Polish Immigration to the United States and Canada Essay

1. Introduction1.1. OverviewPo world is a small rustic, tucked absent in the recesses of einsteiniumern atomic number 63. Surrounded by countries corresponding(p) Germ whatsoever, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, its nation of 38.5 wiz thousand million is slightly more than half of the joined Kingdoms and a element of that of the unite States. Whilst experiencing a welcome forward motion in scotchal maturement and succeederfulness in recent long time, the coarse and its citizens, the bolt down con run, can soundly be counted as among the more unfortunate of the world.Centuries of semi governmental upheaval, impertinent expression and occupancy, decades of partitioning, and ext shutdowned periods of scotch distress, take up scarred the psyche of the strike slew, set them out of their surround, and made them into global wanderers, refugees, and migrants, distinct for sympathiser, peace, and frugalal come up universe for themselves and their families. T he mound genocide of the 1940s, which go forth more than 6 million fall dead, was followed by four decades of communisticic rule and it was not until 1989 that the expanse joined the ranks of trust office nations.Difficult plate conditions during the last few centuries live with oft forced the nicety concourse to decease out of the environs of their familiar surroundings and make their homes in st pasture countries, among populate with different cultures, languages, religions, and traditions. attack migrants ache move out in hustles not still to another(prenominal) more hospitable parts in europium but overly to the new world, more particularly to the joined States and Canada. by dint of historic period of hard work, toil and perseverance, the rectify piss created a world astray diaspora, better known as Polonia, of stack who, despite living in foreigner conditions for decades, have continued to be straight to their culture, traditions, language an d religion. Their migration to compass north the States is not of recent origin the freshman wheels of mountain of pop origin came to the get together States in the late 1700s and to Canada in the early 1800s.1 These overlord ad proceedrs were followed by periodic streams of migrants whose come game dep eat uped both upon the conditions of their home outlandish as well as on the in-migration policies of their swarm nations.Once settlight-emitting diode in their array locations the color proved to be feigning immigrants, industrious, peace loving, cultured, lovers of art, and extremely ghostly. Their tale of immigration and settlement in Canada and the United States is one of courage, determination and fortitude visible consequence of how adversity brings forth the trump in human beings.1.2. ObjectiveThis dissertation takes up the issue of polish up immigration to the United States and Canada, investigating the causes of migration, the areas of cream, the challen ges faced by the settlers, the ship canal and means adopted to overcome much(prenominal) problems, and the ontogeny of the devour presence in their adopted countries. Whilst investigating the phenomenon, particular pro mooring fierceness provide be given to the differences in the adopted processes of migration and settlement betwixt Polish Canadians and Polish the Statesns. A study of this nature should hopefully be of interest to students of history, planetary relations, sociology, immigration, demographics, and government form _or_ system of government. The global Polish fellowship, immigrants or otherwise should in addition find such(prenominal)(prenominal) a study illuminating and interesting.1.3. methodologyA dissertation of this nature will be well served by intensifier study of the literature acquirable on the subject. Substantial primary and secondary randomness is useable on the topic by path of government websites, books, and journal, magazine, and newsp aper articles. Whilst surveys or in-depth interviews with Polish immigrants could yield some actually interesting and relevant training, such an make for would need to cover hearty numbers pool of respondents in two nations and involve the deployment of resources beyond the capacity of the researcher.The dissertation as such relies fully on the information available both on line and in hard copy for its findings, analysis and conclusions. The sources of information accessed have been listed in the bibliography at the end of the study. The body of the dissertation is structured into a literature review followed by a subdivision on findings and analysis. The concluding section details the conclusions arrived at in the course of the study along with recommendations and the limitations of the assignment.2. Literature look spikeletWith the start Polish people locomotion to North America more than common chord centuries ago their connection with the ground forces and Canada is barely of recent origin. The phenomenon predates the American fight of liberty of 1776 and has been shaped by a range of political, military, stinting, social, and cultural factors, not just in their home orbit but too in the other countries of Europe as well as in the ground forces and in Canada. This review of literature approachinges the subject from specific angles, namely the historical and modern twenty-four hours circumstances that influenced their migration to North America, the governmental and policy approaches of the two host countries that shaped their debut and settlement, the factors behind their demographic dispersion and build-up, and the evolution of the Polish diaspora in the two countries.2.1. migrant CompulsionsPolitical and Military TurmoilWhilst Poland unquestionable into a recognisable political entity, a millennium ago, under the Piast dynasty in the ordinal degree Celsius, its period of greatest affluence and development, also referred as the op ulent age, occurred, during the 16th and seventeenth centuries, with the formation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.2 This short