example of the so-called 'Polish Cathedral style' of churches, in both its opulence and grand scale. Along with such monumental religious edifices as St. Mary of the Angels, St. Hedwig's or St...
Stanislawowo – The area around St. Stanislaus Kostka in Chicago
St. Stanislaus Kostka in Chicago
The St. Stanislaus Kostka Church is a historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located in the Pulaski Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois.St...
Kantowo – The area around St. John Cantius in Chicago
St. John Cantius in Chicago
St. John Cantius Church is a historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located in Chicago, Illinois.It is a prime example of the so-called 'Polish Cathedral style' of churches in both its opulence and grand scale. Along with such monumental religious edifices as St. Mary of the...
Mlodziankowo – The area around Holy Innocents in Chicago
Holy Innocents in Chicago
Holy Innocents Church, , is a church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located at 743 N. Armour St. in the East Village neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois...
Fidelisowo – The area around St. Fidelis
Helenowo – The area around St. Helen
Marianowo – The area around St. Mary of the Angels in Chicago
St. Mary of the Angels in Chicago
Saint Mary of the Angels - historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois.Located at 1850 North Hermitage Avenue in Chicago's Bucktown neighborhood, it is an example of the so-called 'Polish Cathedral style' of churches. Along with St. Stanislaus Kostka, St....
Jadwigowo – The area around St. Hedwig's in Chicago
St. Hedwig's in Chicago
St. Hedwig's Church is an historic parish church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located in Chicago, Illinois. Constructed in traditional grand Polish architecture and design, it is one of the many monumental Polish churches visible from the Kennedy Expressway...

Lower West Side
Lower West Side, Chicago
Lower West Side located on the west side of Chicago, Illinois, is one of 77 well-defined Chicago community areas.-Government and infrastructure:The United States Postal Service operates the Pilsen Post Office at 1859 South Ashland Avenue....

Wojciechowo – The area around St. Adalbert's in Chicago
St. Adalbert's in Chicago
St. Adalbert Church is a historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located in Chicago, Illinois.It is a prime example of the so-called 'Polish Cathedral style' of churches in both its opulence and grand scale. The church is located on 17th Street between Paulina Street and...
Annowo – The area around St. Anns in Chicago
Romanowo – The area around St. Roman's
Kazimierzowo – The area around the former St. Casimir's

Bridgeport
Bridgeport, Chicago
Bridgeport, one of 77 community areas of Chicago, is a neighborhood located on the city's South Side. It is bounded, generally, on the west and north by the Chicago River, on the east by Canal Street, and on the south by Pershing Road.-History:...

NMP Nieustajacej Pomocy – The area around St. Mary of Perpetual Help
St. Mary of Perpetual Help
St. Mary of Perpetual Help - historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located in the Bridgeport neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois....
Barbarowo – The area around St. Barbara in Chicago
St. Barbara in Chicago
St. Barbara's in Chicago - historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located in Chicago, Illinois, at 2859 South Throop St....

Back of the Yards

Jozefowo – The area around St. Joseph's in Chicago
St. Joseph's in Chicago
St. Joseph's is a historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located in, Chicago, Illinois.It is a prime example of the so-called 'Polish Cathedral style' of churches in both its opulence and grand scale. Along with St...
Janowo – The area around St. John of God
Sercanowo – The area around Sacred Heart

South Chicago

Niepokolanowo – The area around Immaculate Conception in Chicago
Immaculate Conception in Chicago
The Church of the Immaculate Conception, referred to in Polish as Kościół Niepokalanego Poczęcia Najświętszej Maryi Panny is a historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located in, Chicago, Illinois. It is a prime example of the so-called 'Polish Cathedral style' of churches in...
Michalowo – The area around St. Michael's in Chicago
St. Michael's in Chicago
St. Michael - historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located at E. 83rd Street and S. South Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois....
Magdalenowo – The area around St. Mary Magdalene
Bronislawowo – The area around St. Bronislava

Subsequent historical Polish patches

Later as Poles grew in number and advanced economically, they migrated further out into outlying areas. The result was that the West Town

West Town

-United Kingdom:*West Town, Peterborough in Cambridgeshire*West Town, Hampshire on Hayling Island*West Town, Backwell in North Somerset-United States:*West Town, Chicago in Illinois*West Town Mall in Knoxville, Tennessee*West Towne Mall in Madison, Wisconsin...

