Poles in Chicago
| Part of a series on |
| Ethnic groups in Chicago |
|---|
Both immigrant
History
A number of Poles contributed to the history of the city together with Captain Napieralski, a veteran of Cross Mountain[clarification needed] during the 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.[2]
Distribution
According to Dominic Pacyga, most of the Poles who first came to Chicago settled in five distinct parts of the city.
Polish communities in Chicago were often founded and organized around parishes mostly by
Initial historical Polish patches
In
- Trojcowo – The area around Holy Trinity Polish Mission
- Stanislawowo – The area around St. Stanislaus Kostka in Chicago
- Kantowo – The area around St. John Cantius in Chicago
- Mlodziankowo – The area around Holy Innocents in Chicago
- Fidelisowo – The area around St. Fidelis
- Helenowo – The area around St. Helen
- Marianowo – The area around St. Mary of the Angels in Chicago
- Jadwigowo – The area around St. Hedwig's in Chicago
- Wojciechowo – The area around St. Adalbert's in Chicago
- Annowo – The area around St. Anns in Chicago
- Romanowo – The area around St. Roman's
- Kazimierzowo – The area around the former St. Casimir's
- NMP Nieustajacej Pomocy – The area around St. Mary of Perpetual Help
- Barbarowo – The area around St. Barbara in Chicago
- Jozefowo – The area around St. Joseph's in Chicago
- Janowo – The area around St. John of God
- Sercanowo – The area around Sacred Heart
- Niepokolanowo – The area around Immaculate Conception in Chicago
- Michalowo – The area around St. Michael's in Chicago
- 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.
North Side of Chicago
- Jozafatowo or Kaszubowo – The area around the parish of St. Josaphat's in Chicago which was initially heavily Cassubian
- U Przemienienia – The area around the parish of Transfiguration
Avondale
- St. Hyacinth Basilica
- St. Wenceslaus
- Polskie Wille - The landmark Villa District, historically known as the "Polish Kenilworth"
- Niepokalanowo/ Małe Kaszuby – The area around Immaculate Heart of Mary, also known as Little Cassubia
- Władysławowo – The area around the parish of St. Ladislaus in Chicago
- Konstancowo – The area around the parish of St. Constance
- Teklowo – The area around the parish of St. Thecla
- Jakubowo – The area around St. James
- U Biskupa/ Biskupowo (Stanislawowo) – The area around the parish of St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr
- Franciszkowo – The area around the parish of St. Francis of Assisi
South Side of Chicago
- Piotropawlowo – The area around the parish of Ss Peter and Paul
- Brunowo – The area around the parish St. Bruno
- Kamilowo – The area around the parish of St. Camillus by Midway Airport
- U Pieciu Braci – The area around Five Holy Martyrs
- Pankracowo – The area around the parish of St. Pancratius
- U Dobrego Pasterza/ Pasterzowo – The area around the parish of Good Shepherd
- Turibiuszowo – The area around the parish of St. Turibius
- Salomejowo – The area around the parish of St. Salomea
- Florianowo – The area around the parish of 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.
Religion
As in Poland, the overwhelming majority of
Poland is also home to followers of Protestantism and the Eastern Orthodox Church. Small groups of both of these groups are present Chicago. One of the most celebrated painters of religious icons in North America today is a Polish American Eastern Orthodox priest, Fr. Theodore Jurewicz, who singlehandedly painted New Gračanica Monastery in Third Lake, Illinois, over the span of three years.[9]
While large numbers of
The Polish presence in Chicago today
Institutions
Chicago bills itself as the largest Polish city outside of Poland with approximately 800,000
Culture
.jpg)
Chicago also has a thriving Polish cultural scene. The
Chicago celebrates its Polish Heritage every Labor Day weekend at the Taste of Polonia Festival in Jefferson Park, attended by such political notables as President George H. W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Newt Gingrich, Hadassah Lieberman, Congresswoman Melissa Bean, and Tipper Gore.[11] Illinois, due to the influence of this large population, is also one of the few states that celebrates Casimir Pulaski Day. Some schools and government services in the metro area are closed for the holiday.
The Almanac of American Politics 2004 states that "Even today, in Archer Heights [a neighborhood of Chicago], you can scarcely go a block without hearing someone speaking Polish". This may be anachronistic because, although once true, today the Archer Heights neighborhood is predominately Mexican-American and Mexican, with many of the Polish former residents having died or moved to the suburbs. This is reflected in many of the businesses which served the Polish community having been replaced with businesses which serve the Mexican community. Polish-language business signs, once ubiquitous in Archer Heights, are now quite rare, while Spanish-language signs are seen on many businesses in the area.
Much of 1950s Chicago Polish youth culture was captured in the 1972 musical Grease, in which the majority of characters had Polish surnames (Zuko, Dumbrowski, Kenickie); Jim Jacobs, who conceived Grease, based the musical on his real-life experiences in a Chicago high school. Much of the Polish-American nature of the musical was discarded when Grease was made into a feature film in 1978, casting non-Polish actors in the lead roles, and subsequent productions have also followed the film's lead in toning down the Chicago Polish influences.
