Do many Polish people in America hate Americans?

I only ask because this is the opinion of my girlfriend. We both live in Chicago, and know Polish people. But she says that they hate being here, and look down upon Americans because they see us as rich and lazy. Is that true? I would hate to think so, working with Polish people, being friends with them, even dating one for a while.....

i wouldnt take it personally - they think the same of the brits

Yes, many of them do. I tell them they are not chained here and free to leave anytime they want...they just don't - why?

I don't belive that Poles are a nation of sado-masochists.

Why would so many Poles like to live in America if they hated Americans?

Just whiners.

"Hate" is too strong word here. Americans may be hated by the nations there is active war (like Iraq or Afghanistan), but with Poles it's something different.

But there must be something about that. You mean the Polish people living among Americans - and their opinion is different from those who live in Poland indeed.

The biggest problem is that America doesn't treat Poland (or Polish immigrants in this case) as partners - they are the ones who look down on Polish people living in the US, not vice versa. And quite often they want to show it to us. When you meet a group of Poles talking between themselves for over 5 minutes, there will very often be talk about immigration and how it influences their lives (ie. how hard it is for people to live without a driving license or get a SS#, or - which may be most important for the Poles' attitude towards America - that they cannot see their relatives for years because the consulate won't give a visa to their family members).

It is very subjective that "Americans are rich". To tell you the truth, an average Pole living in the US for 10 years is richer than an American living in the US for his/her whole life. That's because Poles know how to manage their money wisely, don't complain when they work two shifts, and don't live on credit.

"Americans are lazy" - it may have something to do with the fact they have not very good taste as far as going for vacation, for example. They care much more about having a (junk) food 4 or 5 days a day than to go to an interesting country to really get to know the world. Most Americans still think they have the best system and solutions to any problem when in fact they are too "lazy" to learn about other cultures or other solutions. Only when they go abroad (to Europe or Australia, even Canada), their eyes are wide open and some of them realize that the MacDonaldization of their life and culture is in fact promoting laziness and passive behavior.

There's one thing Americans are good at - talking about money. Whether a 10 year old child or a 85 year old American lady who's on her death-bed - they can always talk about money with you (usually with pleasure). That's sort of dumb that their lives is so much influenced by mamona..

Poles complain about everything. They will come to America and complain about the bread, the food, vegetables all taste the same, etc. They stick togther because they help each other out and consider Americans different than they are.
If they don't like something in the US, their favorite saying is: "co za dziadostwo tutaj jest" - meaning "what crap they have here", because in Poland they have better things.
But when someone tells them to go back to Poland, they don't want to...

These things are the ones I complain about too - unless you pay $5 for a loan bread or tomatoes in Whole Foods market, you have to eat s*hit ;). But that's another topic I suppose.

Hello Hello.
Chicago has excellent Polish stores with excellent bread, about $1.29 a loaf. Cheap and very good. So people there don't complain about the food because they can get the same stuff as in Poland.
But they always find something to complain about.

"Travel educates" - this is true with all nations but Americans. Because they do not travel to other countries, for some reason.

I don't mean those who have business travels or have family or friends in Poland/other countries. But if you take an average American, he or she will never go abroad in a lifetime. Even by going to Mexico you can learn a lot about life and yourself as a person when spending time with native Mexicans. However, an average American will never experience that - ie. will never get this invaluable knowledge. That's the main reason they are considered dumb and lazy by other nations.

They don't need to travel, they got everything here in the US. Not only are there mountains, Geysers, oceans, hot springs, rivers, lakes but there are also Mexicans, Chinese, Japanese, Poles, Germans, etc. Why move a mountain when the mountain comes here?

I was going to go to India but there a curry house just opened near me so why bother!

most of my friends that live in US for 10+ years think that americans are stupid, and get played by everyone, starting with their own goverment... careless to the point its just too much, everyone in europe is laughing off when they show intervievs with people from big cities, and ask questions like, who's the current US president [sic], some lady approx 23 said Bill Clinton, some other ppl didnt know... not to mention even the fact that most of the nation belives 100% everything they hear and see in tv so they get manipulated easily, and whoever runs the media runs the US public opinions etc. I never heard throu that Polish ppl in us hate americans. Im half american myself so cant rly tell anythink bad about them ;] .

You look from an American point of view (consumption = religion). What I meant - (not looking at the natural beauty) - what you can see and experience in Florida is the same in California, what is in Chicago is the same in New York - all the same people, buildings, MacDonalds, roads, police, pubs, motels, newspapers, food.

By irony, it's a similar situation to what was in Poland or Russia during communism - most people would not get a passport to see other countries then. But when some of them did, they realized Poland or Russia are 100 years behind the "bad West" in many aspects. In the US it's different - people have enough food, TV, place to live, and a car - that's enough to make them "happy", but lazy and ignorant at the same time to check what is going on outside their backyard.

Most Americans believe what they see on TV more than they would believe their own parents -- the problem is the US TV shows only very limited and selected views which are good for the people who govern the country or their "sponsors"/lobbyists.

