Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-10-14
Poles in America.
by Frederic J. Haskin


Buffalo. NJ. ". Oct. 12s~The fact
that Poland has become nj last
united and independent nation viii
not rob the United States Of any con-
siderable percentage Of the Polish
born population, which has come 20
play such an important part IN to
business and Industrial life. Many
Polish Americans are going back for
visits 10 their fatherland, often 90 seek
for friends or relatives, bat very fow
of them are going to stay. They have
become wholly and permanently
American.
This Is the opinion Of a prominent
citizen of Polish birth here In Buf.
falo which contains perhaps a greater
percentage Of Poles among It's people
than any other American city.
During the war 10000 Poles In the
/ United States volunteered 10 agbt
for their country's liberty ~ 10 cents
day. But when they obtained that
/ liberty for Poland most of them re-.
turned to the United states.
! America, II seems, has powerful
/ effect on the Polish immigrant. He
/ comes here meek from centuries Of
| oppression. When he realizes that tho
/ air is free he blossoms out. Re even
develops traits that the Pole IL not
/ noted for. Thus, this Polish citizen
tells us that his people In this city
nre great savers, that they come here
poor, but they live frugally. AZ q
consequence, 80 per cent Of them own
their own homes. and the bank de.
poslts Of the Buffalo Poles total abog,
$55,O0o,000. This IL surprising h.
many people who know the Poles a,
better spenders than savers.
These people have 80 long been dis
couraged by conditions in Europe thai
their ambition has been said by som.
critics TO be dormant GeOrg Brande,
pronounced the Russian Poles diilet
tantes. playing with a dozen career,
In a lifetime, and caring very uttl
whether success came with any o
them. In America. they manage I,
focus their ambitions. They regar,
this country as land Of great oppor
tunities. and most Of them settle dow
to make money.
How Colonies Are Formed.
Like other immigrants, they gathe
IN colonies in the big cities. Chicag
mas the largest colony, then Detroit
and then Buffalo. A few Poles cam
20 these cities because work was of
Tered there. and from these nuclei IN
, colonies grew. Oppression az horn
had trained them to cling IN cac
other FOR advice and support and IN
they eagerly sought out nefghbor
moods where the beloved Polish ton
que could be heard.
They formed their cornrnt,ni,io
around the churches, and when IN
, churches became too crowded the
| built ne " ones. At home. the chprc
was the centre OF the community, uf
, and In this country they wished II ,
I De the same. SO the value Of piec
or property to Pole is stlII measure
partly by its closeness to the churc
Of the neighborhood.
a market is also derna nded nv tb
Polish mother wherever she NAV y.
o bariy in the morning on Buffalo
= broadway In the Polish quarter a nrs
cession Of housewives can ba see
, passing. The Poles are epic,irea =,
, even more so than the French. IL
, cIaimed. With all the shops and thel
snort cuts to housekeeping. the Poi
, isn mother makes her own bread an
, noodles. And when she returns rroy
. market her loaded basket ia very ar
: 70 hold a squawkinE goose or he
which she Will kin and pluck he,
self. 'e'
The Polish language which tbas
nlothers. many Of them. taught I
eaaF
i, 1neir chiidren in secret in Europe.
On every tongue in the market parad
me children and the fathers genera
: ~ mix with the American world an
!. pick up English, slang included
} six months. But the mother fro,