Ponglish
 | This section needs additional citations for verification. (June 2018) |
Some of Chicago
Notable persons
![[icon]](/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (May 2015) |
Actors, singers, and directors
- Stanley Andrews, born Stanley Andrzejewski, an American actor who played the voice of Daddy Warbucks on the radio program Little Orphan Annie
- 24
- Casey and Nina Siemaszko – American actors
- Danny Pudi, an American actor best known for his role as Abed Nadir in Community, born in Chicago to a Polish mother and an Indian father
Writers and authors
- Stuart Dybek – writer of fiction and poetry
- John Guzlowski – author
Businessmen and entrepreneurs
- John S. Flizikowski – architect of residential, church, and commercial buildings during the late 19th and early 20th centuries
- Paul Bragiel – Silicon Valley entrepreneur & venture capitalist, Colombia national team cross country skier
Musicians and composers
- Jack Benny, born Benjamin Kubelsky, American comedian, vaudevillian, radio, television and film actor, and violinist
- Walter Jagiello - polka musician known as L'il Wally who was one of the first two inductees into the International Polka Association Polka Hall of Fame.
- Feliks Konarski – poet, songwriter, and cabaret performer
- Krzysztof Klenczon – singer and songwriter and member of the group Czerwone Gitary
- Ray Manzarek – keyboardist of The Doors
- Artur Rodziński conductor of opera and symphonic music
- Flora Zygman – pianist, music educator
Clergy
- Roman Catholicpriest and organizer
Painters, sculptors, and artists
- Jerzy Kenar – sculptor
- historical preservationist
- Ed Paschke – painter
- Mary Stanisia – American Catholic artist and painter
- John J. Szaton – sculptor
- sculptor
- Katarzyna Mecinski (also known as Fifty na Pol) - YouTube vlogger
Government officials and politicians
- Ben Adamowski—politician, Cook County, Illinois state's attorney, switched from Democrat to Republican and gave Richard J. Daley his closest race for mayor
- Polish People's Republic
- City of Chicagowho helped organize St. Stanislaus Kostka parish
- John Kluczynski – U.S. Representative representing Illinois's 5th congressional district
- Robert Martwick – Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives
- Roman Conrad Pucinski – Democratic Party Politician and U.S. Representative
- House Ways and Means Committee
- John Francis SmulskiAmerican politician and businessman.
Scholars
- Marta Ptaszynska – University of Chicago professor
Sports
- Cracovia Krakow
- Mike Krzyzewski – Basketball coach
- Al Piechota – Professional baseball player whose career spanned 15 seasons
- Moose Skowron - Professional baseballplayer, eight-time All Star
Criminals
- Ted Kaczynski – Evergreen Park math professor and terrorist
- Tillie Klimek – serial killer
- Steven Kazmierczak – Northern Illinois University shootingof February 14, 2008
- John Wayne Gacy – serial killer
- Wanda Stopa – murderer and lawyer
See also
- Diaspora politics in the United States
- Felician Sisters
- Polish Cathedral stylechurches
- Polish Constitution Day Parade
- Polish Falcons
- Polish Roman Catholic Union of America
- Resurrectionist Congregation
- Fourth Partition, a 2013 documentary film
References
- ^ Lodesky, James D. Polish Pioneers in Illinois 1818-1850, XLibris (2010), p. 79
- ^ a b Parot, Joseph J. Polish Catholics in Chicago, 1850–1920, Northwestern University Press (1981), p. 19
- ^ Parot, Joseph, J. "Polish Catholics in Chicago, 1850-1920, Northwestern University Press (1981), p. 18
- ^ "Chicago city, Illinois - Profile of Selected Social Characteristics: 2000". American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. 2000-04-01. Archived from the original on 12 February 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2010.
- ^ "American FactFinder - Results". Archived from the original on 2020-02-11. Retrieved 2010-06-24.
- ^ "Language Access". www.chicago.gov. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
- ^ Pacyga, Dominic "Polish Immigrants and Industrial Chicago: Workers on the South Side, 1880–1922" University of Chicago Press, 1991, pp. 41–42
- ^ a b c d Parot, Joseph, J. "Polish Catholics in Chicago, 1850–1920, Northwestern University Press (1981), p. 75
- ^ Serbian Monastery of New Gracanica – History Archived 2009-02-21 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Detailed Races and Ethnicities in the United States and Puerto Rico: 2020 Census".
- ^ America the diverse - Chicago’s Polish neighborhoods (5/15/2005)USA Weekend Magazine.
Further reading
- Erdmans, Mary Patrice. Opposite Poles: Immigrants and Ethnics in Polish Chicago, 1976-1990. Penn State University Press, 1998.
- Pacyga, Dominic A. (2019). American Warsaw: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of Polish Chicago. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226406619.
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