animatedd era of freedom, parliamentary working, and sparingal affluence came to an end with the Swedish invasion and the Cossack insurrection towards the middle of the seventeenth century. These events were followed by numerous wars against Russia, tercet partitions of the bucolic, in 1772, 1793, and 1795, and the division of its territories between Russia, Prussia, and Austria. The reconstitution of a Polish state in 1807 by forty winks lasted for besides 8 years, the defeat of catnap being followed by Austrian and Russian hegemony over the democracy until the end of the set- substantiate valet de chambre warfare.3This loss of independence created the stance that for most Poles, Poland as their country, became just an idea-a computer memory from the past, and a hope for the future. In short, in the world of the Polish spirit, it enab lead men and women to live their lives in their own way in spite of the established order, and often in defiance of the police (Davies 1990). These partitions and the disaster of the 1830 Uprising caused the Great Emigration to the Hesperian European countries and to the overseas territories, among which the United States holds the primary position4Regaining is independence in 1918, the country remained in symbiotic for just two decades until the bidness invasions of the country by Germany on kinfolk 1, 1939 and Soviet Russia on September 17. shared out into 2 zones under the control of Germany and the Soviet Union, Poland suffered greatly during the Second humanness war the holocaust took its greatest toll in this country with six million, half of them Jews, perishing in the freshman four years of the 1940s. The end of the war saw the occupation of the country by the forces of the Soviet Union and closely 4 more decades of communist rule before the country emerged, on the back of a Solidarity movement, as a popular nation in 1990. Joining the European Union in 2004, the country is making economical progress and integrating apace with the global community. 5With the last three centuries being spent in incessant political and military turmoil it is not tight gauge the extent of mental, physical and economic hardships suffered by the Polish people. Deprived of the security department of their country and a national umbrella, the Polish left their homeland in accompanying seethes from the 18th century to the present day. economical and Social ConditionsWhilst political and military turmoil was of course causal in campaign commodious numbers of patriotic Polish from their homes and forcing them to seek safe sanctuary in other countries, economic compulsions also contend a study role in motivating them to regions with better prospects for earnings, savings and the development of prosperity and affluence. In fact it would come forward that the m ajority of Polish migration took place because of arrant(a) disturbances in economic conditions.Significant increases in population in the late years of the 18th century, along with industrialisation and the integrating of commercial agriculture led to the voidance of small land holdings, exhaustion of available land, and loss of earning capacity and destitution of peasants dependent upon farming for their livelihood forcing them to migrate to areas of economic opportunity.6 The decline of industrial production in the Russian controlled regions of Lodz and Piotrkow after the Russo-Japanese War and the 1905 renewing sparked off a strong roll up of migration with hundreds of thousands of workers departing for other regions. Apart from such occurrences pressures of population, exhaustion of land and the lack of investment in persistence kept the region in a perpetual state of economic deprivation and drove emigration figures upwards.7Whilst economic deprivation drove emigrati on among the economically weaker sections of society, sporadic bouts of anti-Semitism were to lead to thousands of Jews locomote away to extend persecution. A wave of anti-Semitism swept through the region after the revolution of 1905. Fanned by the anti-Semitic wing of the National popular Party in the early years of the 20th century the movement increase steadily until the onset of the First earthly concern War and led to social proscription and violence against JewsStudents would picket Jewish stores, jeopardize Poles who dared to enter. Shame was also placed upon those citizens who seek the services of Jewish lawyers, dentists and doctors. One technique that was stalkly used was to photograph Poles introduction Jewish residences and print the pictures. The picture, with a disparaging comment, would be placed on pamphlets that were distributed among the townspeople. less(prenominal)(prenominal) costly but just as painful and derogatory were such incidents of Poles throwi ng stones at Jewish men, women and even early children. cleanup position Jews was contagious in an atmosphere of abominate that enveloped Poland. Not wholly were the Polish radicals placing the blame for their problems on the Jews, but they were also gaining free media.8 (Reisner, Davis and Miera)Post Second World War EmigrationMany of the Iron pall nations have experienced the phenomenon of citizens being pushed to emigrate, quite a flee, in grown numbers to escape political repression and economic scarcity. With most communist governments un ordain to allow their citizens to leave their borders just for official reasons, much of the ensuing emigration was illegal until trigger re fixedions were sticking(p). In Poland the substitute of travel curbs in the late mid-fifties after the cessation of Stalinist rule, led to a spurt migrants who travelled to European countries, mainly Germany, in search of muddled relatives and incited by the desire to motivate families. The beside large migration occurred moreover in the late 1980s.9 Whilst some of the people who left belonged to Lech Walesas Solidarity party and had to leave after the imposition of martial law to avoid incarceration, most of the others were young and amend and did not foresee the happening of any major political change. Their reasons for difference were for the most part economic and they accordingly left for countries exchangeable Australia, Canada or the USA, which though far away offered the opportunity of economic improvement.102.2. Migration to the USA and CanadaPolish emigration, as per extant records, fronts to have been focussed on western countries, with really few Poles evincing interest of emigrating to Latin America, Africa or Asia. The plainly exceptions to this rule were Australia, which became a preferred termination choice for many of the Polish in the post Second World War period, and Israel, which attracted thousands of Polish Jews, from the 1960s, after th e government eased travel curbs and relaxed issuance of passports. 