What Makes You Polish? 🇵🇱 [Kult America]

For all of my life I've been curious about heritage and identity, especially as it pertains to my own family. For that reason I headed to Rzeszów in Podkarpackie to attend the largest gathering of Polonia on earth to find answers.

Copyright ©️Kult America. All rights reserved.

#KultAmerica #RyanSocash #Podkarpackie #Polonia #Polish

[KultAmerica]

Special thanks to my dear friend Włodek Markowicz for editing this video! Perhaps the soul of Podkarpackie is in us both!

[jvarney]

My wife and visited Poland for the first time in April. Born and raised in California. We had a great time, the people are the best. We would love to be called Polish.
God bless Polska!

[Konkubinanr]

I live in Poland all of my life and I never knew about this event!
Greetings to all people of world Polonia

[graphictech]

I'm Italian and Jamaican but visiting Poland(Center Europe) really made me to love this country so much, I had the best experience ever and met so many amazing people, I really appreciate its culture and traditions and I completely respect it, yes I know am not Polish, but I'm always supporting this great nation 💪🏽🇵🇱

[lawrencelawrence]

My DNA was almost 100% Lithuanian even though my family has lived in Canada for 3 generations. A couple of years ago I travelled to Poland and I felt as though I just came home even though I have never been there before. Lithuania and Poland are side by side and throughout the generations borders have changed. I believe that DNA plays a big factor in where we feel we belong.

[artsyandria]

I was born in America and have really struggled with my cultural identity. I am mostly polish and I look polish but I have never really been exposed to the culture. I have had some dishes and my great grandmother taught me a couple of polish phrases. I am trying to learn more about the history and culture of Polska. I feel like I am finding who I really am and will do what I can to keep the culture alive here in America in anyway that I can.

[ragnargrabson]

This nice lady from Grenoble nailed it: "...the heart stays in Poland even if you are abroad...". Poles are a big family, those 20 mln people living overseas. Best greetings form a Polish-American who was born and raised in Poland and has lived in the US. for a long time and who has been passing polish traditions and language to the next generation.

[suredeydo]

I am Austrian-born by both Polish parents, refugees of Communist bloc. Partially raised in U.S. Thank you for your beautiful videos of Polish culture. 🖤

[priscilladesouzasilva]

I'm from Brazil, but I'm in love with Poland I really want travel to this beautiful country.

[PerspektywaEwy]

what makes you polish? Miłość do języka i kraju pomimo wszystko... tęsknota... i radość za każdym razem jak wracasz...

[computerdave]

What a great video. I was born in the US to Polish parents even thought I call US my home and am an American. In my heart I am Polish. I speak the language, love the food, and culture. I am fortunate to have close family in Poland which I have been visiting almost yearly lately. I believe being Polish is more then where you where born or what your DNA dictates. I believe what is important is a personal belief of where you belong. If you want to be Polish and feel close to and participate in the culture you are part of the family.

[gregornowak]

To my polish Sisters and Brothers ... lets go back home ... i Love you all mi matter wehre you are God Bless Polska !!! Greatings from Swiss!
By the way, two maby three years more and we will go back !!! Home!

[charlies.]

What makes me feel Polish?! The fact that my last name is about 22 letters long, and has a Kow 🐄 in the middle and a SKI 🎿at the end!! 😁 Seriously, though, my grandparents were born in Poland, and while I've never been there, growing up in the USA, we spoke a bit of Polish at home, ate many Polish dishes and tried to include the Polish traditions during Holidays and at family weddings. Since genealogy is currently very popular and is easier to investigate due to technology, my entire family is trying to learn more about our Polish ancestry. Having excellent channels like yours is also VERY helpful!! Dziękuję Bardzo for that!!👍😁

[paulmazan]

Both my parents and my grandparents were Polish and came here from southeast Poland. I grew up celebrating all the Polish Holidays and their pride in being of Polish ancestry and keeping the traditions alive has made me proud to be Polish. I was born here served in the USAF and am proud of America and consider myself American but the roots of my family have caused me to study Polish History. I've written a book of my fathers experiences in WW2 where he came in contact with Poles that were Slave Laborers in Germany. The book is titled "Fighting Poles" and in it, I tell a tale of what was going on in Poland during the 1939-1945 period. The research for that book had made me even more proud of the Polish People and the horrors they endured to keep their Country and Culture alive.

[ScyzorykPolak]

What Polish is to me, let me start with some background on my life. I was born to immigrant Polish parents in the States in 1993. In 1995 they moved to Minnesota, there I learned to speak read and write Polish at Polish Saturday school, on Sundays I was an alter boy at church, during the summers I would often go back to Poland. My mom cooked Polish dinners almost daily. I danced with one of the groups in this video and even participated at this festival several years ago. But to me that’s not what makes me Polish. That’s all part of my culture and heritage. What makes me Polish is my love for Ojczyzna. Like yourself you found your love for Poland being there. The same holds true for me, every time I can go back I feel at home and complete and it gets harder and harder to leave. And to me anyone who loves Poland is family.

[Naganopl]

My big hugs to Polonia from all over the world. It always fascinated me!

[nancyjanzen]

My mother asked me that question once. Her paternal grand father was from East Prussia according to his travel papers but his wife was Polish. Her maternal grandfather was from Poland but his wife was German. I was born on Milwaukee's Southside but much of my family lived in an enclave behind the reservoir in St Hedwigs parish. My mother thought of herself as German and I thought of myself as Polish.
My answer. Your German father died 10 days before my third birthday. We moved from the German parish where I was baptized to a Polish parish. Now that her John had died Grandma became more Polish in culture reverting to her childhood roots. And since she raised me that is what I absorbed. I attended the parish school taught by the Polish nuns from Steven's Point aka the School Sisters of St Joseph. Both priests were Polish. Fast forward to high school at the Cathedral an Irish parish run by Dominicans. Since the kids came from all 72 parishes in the diocese the bishop required priests from all those parishes to teach religion on a rotating basis. So Father walks in writes his name on the board and proceeds to teach class on the difference between your cultural tradirions and Tradition. At the end of class he names 16 kids. A whole bunch of definitely Polish names and Janzen and says you were all raised in Polish parishes. Of course the others looked at me so I said Father how do you know? By the way you addressed me like a respected but favorite uncle. Small differences ingrained we dont even notice. Favorite foods acquired hanging with the greats and the grands as a child. These make us who we are.

[vladisslay]

my grandmother is helping me learn polish and i have never felt more at home in my life. i’m a fourth generation polish american and am still learning so much

[lilliegajda]

What makes me, Polish? My parents were born in Poland and I was born in Chicago. We kept Polish traditions, of course the language, and culture. My children went to Polish school just like I did and they danced in Polish Folklore dance groups. I visited Poland many times and I always feel at home at peace there. I feel like I belong. My children have been there too and they say the same thing. Awe Inspiring place on earth. Thank you for your video, and you are Polish.

[wjones]

My mother was born in Poland and came here at the age of two. I grew up in Brooklyn attending a Polish school and Church. Only great memories of friends and family enjoying cultural dance and really great food.