/Logan Square

Logan Square, Chicago

Logan Square is one of the 77 city-designated community areas located on the near northwest side of the City of Chicago. The name, used here to describe the community area defined by U.S. census tracts, also applies to one of a number of smaller, more loosely defined residential neighborhoods...

settlement in Polish Downtown spread westward along North Avenue and northwestward along Milwaukee

Milwaukee Avenue (Chicago)

thereby creating a "Polish Corridor" which tied in contiguous areas such as Norwood Park

Norwood Park, Chicago

Norwood Park is one of 77 well-defined Chicago, Illinois community areas. It encompasses the smaller neighborhoods of Big Oaks, Norwood Park East, Norwood Park West, Old Norwood Park, Oriole Park, and Union Ridge....

, Jefferson Park

Jefferson Park, Chicago

Jefferson Park is one of Chicago's 77 well-defined community areas located on the city's Northwest Side. The neighborhood of Jefferson Park occupies a larger swath of territory than the community area by including within it land of adjacent community areas...

, Portage Park

Portage Park, Chicago

Portage Park is located on the northwest side of the City of Chicago, Illinois and is one of 77 officially designated Chicago community areas. Portage Park is bordered by the community areas of Jefferson Park and Forest Glen to the north, Dunning and the suburb of Harwood Heights to the west,...

, and Belmont-Cragin

Belmont Cragin, Chicago

Belmont Cragin is one of 77 officially designated Chicago community areas located on the Northwest Side of the City of Chicago, Illinois. It is designated Community Area 19, and is located NW of the Loop. Belmont Cragin is a community built on commerce and industry...

. The same kind of advance occurred in the other original areas of Polish settlements so that Poles

Poles

from both the Lower West Side

Lower West Side, Chicago

and the Back of the Yards moved into both sides of Archer Avenue, giving rise to sizable Polish settlements on the Southwest Side of the city such as McKinley Park

McKinley Park, Chicago

McKinley Park, one of the 77 official community areas of Chicago, Illinois, is located on the city's southwest side.- History :McKinley Park has been a working-class area throughout its long history. This tradition began around 1836 when Irish workers on the Illinois & Michigan Canal took...

, Garfield Ridge

Garfield Ridge, Chicago

Garfield Ridge is one of the 77 official community areas of Chicago, Illinois, and is located on the southwest side of the city. The northern half of Chicago Midway International Airport is located in this community area.-General information:...

, Brighton Park

Brighton Park, Chicago

Brighton Park is a neighborhood located on the southwest side of Chicago, Illinois. It is number 58 of the 77 community areas of Chicago.Brighton Park is bordered on the north by the former Illinois & Michigan Canal and the current Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, on the east by Western Avenue, on...

and Archer Heights

Archer Heights, Chicago

Archer Heights is a primarily middle class neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois. One of the 77 official community areas of Chicago, it is located on the city's southwest side. The neighborhood is a center of Polish culture, and home of the Polish Highlanders Alliance of North America as well as Curie...

. On the far Southeast Side

Southeast Side, Chicago

The Southeast side of Chicago unofficially begins at about 75th Street and S. Saginaw Avenue , in other words, from Rainbow Beach southwards. It extends south and east to the city limits, generally keeping between Lake Michigan and Lake Calumet...

, the South Chicago "steel mill settlements" spilled over into Pullman

Pullman, Chicago

Pullman, one of Chicago's 77 community areas, is a neighborhood located on the city's South Side. Twelve miles from the Chicago Loop, Pullman is situated adjacent Lake Calumet....

, Roseland

Roseland, Chicago

Roseland, located on the far south side of the city, is one of the 77 official community areas of Chicago, Illinois. It includes the neighborhoods of Fernwood, Princeton Park, Lilydale, West Chesterfield, Rosemoor, Sheldon Heights and West Roseland...