11The community seems to have concentrated mostly on neighbouring European nations like Germany, France, and Belgium, as well as on North American countries like the USA and Canada. Whilst there are throw motives for emigration with the range of causes being large and varied and stemming from political unrest, partition and annexation, economic deprivation, lack of verdant land and calling opportunities, political suppression (during the communist regime), and religious persecution and discomfort (for the Polish Jews), researchers are less clear on the reasons behind the choice of destination of Polish migrants. Very peradventure the community felt more well-provided with settling down in countries with a majority of whites, where Christianity was the dominant religion.Migration to the USAWhilst migration of Poles, one after another and in small groups, to the USA started currently after the voyages of Columbu s, significant community immigration did not occur until the onset of the three partitions in the stopping point years of the 1700s. Records only suggest that many Polish craftsmen were hire by the London Company in 1608 to bring their skills to Jamestown, where a sizeable community grew over the next two decades.The Poles created nut house shops, and pitch and potash burners. These products became the first exports of Jamestown. As a result of their success more Poles were invited to Jamestown. They were always cooperative and willing workers. In 1619 more Poles landed at Jamestown with the intent to manufacture pitch, tar and resin for ships. They also helped start the timber industry that was necessary for ship building. The first legislative Assembly denied the Jamestown Poles the skillful to vote. As a result the Poles went to strike, refusing to work unless they had the right to vote. On July 21, 1619 the Legislative Assembly granted Poles the right to vote. Thus, the Pol es were the first group that fought successfully for genteel rights.12Polish immigration subsequently change magnitude from the last quarter of the 18th century when Poles participated in the American Revolution.The 1800s saw two major waves of Polish immigration, the first of which occurred between 1830 and 1863 and the second between 1870 and 1913. Whilst the first wave of migrants moved mainly into neighbouring European countries a few thousands did travel to the USA. The second wave however saw the majority of emigrants leaving for the USA, whilst the others went to Germany, France and Belgium. Approximately 2.5 million Poles, practically 95 % of the migrants landed at Ellis Island during this period whereas the eternal rest 5 % came in through castling Garden. This huge flow of migrants dropped sharply only after the adoption of quotas and the imposition of strict limits for immigrants by the USA in 1921.13 The next major flow of migrants was to occur only after the end of the Second World War when 200,000 Polish refugees were settled in the United States. Recent decades have also seen a steady flow of the Polish coming into the country. Whilst some came into the country illicitly in the 1970s and the 1980s, smaller waves have come in after the overthrowing of the communist government in 1989. 14Migration to CanadaPolish migration to Canada started subsequently than in the United States and commenced in substantial numbers only in the first decade of the 1900s. Polish migrant inflow was highest during 1901-1910, 1921 -1931, and 1946 1961.15 Inflow of migrants into Canada, whilst being far lesser than into the United States, has however been considerable in absolute numbers considering the far lesser population of the country.Reasons for Polish immigration to Canada remained the same as for other accommodative and flush(p) destinations, namely gross overpopulation, scarcity of land, go industrialisation, and generally depressed economic condit ions in the homeland. Canada, whilst offering the opportunities of easy availability of land and an affluent and fast developing rescue was however able to attract only a trickle of the vast numbers of Polish who exited their country in the nineteenth and 20th centuries.Governmental Policies and Demographic scatteringThe United States, along with the affluent countries of Western Europe, namely Germany, France and Belgium, have always been the major destinations of Polish migrants. Whilst West European countries offered the comfort of proximity, standardised cultures, and the possibility of more frequent home visits, the United States offered vast economic and other opportunities and proved to be an overwhelming magnet for the bulk of Polish migrants, curiously in the first two decades of the 1900s. To an economically deprived people, the country appeared to be the best option for achieving economic sufficiency and prosperity.These Poles were called za chlebem or for bread immi grants. They came to America for the sole role of making money. Once this was accomplished, they would return to Poland and prosper. otherwise Poles risked everything to travel to America. They sold all their belongings in hope of starting a new life. When these Poles entered America they wrote letters back to their relatives about their life here. Soon their relatives came to America to join their relatives. Some Polish people