The Economic And Cultural Impacts Of Polish Immigration Into Chicago From 1860-1920

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Without the immigration of the Poles, the city of Chicago would not be what it is today. Polish Americans have given Chicago a unique characteristic that no other city has. The distinctive lifestyle of the Poles and their dedication to hard work has helped transform the city of Chicago into what it is today.
During the years from 1870-1899, life for the Poles was difficult and life threatening (Bukowska 7). The Russians took control of Poland after the insurrection of 1863 (“Where Eastern” 3). Russia tried to destroy the Polish culture by changing the official language of Poland to Russian. The use of the Polish language was restricted, and the Russian language was introduced into Poland’s schools (Bukowska 7). Soon every part of Poland had been transformed into the provinces of the Russian Empire (Bukowska 7). Bound by foreign oppression, many Poles fought on various battlefields for “our freedom and yours”(Haiman 1).
Through out the period from 1860-1920, two million Poles immigrated into the United States because of religious and economic differences in their homeland (Levinson 695). Polish Americans led the immigrant wave to the United States (Reardon 1). A trip to American from northwestern Europe rarely exceeded twelve days (Pacyga 35). Many of the Polish immigrants intended to return to their homeland when the condition improved or when Poland regained its independence. Yet, they seldom returned. Many immigrants followed a chain migration. The main reasons for immigration into the United States were to follow in the footsteps of a family member or a friend who had

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already immigrated into the US, and another is the fact that many Poles wanted to earn extra money for a specified end (Levinson 696).
Polish settlements in the United States reflected that of the economic conditions in Poland. Polish immigrants were poor peasants that came to the United States za chlebem (for bread)(Holli 174). Most of ...