, East Side

East Side, Chicago

East Side is one of the 77 official community areas of Chicago, Illinois. It is located on the far south side of the city, between the Calumet River and the Illinois-Indiana state line, approximately south of Downtown Chicago...

, Hegewisch

Hegewisch, Chicago

Hegewisch , one of the 77 community areas of Chicago, Illinois, is located on the city's far south side. It is bordered by the neighborhoods of Riverdale and South Deering to the west, the East Side to the north, the village of Burnham to the south and the city of Hammond, Indiana to the east. It...

and Calumet City

Calumet City, Illinois

Calumet City is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 39,072 at the 2000 census. The ZIP code is 60409.Calumet City was founded in 1892 when the villages of Schrumville and Sobieski Park merged under the name of West Hammond, since it lies on the west side of the...

as well as into Lake County

Lake County, Indiana

Lake County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. In 2010, its population was 496,005, making it Indiana's second-most populous county. The county seat is Crown Point. This county is part of Northwest Indiana and the Chicago metropolitan area. The county contains a mix of urban,...

in Northwest Indiana

Northwest Indiana

Northwest Indiana, also known as the South Shore and The Calumet Region or simply The Region, comprises Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Newton and Jasper counties in Indiana. This region neighbors Lake Michigan and is part of the Chicago metropolitan area...

, where thriving Polish communities were found in North Hammond

Hammond, Indiana

Hammond is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. The population was 80,830 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Hammond is located at ....

, Whiting

Whiting, Indiana

Whiting is a city located in the Chicago Metropolitan Area in Lake County, Indiana, which was founded in 1889. The city is located on the southern shore of Lake Michigan. It is roughly 16 miles from the Chicago Loop and just short of two miles from Chicago's South Side. Whiting is home to Whiting...

, the Indian Harbor section of East Chicago

East Chicago, Indiana

East Chicago is a city in Lake County, Indiana. The population was 29,698 at the 2010 census.-Geography:East Chicago is located at ....

and several neighborhoods in the newly built industrial city of Gary

Gary, Indiana

Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city is in the southeastern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is 25 miles from downtown Chicago. The population is 80,294 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh-largest city in the state. It borders Lake Michigan and is known...

North Side of Chicago

Lincoln Park
Lincoln Park, Chicago
Lincoln Park, is one of the 77 community areas on Chicago, Illinois North Side, USA. Named after Lincoln Park, a vast park bordering Lake Michigan, the community area is anchored by the Lincoln Park Zoo and DePaul University...

Jozafatowo – The area around St. Josaphat's in Chicago
St. Josaphat's in Chicago
St. Josaphat is a historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located at 2311 North Southport Avenue in Chicago, Illinois.It is a prime example of the so-called 'Polish Cathedral style' of church in both its opulence and grand scale. St...

which was initially heavily Cassubian
Kashubians
Kashubians/Kaszubians , also called Kashubs, Kashubes, Kaszubians, Kassubians or Cassubians, are a West Slavic ethnic group in Pomerelia, north-central Poland. Their settlement area is referred to as Kashubia ....

Lincoln Square
Lincoln Square, Chicago
Lincoln Square, located on the North Side of the city of Chicago, Illinois, is one of 77 well-defined Chicago community areas. Greater Lincoln Square encompasses the smaller neighborhoods of Ravenswood Manor, Ravenswood Gardens, Ravenswood, Bowmanville, Budlong Woods and Lincoln Square...

U Przemienienia – The area around Transfiguration

Avondale
Avondale, Chicago
Avondale is one of 77 officially designated Chicago, Illinois community areas. It is located on the Northwest Side of Chicago. Its main borders are the North Branch of the Chicago River, Diversey Avenue, Addison Street, Pulaski Road and the Union Pacific/Northwest rail line; bisecting the community...

