In the 1850s the Polish began emigrating to Texas.  They were farmers, masons, builders, and businessmen. It was a series of disasters in the 1850s Poland that created the real push for immigration to Texas. The Polish had experienced severe weather, a poor economy, floods, lack of food, and diseases like typhoid and cholera.  They wanted a new life.

The Reverend Leopold Moczyemba, A Catholic priest, encouraged the Polish to come to Texas. Moczyemba had traveled to Texas in the early 1850s and found land for the new Polish settlement, known today as "Panna Maria." He told them about the freedom and opportunities Texas provided. 

New towns were started. One of the first towns after Panna Maria was St. Hedwig in Bexar County. In 1855, another group of Polish immigrants moved out to the frontier west of San Antonio, settling in the town of Bandera. Other groups of Poles quickly followed their relatives to Texas. Many stayed in settled towns such as Yorktown and San Antonio.  In their everyday life, there was significant contact with the Mexican-Texans living close to the Polish colonies and who worshiped in the same Catholic parishes.

For many years the Poles did not contribute directly to the political, cultural, or social life of the state; the language barrier was difficult to overcome, and many Poles chose to remain isolated rather than adapt to new situations. They did, however, contribute to the economy, being industrious farmers, artisans, and laborers. Their social life was bound up in the feasts and festivals of the Catholic Church. 

Today, Polish festivals can be found in the smaller cities with servings of Polish food. You can eat kielbasa, the Polish sausage with lots of garlic. Other foods include the pierogi, a dumpling often stuffed with various fillings; bigos (a kind of stew); babka (a cake served at Easter); rosol (chicken soup), and golbaki (cabbage rolls).