came because America was portrayed to be the land of opportunity others came because they were encouraged by amplify stories of abundant job opportunity.16With economic opportunities look so lucrative in the USA it was possibly but natural for the country to receive far more migrants, Polish and otherwise than Canada. Whilst Canada also did receive migrants their numbers invariably went up with the imposition of unveiling restrictions in the United States. The first such ballooning in Canadian migrants occurred in 1921 with the imposition of opening cu rbs in the USA in 1921 following three decades of menacing Polish migrant inflow from the closing years of the 1890s.The US introduced quotas as advance policy in 2 phases in the early 1920s before implementing them in their final form towards the end of the decade.17 annual quotas were set for each country on the basis of 2 % of the foreign innate(p) of particular countries as per the census of 1890, a decision that skewed immigration against East Europeans in favour of those from West Europe, therefrom shifting the source of immigrants into countries more belike to contribute skilled labour. Canada also followed the US in this regard by adopting baronial restrictions in 1923. Whilst Canadian policy had restrictions similar to those of the United States, ranking immigrants by country of origin it did not impose an hard-core numerical limit. Whilst the more stringent ingress norms adopted by the USA had a significant diversionary impact upon canalising Polish immigration int o Canada, the Canadian government capable the border still wider by authorising 2 Canadian railway companies to act as its agents for admission price of immigrants.18From 1925-1930, under what is termed the railway agreement, the Canadian government authorized the two Canadian railway companies to act as its agents for the admission of immigrants. The railway companies were given authority to overwhelm immigrants subject to the restrictions in place. Essentially, they were allowed to recruit agricultural labor in east Europe for the Canadian West. The result was a large increase in immigration from the countries in which agents of the railways were active, primarily central and Eastern Europe.19The significant increase in Polish immigration to Canada was as such substantially influenced by restrictive US launching policies compared to a more liberal Canadian approach that favoured a tilt towards canalising farm workers from Eastern Europe for work in the Canadian prairies. Histo ry in a way repeated itself with the passage of the passing of the in-migration and Nationality Act of 1952, (INA) which continued with the quota system and raise allowed the US government to prohibit the entry of perceived undesirables. With the emergence and consolidation of a sharp anti-communist bias in the United States it is very possible that the INA was used selectively against people from East European communists who were very firmly identified with the Soviet Union. Whilst such biases are difficult to establish, this period coincided with a rapid escalation of migrants to Canada, where entry curbs were far lesser than in the US for all people of European origin.3.0 Findings and AnalysisPolish migration to the North American continent began tentatively in short after its settlement by British and European settlers and picked up momentum only after the ending of the Polish golden age in the mid 1700s, followed by the partitioning and dismemberment of the country. The events of the late 1700s led to the unleashing of several waves of Polish migration, which were to continue in fits and starts for the next 150 years and appear to continue even today, four years after the entry of the country into the European Union. Whilst most of the causes that led to this significant migrant shift are connected with economic reasons dealing with overpopulation, scarcity of farming land, and lack of industrialisation, they are in a consciousness deeply connected with the constant political and military turmoil involving Russia, Austria and Germany, which denied peace and economic development to the country and drove the residents to venture into strange countries in search of economic stability and peaceful existence.The Second World War and the accompanying holocaust brought in another intense period of tragedy, break and deprivation, forcing hundreds of thousands of Polish refugees to seek shelter in foreign countries. Whilst the exodus has abated somewhat in rece nt years, the recent entry of the country into the European Union and ease of travel and employment in other EU countries appear to have motivated thousands of young Poles to move to other countries in Europe for economic improvement.The migration of the Polish to North America was in the main directed towards the United States, and though migration to Canada started within decades of the Polish origination to go to the USA, the number of Polish in the USA today outnumber those in Canada by ten times. Furthermore such migration to Canada has been substantially influenced by governmental entry restrictions imposed by the USA first in the mid 1920s and subsequently in the early 1950s. Whilst the incidence of migration to Canada has, unconnected from more flexible immigration policies, also been helped by specific proactive Canadian policies aiming to attract farm hands from Poland and other East European countries, it is debatable whether the migration to Canada would have been wha t it is if the USA had not tightened its entry requirements for people with Polish and other East European backgrounds.Once settled Polish immigrants in both countries remained bound together by a common culture and the Catholic religion building church central Polish communities. Whilst cities like Chicago and Detroit in the USA saw the growth of broad Polish populations, the Polish community in Canada developed numerous settlements in the prairie region before moving towards Ontario and building up a substantial Polish population in Toronto.