Jackowo – The area around St. Hyacinth Basilica
Waclawowo – The area around St. Wenceslaus

Irving Park
Irving Park, Chicago
Irving Park is one of 77 officially designated Chicago community area located on the Northwest Side. It is bounded by the Chicago River on the east, the Milwaukee Road railroad tracks on the west, Addison Street on the south and Montrose Avenue on the north, west of Pulaski Road stretching to...

Niepokalanego Serca Maryi – The area around Immaculate Heart of Mary

Portage Park
Portage Park, Chicago
Portage Park is located on the northwest side of the City of Chicago, Illinois and is one of 77 officially designated Chicago community areas. Portage Park is bordered by the community areas of Jefferson Park and Forest Glen to the north, Dunning and the suburb of Harwood Heights to the west,...

Wladyslawowo – The area around St. Ladislaus in Chicago
St. Ladislaus in Chicago
St. Ladislaus - historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located in Chicago, Illinois.One of the many Polish churches on Chicago's Northwest Side, it is considered to be one of the more architecturally significant religious edifices in the Portage Park area, as well as one of...

Jefferson Park
Jefferson Park, Chicago
Jefferson Park is one of Chicago's 77 well-defined community areas located on the city's Northwest Side. The neighborhood of Jefferson Park occupies a larger swath of territory than the community area by including within it land of adjacent community areas...

Konstancowo – The area around St. Constance

Norwood Park
Norwood Park, Chicago
Norwood Park is one of 77 well-defined Chicago, Illinois community areas. It encompasses the smaller neighborhoods of Big Oaks, Norwood Park East, Norwood Park West, Old Norwood Park, Oriole Park, and Union Ridge....

Teklowo – The area around St. Thecla

Belmont Cragin

Jakubowo – The area around St. James
U Biskupa (Stanislawowo) – The area around St.Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr

Humboldt Park
Humboldt Park, Chicago
Humboldt Park is one of 77 officially designated community areas located on the northwest side of Chicago, Illinois. The Humboldt Park neighborhood is widely known for its large Puerto Rican presence...

U Franciszka – The area around St. Francis of Assisi

South Side of Chicago

McKinley Park
McKinley Park, Chicago
McKinley Park, one of the 77 official community areas of Chicago, Illinois, is located on the city's southwest side.- History :McKinley Park has been a working-class area throughout its long history. This tradition began around 1836 when Irish workers on the Illinois & Michigan Canal took...

Piotropawlowo – The area around Ss Peter and Paul

Archer Heights
Archer Heights, Chicago
Archer Heights is a primarily middle class neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois. One of the 77 official community areas of Chicago, it is located on the city's southwest side. The neighborhood is a center of Polish culture, and home of the Polish Highlanders Alliance of North America as well as Curie...

Brunowo – The area around St. Bruno

Garfield Ridge
Garfield Ridge, Chicago
Garfield Ridge is one of the 77 official community areas of Chicago, Illinois, and is located on the southwest side of the city. The northern half of Chicago Midway International Airport is located in this community area.-General information:...

Kamilowo – The area around St. Camillus by Midway Airport
Midway Airport
Chicago Midway International Airport , also known simply as Midway Airport or Midway, is an airport in Chicago, Illinois, United States, located on the city's southwest side, eight miles from Chicago's Loop...

Brighton Park
Brighton Park, Chicago
Brighton Park is a neighborhood located on the southwest side of Chicago, Illinois. It is number 58 of the 77 community areas of Chicago.Brighton Park is bordered on the north by the former Illinois & Michigan Canal and the current Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, on the east by Western Avenue, on...

U Pieciu Braci – The area around Five Holy Martyrs
Pankracowo – The area around St. Pancratius

South Lawndale
South Lawndale, Chicago
South Lawndale is located on the west side of the city of Chicago, Illinois, is one of 77 well-defined Chicago community areas. The neighborhood is predominantly Mexican.- Little Village :...

U Dobrego Pasterza – The area around Good Shepherd

West Elsdon
West Elsdon, Chicago
West Elsdon, one of the 77 official community areas, is located on the southwest side of the City of Chicago, Illinois. It is noted as a twin neighborhood of West Lawn. It has a population which includes a mix of Polish-Americans and Mexican-Americans. It has its own association, "West Elsdon Civic...

