Polish Americans
Polscy Amerykanie | |
|---|---|
Americans with Polish ancestry by PUMA and state according to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey in 2023 | |
| Total population | |
| Alone (one ancestry) 2,686,326 (2020 census) 0.81% of the total US population Alone or in combination 8,599,601 (2020 census) 2.59% of the total US population | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Languages | |
| Religion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
Polish Americans (Polish: Polscy Amerykanie) are Americans who are of full or partial Polish origin. Polish settlement in the United States started in the mid-19th century. The flow of people has fluctuated over time depending upon conditions in Poland and the United States. The Polish American population is concentrated around the Great Lakes and the Mid-Atlantic. Illinois, New York, Michigan, and Pennsylvania are the states with the largest populations though none of them contain more than 15% of the Polish American population.
Poland has a long history of republicanism going back to the establishment of the first national legislature, the Sejm of the Kingdom of Poland, in 1386. This legislature became bicameral in 1493. Poland and Lithuania formed a federated state in 1569 with the establishment of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In this commonwealth of two nations there was a joint legislature called the General Sejm. An elective monarchy was started in 1572. Influenced by the Constitution of the United States, the commonwealth enacted a written constitution called the Constitution of 3 May 1791.
In addition to political liberty, Poland has a long tradition of religious liberty. Statutes for the toleration of specific religious groups date to the 13th century. The Compact of Warsaw, which was passed in 1573, codified religious tolerance for the nobility and burghers in the commonwealth. Polish Americans have been very active in religion, particularly Christianity and Judaism.
Polish Americans have demonstrated a strong interest in the sovereignty of Poland. During World War I, notable numbers of Polish Americans joined either the United States Armed Forces or the Blue Army with the goal of re-establishing an independent Poland. The Polish American Congress was established during World War II to advocate in the United States for a sovereign Poland. The congress lobbied successfully for the admission of Poland to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 1999.
Polish Americans continue to produce and consume many of the foods from the old country. Festivals centered on food, religion, art, and patriotism are found in many locations throughout the United States. News media is produced in Polish and/or English. There are several museums as well.