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POLISH
ANCESTRY – FIRST 20 STATES OF AMERICA
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TOTAL
POLISH |
% OF TOTAL US |
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POPULATION |
POLISH POPULATION |
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POLISH AMERICANS |
9,050,122 |
100 |
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3.3 % of national |
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population |
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NEW YORK |
958,893 |
10.6 |
ILLINOIS |
946,241 |
10.5 |
MICHIGAN |
900,335 |
9.9 |
PENNSYLVANIA |
855,526 |
9.5 |
NEW JERSEY |
591,347 |
6.5 |
CALIFORNIA |
496,588 |
5.5 |
WISCONSIN |
481,779 |
5.3 |
FLORIDA |
430,138 |
4.8 |
OHIO |
404,557 |
4.5 |
MASSACHUSETTS |
349,998 |
3.9 |
CONNECTICUT |
278,010 |
3.1 |
TEXAS |
234,861 |
2.6 |
MINNESOTA |
222,997 |
2.5 |
MARYLAND |
186,312 |
2.1 |
INDIANA |
164,587 |
1.8 |
ARIZONA |
140,541 |
1.6 |
VIRGINIA |
112,658 |
1.2 |
MISSOURI |
104,460 |
1.2 |
COLORADO |
97,420 |
1.1 |
IOWA |
31,861 |
0.4 |
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CENSUS BUREAU-CENSUS 2000-ESTIMATED FIGURES RELEASED BY
US CENSUS |
SUPPLEMENTAL SURVEY (C2SS) IN AUGUST 2001, BASED ON A
SAMPLE OF 700,000 HOUSEHOLDS |
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*Current MigrationPatterns
Poles continue to come into the Chicago area in large numbers;
125,230 nonimmigrants admitted in year 1999, according to
the
INS. Poles are coming through family reunification provisions
and the visa lottery. Some come because they have special
employment skills. The lottery has resulted in an overwhelming
outpouring of applications from Poles especially because
it is possible for people already in the US to change their
status if chosen in the lottery. Polish application for
citizenship is high; 13,127 persons were naturalized in
1999, according to the INS. It appears that few are returning
to Poland.
*Links To Homeland
Links to the homeland have probably been stronger in Polonia than
in most other ethnic communities in America . Because of
the history of the home country and efforts of its leaders
to nationalize emigrants living abroad. The identification
of the “fourth province of Poland” waned when
both Polonia and Poland turned their attention to their
own problems. The newest cohort and traditional Polonia
have been very active in trying to influence the
American government, first with a higher level of education,
obtained under the communist system. While many came as
formal immigrants, an even larger number entered on a temporary
basis and remained illegally.
Although most Poles of all three cohorts had not planned to stay
, most did because of political complications back home
and
increasing satisfaction with life in this country . Chicago
has long been one of the main centers of the national
Polish American community known as Polonia.
Most Poles are Roman Catholics. An interesting development in Polonia
has been the creation of a Polish National Catholic
Church, founded in 1873 as a revolt against Irish influence
and over Papal control. The PNCC has local leaders and elected
clergy who can marry. Only about 5% of Polish American join
the PNCC, but the religion has spread to the mother country,
an unusual phenomenon. The election of Pope John Paul II
and his several visits to the United States including Chicago
has been a great source of pride to Polonia.
*Holidays and Special Events
Three main events in the Polish calendar have been carried over
to Polonia. Christmas involves a highly decorated evergreen
tree, once traditionally lit with candles, and a 13-course
Christmas Eve dinner with a place set for a “hungry
stranger” and hay laid under tablecloth . Wafers like
communion wafers are shared along with forgiveness for past
offenses against one another and best wishes for the future.
Gifts are opened after dinner. Even those who are not active
Catholics attend Christmas Midnight Mass. Christmas day
is spent visiting relatives. Eater is the second most important
religious holiday and follows 40 days of self denial during
Lent. The pious visit the decorated “graves” of Jesus at Polish churches on Good Friday. The third big
holiday, Polish Constitution Day (May 3) celebrates Polish
Constitution of 1791, which was never put into practice
because of the 1793 partition of Poland, Prussia, Russia
and Austria. The holiday is observed with a parade. Casmir
Pulaski Day (first Monday in March) is an official Illinois
holiday the commemorates the Polish count who fought and
died in the American Revolution. It is celebrated with a
weekend parade, downtown lunch and event at the Polish Museum.
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Chicago
Statistics
Total population Illinois
946,241
* Income
$63,456.00 Mean Household
$74,230.00 Mean Family
* Occupation
Professionals 352,145
Technical 362,816
Service 118,449
Production 120,583
Laborers 130,187
* Class Of Worker
Private Sector 853,684
Government 144,059
* Education
High School Diploma 635,994
College Degree 245,434
Graduate Degree 96,039
* Home Owners
With Mortgage 671,209
Without Mortgage 394,829 |
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