What do you Americans think about Poles? Do you guys like us? Do you like Polish cusine (pierogi etc.:)? The Polish food is popular in USA?

23 comments

  1. There are large Polish communities in parts of the US, two that come to mind are Chicago and the Pittsburgh area. I grew up eating a lot of pierogi, halušky, kielbasa, and packzi.

  2. I haven’t seen much (if any) anti-polish sentiment in the US (outside of maybe the main subs critiquing your government). I’ll say that especially right now y’all’s distrust and dislike of Russia (and gung-ho attitude towards helping *anyone* willing or able to fight them) is popular.

    I’m not quite sure how popular the food is in general in the US, but I eat pierogis a couple times per month, they’re really good!

  3. for the Americans who know what Poland is, here’s what (in order) what we usually think of when we hear “Poland”

    * world war 2/ holocaust (sorry)
    * communism (sorry)
    * Russia (sorry)
    * kebasi/perogi/cusine
    * homophobia/transphobia/conservative culture (sorry)
    * non-cuisine related culture
    * other

    but usually opinion is neutral/vaguely positive/ slightly empathetic

  4. Yes, Poland is an ally country and Poles are viewed positively, especially recently during the War with Ukraine. US history is connected to Poland through Casimir Pulaski (Kazimierz Pułaski) who is known as “the father of the American cavalry.”

    Polish cultural influence is regional here and more prominent in the Northern Midwest and Northeast, which is where you can find good Polish food.

    For example, Chicago is the third largest US city and it has a strong Polish influence. There are Polish-language newspapers, TV channels, and radio there, and Casimir Pulaski Day is a state holiday.

  6. Generally positive attitude.

    There’s a lot of Poles around Chicago. I used to live next to a neighborhood that was very Polish but had become very Mexican by the time I was there and now it’s apparently gentrified. There’s some Polish areas around Boston. The Wire also has some great Polish American story lines. Frank Sobatka is maybe my third favorite character after Omar and McNulty.

    Also I mod /r/polandball so I have a weird fascination with you guys beyond just knowing a couple Poles in real life.

    You cannot into space.

  7. I grew up in a town that was mostly Polish American so we have pierogis, kapusta with kielbasa, golobki, and kluski. Love that stuff, well worth the horrible gas I get from all the cabbage. Other than food I am pretty sure most Poles take Catholicism rather seriously, and Thaddeus Kosciusko is probably the third most famous non-American revolutionary war here after Lafayette and Von Steuben. Overall positive on Poland, I’d say.

  9. We love y’all. Polish culture is very big in some of our cities, as others have mentioned, and our nations are on very good terms.

  10. Poland is a very important ally in Europe, especially due to recent events.

    I can’t say I’ve ever had any food that’s polish, or T least that I knew was polish.

  11. From my experience, polish culture isn’t super widespread. But I am very, very thankful to have y’all in NATO and I love and respect your history of fighting against communism and fascism. Haven’t had much Polish food but I’ve had the beer and I enjoy it. I will say I have some friends of direct Polish descent and their names are alphabet soup to me. But they are wonderful people and I’m glad to know them. On the whole, I love the Poles

  13. My grandparents were 1st generation polish immigrants. They spoke the language and visited family.

    I grew up on pierogi and lore. They were avid lovers of Pope JP. But sadly I wasn’t passed down much culture.

    I have a friend in vet school at a Polish University. I’d love to visit one day.

  14. I love anybody, especially people from European allied countries. As far as Polish cuisine goes I can’t honestly speak much on it but would absolutely try anything.

  16. Most popular restaurant in my middle of nowhere town is a Polish. Been there 50 or so years and is delicious.

  17. Wisconsin is extremely Polish and German. In my area, we have a bridge anecdotally called “The Polish Connection,” as the city on the other side has a ton of Polish influence.

    We have Pulaski and Peshtigo north of me. Pulaski has a fairly big polka festival in the summer.

    We have absolutely ZERO problems with Poles here.

  18. I grew up in the 70’s/80’s and Polish jokes were a thing.

    As a kid, I never really got it.

    As an adult, I still don’t get it.

    Why were there polish jokes?

  19. Big fan here. My grandmother was raised in a Polish speaking neighborhood, her parents were immigrants from the southeast region of the country (it was Austria-Hungary at that time). Pierogi and sausages is a regular dish in my home.

  20. Michigan has a very large population with Polish ancestry. Last names with -ski are very common (and nobody has an issue pronouncing them).

    For Marci Gras, it is traditional to eat Paczkis up here, even if you aren’t Polish and they can be found at most grocery stores. Bakeries will sell out ahead of schedule for the good ones.

  21. There are a lot of people who are ethnically polish who immigrated to the US to the point that hearing a polish last name is not strange.

    Some areas are more know for polish immigrants, mostly in the rust belt.

    I’ve met heard a negative thing said about Poland.

    Kielbasa and pierogi can be easily found in the US. Kielbasa is pretty normal to the point many don’t associate it with Poland. Pierogi is much more regional but I live now in an area without any noticeable polish influence and they sell frozen pierogis at the grocery store.

    Casimir Pulaski was a Pole who came to America during our revolution and helped develop our cavalry. He died in the war and is buried down the coast from me in Savannah GA. There’s a coastal fort outside Savannah named after him.

    When I was in Afghanistan I worked with the Polish military. We had a soldier with a Polish last name who the Poles saw on a roster and wanted to meet. They were pretty excited to meet someone who’s family had come to America from Poland some time ago.

    Overall I’m not aware of any negative perception of Polish in America.

  22. I’m from Chicago, literally half the people on my block were born and raised in Poland. There are many jokes made about Poles in my neighborhood, but 99% of my neighbors are great and we have good relationships. Polish food is good, but I still think ours (Italian) is better.

  23. The Wire, Season 2 is focused on the dock workers many of whom have Polish heritage. There’s a lot of references to Polacks and how hard headed they can be.

    The first time I visited Chicago with my wife we stayed in Schiller Park, a Polish neighborhood. It must’ve been some Polish holiday because the nearby Polish market had all the employees dressed in costume. Also had some delicious honey beer

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