Polish American Voices: A documentary History, 1608-2020 – A book discussion by Anna D. Jaroszyńska-Kirchmann, Ph.D., and James S. Pula, Ph.D.
When: Tuesday, March 26, 2024, 1:00 PM ET
Webinar. Free and open to the public. Registration required.
This volume presents 145 primary source documents of Polish immigrants from different waves and backgrounds speaking about their lives, concerns, and viewpoints in their own voices, while they grapple with issues of identity and strive to make sense of their lives in the context of migration.
Poles have come to America since the Jamestown settlement in 1608 and constituted one of the largest immigrant groups at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. As of 2020, the Census Bureau lists them as the sixth largest ethnic group in the country. The history of their experience is an integral part of the American story as well as that of the broader Polish diaspora. Each of the ten comprehensive chapters presents a specific theme illuminated by a selection of letters, press articles, fragments of memoirs and autobiographical fiction, interviews, organizational papers, and other publications, as well as visual sources such as cartoons, posters, and photographs. Brief introductions to the documents and a “Further Reading” section offer historical context and point readers to additional resources.
The book provides students and scholars with a broad understanding and an incentive for future study of the Polish experience in the United States.
Anna D. Jaroszyńska-Kirchmann is a Distinguished Professor of History and a CSU Professor. She received her M.A. in history from Marie Curie Sklodowska University in Lublin, Poland, and her Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. She served as chair of Eastern’s History Department in 2013-17. She retired in 2022 and was granted Professor Emerita status.
James S. Pula is a Polish-American historian, professor, author, and Polonia activist. He is a Professor Emeritus at Purdue University Northwest, specializing in ethnic and immigration studies and 19th-century American history. He has served as president of the Polish American Historical Association and editor of Polish American Studies: A Journal of Polish American History and Culture.
