Debate on Polonia

American Polonia debate launched!


Added: yesterday 7:54Flag English Source: PAP / Tomasz Gzell


Waldemar Biniecki | I would like to cordially invitation you to the debate on Polish diaspora to the cradle of American Polonia in Miss Mary, Texas, which will take place on 3 July 2025. But let's start at the beginning.





On 30 April, I wrote an article entitled “Is American Polonia facing a Renaissance or a complete fall and assimilation?“ I published it in Polish on the portal DoRzeczy.pl and in English on the portal “Kuryer Polski” in the United States. A fewer days later, Marcin Palade on the "Marcin Palade Statistically" channel published his column entitled 'Poles betrayed by Poland', in which he speaks in a bravadic way about the exclusion of 20 million Poles and their potentials overlooked intentionally and not included in the Polish blood circulation over the Vistula river. I then had a simple thought to start a debate on this subject and sent mass-email to most of the most crucial leaders of the American Polonia. After 2 weeks in the Polish weekly “Tygodnik Polski” an article was published by Prof. John Radziłowski (Director of the Polish Institute of Culture and investigation at Orchard Lake) entitled “The Renaissance of “Missing Tribes” of Poland?", and after another 2 weeks an article was published in Polish News by a typical of a young generation not belonging to any Polish organizations Brandon Tranquilla – an American of Polish origin from fresh Jersey, presently surviving in Mexico. The article is entitled 'Dispora as Defender: Supporting Poland in the Time of Change'. The remainder of about 20 e-mails were shorter statements. All these voices confirm the thesis that within the Polish diaspora in the US there is simply a request for a debate on the future of American Polonia and its relation with the Polish state.
What did prof. John Radziłowski write?

Prof. John Radziłowski, in his analysis of Waldemar Biniecki's article in “Polish Courier” presents both designation and critical reflection on the state and future of American Polonia. These are the main points and messages that he made in his text:

1. designation for the voice of Waldemar Biniecki

Radziłowski emphasizes that Biniecki's article is an crucial voice which should be read both by Poles in the country and in the USA. It points to the relevance of the appeal that Poland and its government should take Polonia seriously as an crucial part of transatlantic relations.

2. Key question about the essence of Polonia

The prof. asks the fundamental question: “What is the intent – or should be – of American Polonia?”

He points out that Polonia should not only be a tool of the Polish state, but a self-aware, self-aware community of its interests and identities. In the past, it was effective due to the fact that it had its own institutions and cultural life, which was weakened today.

3. Critical assessment of reality and proposals

Radziłowski considers Biniecki's proposals (language science, education about the past of Poland, debates, trips) as noble, but insufficient and hard to implement under the present conditions. It peculiarly undermines the reality of mass teaching of the Polish language as a tool for the revival of Polonia, pointing to assimilation and deficiency of infrastructure.

4. Call for Polish investment in Polonia

The prof. calls for Poland to begin to pay its debt to Polonia, which for over 100 years gave Poland everything – blood, talents, money. Today, Polonia needs aid due to the fact that many of its structures have fallen or disappeared.

5. Polonia recovery programme – circumstantial requests

Radziłowski proposes:Investments in existing Polish institutions.
Creating paid jobs for young leaders of Polonia in the media, culture, education.
Supporting cultural infrastructure in the US (museums, libraries, archives).
The emergence of a generation of ambassadors of Polish culture, understandable and effective in dealing with Americans.

6. Requirements for an effective policy towards Polonia

Radziowski formulates the principles of cooperation with Polonia:Recognition that Polonia is not a "worst" variant of the Pole from the country, but has his own history.
Cooperation over political, geographical and organisational divisions.
Professional consular service.
Failure to transfer funds to American universities, where projects frequently die in bureaucracy.
Simplification of transfers of funds to circumstantial initiatives.
Stopping the transfer of Polish collections to Poland – they should be supported where they were created.

7. Self-criticisation and diagnosis of weakness

The strongest part of the article is the harsh but honest diagnosis of Polonia:

"American Polonia is frequently its worst enemy itself".

Radzidowski points out the deficiency of vision, leadership, community spirit, failure of institutions, fragmentation and deficiency of ambition. It indicates that grandparents built churches and institutions, and present fewer young people have any social aspirations.

8. Completion – the request for real resources

Finally, the prof. states:

“Good ideas are not enough. (...) the request for resources and backing on specified a scale that Polonia is not remembered as the “lost tribes” of Poland.

Conclusions:

Prof. Radziłowski not only reviews Biniecki's text, but extends the debate to a deeper analysis of the state of Polonia. Its text is simply a program manifesto for all who are serious about the renewal of American Polonia: not only a imagination but besides courage, investments, professionalism and a fresh generation of leaders are needed.
Brandon Tranquilli: Polonia as a strategical partner of Poland

After the collapse of the USSR and accession to NATO in 1999, Poland moved from the periphery to the centre of European security. As 1 of the most committed members of the Alliance, Warsaw invests more in defence present (planned 4.7% of GDP in 2025) than any another NATO state, including the US. Poland hosts fast consequence forces, rocket defence systems and US military units.

In parallel, it modernises infrastructure, develops cybersecurity and invests in energy transformation, making it an active creator of Europe's future.

However, Poland's increasing commitment does not meet with equal interest from the US. The reorientation of American abroad policy on Indo-Pacific and the rivalry with China leads to the marginalisation of European affairs. Declarations that Europe must take greater work for its safety and president Trump's opposition to further sanctions on Russia rise questions about the sustainability of the NATO alliance.

In this context, Tranquilli points to the untapped possible of American Polonia — a community of more than 10 million people, concentrated in states crucial to the presidential election: Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois or Pennsylvania. As Waldemar Biniecki notes in his April 2025 article, Polonia is simply a “sleeping giant” — possessing knowledge, resources and influence but lacking coordination and strategical vision.