Turibiuszowo – The area around St. Turibius

Roseland
Roseland, Chicago
Roseland, located on the far south side of the city, is one of the 77 official community areas of Chicago, Illinois. It includes the neighborhoods of Fernwood, Princeton Park, Lilydale, West Chesterfield, Rosemoor, Sheldon Heights and West Roseland...

Salomejowo – The area around St. Salomea

Hegewisch
Hegewisch, Chicago
Hegewisch , one of the 77 community areas of Chicago, Illinois, is located on the city's far south side. It is bordered by the neighborhoods of Riverdale and South Deering to the west, the East Side to the north, the village of Burnham to the south and the city of Hammond, Indiana to the east. It...

Florianowo – The area around St.Florian

Over the course of the city's development as the city's Polish community climbed further up the economic ladder and were followed by new waves of immigrants the concentration of Poles shifted to different areas of the city.

The Polish presence in Chicago today

Chicago bills itself as the largest Polish city outside of Poland with approximately 1,100,000 people of Polish ethnicity in the Chicago metropolitan area, although some maintain that after Poland's entry into the EU, London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

is now likely to have more than double this. Chicago's Polish presence is felt in the large number of Polish American

Polish American

A Polish American , is a citizen of the United States of Polish descent. There are an estimated 10 million Polish Americans, representing about 3.2% of the population of the United States...

organizations located there; including the Polish Museum of America

Polish Museum of America

The Polish Museum of America is located in West Town, in what had been the historical Polish Downtown neighborhood of Chicago. It is home to a plethora of Polish artifacts, artwork, and embroidered folk costumes among its growing collection...

, the Polish American Association

Polish American Association

The Polish American Association is a non-profit human services agency that serves the diverse needs of the Chicago Polish immigrant community....

, the Polish National Alliance

Polish National Alliance

The Polish National Alliance is the largest and one of the oldest Polish fraternal organizations in the United States, founded on 15 February 1880 in Philadelphia under the influence of Polish patriot Agaton Giller. Its first president was Juliusz Andrzejkowicz.The PNA founded a number of...

and the Polish Highlanders Alliance of North America

Polish Highlanders Alliance of North America

The Polish Highlanders Alliance of America was founded in 1929 in Chicago as an organization that unites all other Góral organizations in the United States...

. A column fragment of Wawel Castle

Wawel Castle

The Gothic Wawel Castle in Kraków in Poland was built at the behest of Casimir III the Great and consists of a number of structures situated around the central courtyard. In the 14th century it was rebuilt by Jogaila and Jadwiga of Poland. Their reign saw the addition of the tower called the Hen's...

, the onetime seat of Poland's Royalty has been incorporated into Chicago

Chicago

's landmark

Chicago Landmark

Chicago Landmark is a designation of the Mayor of Chicago and the Chicago City Council for historic buildings and other sites in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Listed sites are selected after meeting a combination of criteria, including historical, economic, architectural, artistic, cultural,...

Tribune Tower

The Tribune Tower is a neo-Gothic building located at 435 North Michigan Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. It is the home of the Chicago Tribune and Tribune Company. WGN Radio also broadcasts from the building, with ground-level studios overlooking nearby Pioneer Court and Michigan Avenue. CNN's...

as a visual tribute to Chicago's large Polish populace.

Chicago also has a thriving Polish cultural scene. The city hosts the Polish Film Festival of America where various Polish films are screened during the weeklong festival every October. Polish stage productions in both Polish

Polish language

Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...

and English

English language

are regularly staged at numerous venues throughout the Chicago Metropolitan Area. The most prominent venues among these are the Chopin

Chopin Theatre

Chopin Theatre is an American for-profit cultural organization located along Polonia Triangle in Wicker Park within the West Town community area of Chicago...

and Gateway Theatres

Gateway Theatre (Chicago)

The Gateway Theatre is a 2,000-seat former movie palace that is now part of the Copernicus Cultural and Civic Center in the Jefferson Park community area of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is located at 5216 W...