How about learning about new, NON-Americanized, culture, way of life, people, news-media, food, even shops? This is what Americans miss and they don't even realize how different and - many times - better the life on the other parts of the world could be.

Some people in the US travel, some don't. Same as in every country. Many Poles don't go anywhere, don't have a passport. It doesn't depend on the nation but on the people itself. There are smart and dumb people everywhere.


Poles who come to America call Americans stupid, but Americans who go to Poland don't call them stupid. Hmm....Is it because Americans are smart or the Poles are smart?

I was always amazed by the creativity of movies productions, talented actors and surprise how pure Americans can be poor. In my class they were few Americans learning Swedish when I was in Sweden 3month and they around 5 years on the same level. I think they are little shallow since they speak English and they didnt want to put any effort to learn the other language.

Lucynda, I am stunned by your caustic attempt to deride Polish Americans. To even suggest something baneful like that on this website, where Polish Americans meet, is truly vitriolic. We are American, I am American. How can Americans hate America? WTF? Shame on you, Lucynda, for this insidious attempt of chicanery. I just hope that you've lied on your profile and you're not a real teacher, but if you are, then God help those poor children.

In general most Poles like Americans, and it seems that the older they are the more they like the US. Teenagers and college age students often roll their eyes with either real or mock displeasure whenever the US is mentioned, maybe because in Europe its trendy to do so. But I can't think of anyone who actually wishes the US any ill....if it helps answering your question any, yes most here are convinced that Bush is crazy and Americans are fat...


that's probably because usually there is something to complain about

I can complain about Polish a lot, about English, about Swedish as well. People are diffrent. Yes and I think I complain a lot too :-). To just add to my previous opinion I know a lot of Polish living abroad for 10years and not knowing the language.

Poles indeed complain about everything. The other thing is that most of Poles living abroad (unlike most of British or Germans living abroad) live there because of cash, not because they like to live there. I'm sure that It would be different If they visited as tourists, not economical immigrants.



I think she meant relatively new immigrants from Poland, not "Polish-Americans".

I think it the Poles in the US can be divided into two groups. The ones here legally, or the Polish-Americans, and all the rest. The legal people view the US as the land of opportunity. They're here because they want to be here. Some of their children may be Americans. Often they speak English with some profiency, so they have more opportunities. And if they don't, their children certainly do. Sure they miss the old country. Who doesn't.

The ones here illegally are in a different boat. Often times their English is very limited. Without a social security card, they have fewer options. Many of these people are very well educated. But without English profiency, and documentation, they're relegated to the most menial of jobs. They carry a chip on their shoulders, because they know they're capable of more than a minimum wage cleaning service job. They're very resentful, and often full of spite. They're here because they believe they must be here, not because they want to be here. As a result, everything in America sucks, except the money. The food in Poland is beter. The people are nicer. The schools are better. The doctors are smarter. Americans are fat and lazy, because they don't have a chance to become one.

Grossly exaggerated big time.. who can afford daily junk food? and if we did
eat so wastefully.. well I guess we would all be dead from diabetes at the age of
20...



tired of people putting down Americans calling them fat and lazy..

its ok to say you either like someone or not. but Its really tiresome to look on
here and see this when Americans ( especially those who are Polish by decent)
are called fat and lazy and who deserves that? many Americans , especially those
who are polish by decent.. think very highly of their Polish Brothers and sisters.. and
really care alot about what happens to poland, Ive not met one person who says
anything bad. nor do they accuse them of being theifs, racists, bigots bias etc etc
we just care, thats all. I come here all the time, so yeah, I will get over it..
but I can guarantee, those who come here that are new from the US and see this
posted are going to get upset and its going to turn them away from the one country
they felt close too...

I dont know why people say such things like they know ,, that why I said that,...
sorry if you take offense, but its the way I feel anymore.. oh well life goes on right.

I'm not quite following you, but it's me, not you. I will eloborate on my post. My last sentence, " Americams are fat and lazy, because they can't become one." was not meant as an insult to Americams. It was rather, a generalization of the attitude many Poles feels towards Americans. Because those Poles are in dead-end jobs, they steroetype Americans.

I'll add to it that these Poles in this group feel like Americans owe them something. They complain that they are in a strange country, don't know the language, have no family around and they feel that Americans should kiss their a$$e$, should feel sorry for them and should bend over backwards to accomodate them.

thank you for clarifying..Apologies to you.

I don't think that that's the case. These people don't feel they're owed something. Rather, they believe that they shouldn't be penalized because they don't have a piece of paper. I assume we're both basing our opinions on experience. If that's the case, my experiences contradict yours, and vice-a-versa.


Okee-dokee.

yup, fat and lazy.. dumb too. :)

Thanks. I'm getting a pretty clear picture now.

There is a thread about what is annoying about Poland so now we have revange ;-)
Do not take it so serious, but i wouldnt rather call any people dumb :-(
Lets complain what sucks about USA without being nasty.