Poland

Poland is a country in Central Europe. The official language is Polish.

Learn more about Poland

History of Poland

Poland’s long and diverse history is covered in depth (and in brief); please link to the following sites for further information:

• Wikipedia-History of Poland

Reasons for Emigration from Poland/Immigration to other countries

Immigration waves within the USA

Wars involving or impacting Poland (especially World War I and World War II) along with political and economical pressures precipitated Polish immigration to the USA. Due to the political and economical unrest, many Poles immigrated to Canada and the United States after 1850.

Enclaves within the USA

The largest enclave of Poles within the US is Chicago, Illinois. Chicago is also considered the largest Polish city outside of Poland with approximately one million Polish-Americans residing in the state of Illinois. Other cities with a significant Polish population include Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo, Cleveland, Columbus, Denver (within the past ten years), Detroit, Los Angeles, Milwaukee (within the past ten years), Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland, Rochester, and San Francisco.

Population by State

The top ten states are as follows: New York, Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Wisconsin, California, Ohio, Florida, and Massachusetts. Hawaii, Wyoming, and Washington D.C. rank 49th, 50th, and 51st.

Americans of Polish Ancestry

Approximately 11 million individuals in the United States declare Polish descent. However, the majority of those people cannot speak the Polish language. The 2000 US Census asserts that roughly 0.25% of the total US population speaks Polish in the home. Polish is spoken by about 1.4% of individuals speaking a language other than English in the US.

Several Polish organizations exist in the US and are dedicated to maintaining the link between Polonia and Poland, preserving history and culture, and keeping Polish heritage alive. The Polish American Congress is a national umbrella organization that represents several other smaller Polish organizations within the United States. Please link to Wikipedia-Polish American Congress for more detailed information regarding these organizations.