. The Gateway

Gateway Theatre (Chicago)

, which is also the seat of the Polish Cultural Center in Chicago is the home of the Paderewski Symphony Orchestra. The Lira Ensemble, the only professional performing arts company outside of Poland that specializes in Polish music, song, and dance is Artist-in-Residence at Loyola University Chicago.

Chicago celebrates its Polish Heritage every Labor Day

Labor Day

Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...

weekend at the Taste of Polonia

Taste of Polonia

The Taste of Polonia is a Chicago festival held at the Copernicus Cultural and Civic Center in the Jefferson Park community area of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States every Labor Day weekend since 1979. It is the Copernicus Foundation's major fundraiser and a four-day celebration of...

Festival in Jefferson Park

Jefferson Park, Chicago

, attended by such political notables as President George H. W. Bush

George H. W. Bush

George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...

, Dick Cheney

Dick Cheney

Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....

, Hadassah Lieberman

Hadassah Lieberman

Hadassah Lieberman is the wife of United States Senator Joseph Lieberman .-Biography:She was born Hadassah Freilich in a refugee camp in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Her parents were both Holocaust survivors. Her father was Samuel Freilich, a lawyer and rabbi from Munkács, in the Carpathian Ruthenia...

, Congresswoman Melissa Bean

Melissa Bean

Melissa Luburich Bean is a former U.S. Representative for the who served from 2005 until 2011. She is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life, education and career:...

, and Tipper Gore

Tipper Gore

Mary Elizabeth "Tipper" Gore , née Aitcheson, is an author, photographer, former second lady of the United States, and the estranged wife of Al Gore...

. Illinois is also one of the few states that celebrates Casimir Pulaski Day

Casimir Pulaski Day

Casimir Pulaski Day is a holiday observed in Illinois on the first Monday of every March in memory of Casimir Pulaski , a Revolutionary War cavalry officer born in Poland as Kazimierz Pułaski. He is known for his contributions to the U.S...

due to the influence of this large population.

The Almanac of American Politics 2004 states that "Even today, in Archer Heights
Archer Heights, Chicago
Archer Heights is a primarily middle class neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois. One of the 77 official community areas of Chicago, it is located on the city's southwest side. The neighborhood is a center of Polish culture, and home of the Polish Highlanders Alliance of North America as well as Curie...

[a neighborhood of Chicago], you can scarcely go a block without hearing someone speaking Polish".

Poglish

Some of Chicago

Chicago

Polonia
Polonia
The Polish diaspora refers to people of Polish origin who live outside Poland. The Polish diaspora is also known in modern Polish language as Polonia, which is the name for Poland in Latin and in many other Romance languages....

(the Polish term for members of the expatriate

Expatriate

An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing...

Polish community) speak Poglish

Poglish

Poglish, Polglish or Ponglish , a portmanteau word combining the words "Polish" and "English," designates the product of mixing Polish- and English-language elements within a single speech production, or the use of "false friends" and of cognate words in...

(usually referred to as Chicagowski by local Poles) a fusion of the Polish

Polish language

Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...

and English

English language

languages. Poglish is a common (to greater or lesser degree, almost unavoidable) phenomenon among persons bilingual in Polish and English, and its avoidance requires considerable effort and attention. Poglish is a manifestation of a broader phenomenon, that of language interference.

The most common phenomenon is the Polonization of English words. Instead of saying (in English), "A cop gave me a ticket on the highway," or (in standard Polish), "Policjant dał mi mandat na autostradzie," a Polonian might say (in Poglish), "Kapy dały mi tiketa na hajłeju." Anyone attempting to speak this kind of Polish-English melange in Poland would have difficulty making himself understood.

External links

Former President of Poland Lech Walesa speaking on the role of Poles in Chicago in the end of communism in Poland
Polish Localizer Polsort – Polish Businesses and Organizations in Chicago
Current Polish patches: Polish Masses in Chicago Area provided by Polsort

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

History

Distribution

Original historical Polish patches

Subsequent historical Polish patches

North Side of Chicago

South Side of Chicago

The Polish presence in Chicago today

Poglish

See also

External links