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Reviews
Joseph W. Zurawski. Polish Chicago: Our History—Our Recipes. St. Louis, MO: G. Bradley Publishing, Inc., 2007. 240 pp. ISBN 978-0-9774512-2-7.
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Polish Chicago is local Polonian history on a grand scale—grand because the subject is, in this case, what was once the largest Polish community, outside of Poland, in the world and also because the author is remarkably ambitious. The result is a book which, although popular and not scholarly in focus, is impressive for its contents and handsome in its presentation.
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First, its contents. Zurawski opens his book with a brief summary of Polish history and with a quick review of early Polish contributions to the settlement of America and to the American Revolutionary War. What follows then is a comprehensive celebration of Polish Chicago. A large part of the book quite appropriately focuses on "Polish Catholicism in Chicago." Zurawski lists, for example, all sixty Polish Roman Catholic parishes established in Chicago prior to 1956 and the sixty churches in the city proper and in the suburbs which still today celebrate Mass in Polish. Sometime dismissed or overlooked, this aspect of Polish American life documents impressive spiritual and material achievements—many of the parish churches built by the settlers of the stara emigracja (old emigration) are magnificent by any architectural or artistic standards.
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Zurawski, however, is not content with mere lists; he discusses clerical leaders and the various religious orders that have attended to the spiritual needs of Polish Chicago. Among the latter, for example, are nice sections on the Franciscan Sisters of Chicago, the Sisters of the Resurrection, and the Felician Sisters. Zurawski also goes out of his way to mention St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital, the "Polish hospital," founded by the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, as another example of service to Polonia, and ultimately to the city at large, by an order of religious women. |
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Another feature of Polish Chicago which Zurawski addresses, and which contradicts many stereotypes both within and outside of Polonia, is an insistent attention by Polish immigrants to education. Most of the Polish parishes already mentioned built grammar schools; several high schools were founded by various Polish religious orders, and even two colleges were established with a primary mission to meet the needs of the Polish community—and this does not even take into consideration Polish American support for and contributions to other Catholic educational institutions and to the system of public education in the area.
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Also impressive but frequently overlooked were the many cultural activities fostered within the community—achievements which, once again, overturn stereotypes and even some scholarly theories. Literature is one such field. Poles of the mass immigrations were once dismissed as "lacking the education and cultural association necessary to the literary life"; but Zurawski documents a community engaged in a wide variety of literary activities ranging from writing contests to drama and art clubs and from reading rooms to almost two dozen Polish language publications which in 1920 had a combined circulation of 1,340,000 readers. The music of Polish Chicago, including but not limited to the polka, is also summarized; and Polish dance groups are reviewed.
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Worth mentioning as well is Zurawski's attention to other notable features of Polish Chicago. The organization and achievements of groups such as the Polish Roman Catholic Union, the Polish National Alliance, the Polish Women's Alliance, and the Polish Alma Mater are documented. In the area of sports Zurawski calls attention to prominent Polish American athletes, on both the amateur and professional levels, from Chicago; but perhaps even more impressive is his discussion of the efforts by local parishes, schools, and clubs to foster physical well-being, especially among youth. It seems that our grandparents were much better informed and nurturing than is sometime thought.
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Beyond all this, Zurawski does a nice job of taking his readers into Chicago's Polish neighborhoods and homes. The city's Polonia consists of many communities and neighborhoods with distinct histories and origins; all of these, or at least the major ones, are featured by Zurawski—including the Southeast Side, a community frequently overlooked. The discussion of a range of Polish and Polish American cus—centered around holidays, holydays, and personal occasions such as weddings and is a nice touch, providing non-Polish readers with a better appreciation for Polish American family and home life.
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One other topic requires mention. Zurawski points out the many times and ways in which Polish American Chicago has assisted the political and human needs of the Polish nation; these acts of monetary, humanitarian, political, and even military support, some of them absolutely heroic, have too often gone unnoted and unappreciated by many in this country and in Poland. The most impressive feature of this celebration of Polish Chicago, then, is the scope of Zurawski's text; but the wealth and layout of photos also contribute to the attractiveness of the book. The quality, selection, and arrangement of the photos add much to the book's appeal. |
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A few errors and typos mar the text. St. Mary Magdalene Parish, for example, is listed simply as St Mary's, and occasional oversights such as Punna Maria for Panna Maria and gunali for gorali have slipped through the editing process. These, however, are rare and will escape the notice of most readers. Indeed, the book is remarkably well edited and presented—although an index would have been a nice addition. |
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Unfortunately samples of the many wonderful recipes included and beautifully photographed in the text did not accompany the review copy of the book. Readers will have to test the recipes for themselves; but all indicators suggest that they well be well pleased with the fare. In summary, Zurawski's Polish Chicago is an impressive popular tribute to its subject which is sometime more analyzed than appreciated. |
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Thomas J. Napierkowski
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University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
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