From The Bristol Press: Addressing Polish stereotypes

Author and scholar Danusha V. Goska came to CCSU to give her “Fiedorczyk” otherwise known as “Brute Polak” lecture, poking holes at stereotypes to a receptive audience Thursday night.

Particularly in the United States, stereotyping of different people is commonplace and unfortunately, socially acceptable, she said.

“In America, Poles have become the prototypical ethnicity associated with the working class. Prejudice against Poles is often commingled with contempt for working class people, and for manual labor itself.”

She discussed the toxic nature of stereotypes and pointed out that “If you think stereotypically, you will stereotype everyone, including yourself.”

Professor M.B. Biskupski, the S.A. Blejwas Chair of Polish American Studies introduced Goska, who teaches at William Paterson University. Biskupski has dedicated his academic career to “setting straight the misinformation about Poles,” according to CCSU media relations officer Janice Palmer.

Goska has written a book on the subject, titled “Bieganski,” which specifically addresses the issues associated with the interaction between people of different cultures, nationalities, ethnicities, and religions, but specifically Jewish, Christian and Muslim relations. This subject encompasses everything from stereotypes, racism, immigration, tolerance, and multiculturalism, the media’s treatment of the concept of ethnicity, the online spread of stereotypes and hate, and the Holocaust.

…

The process of finding someone willing to publish one’s writing is never an easy feat, but for Goska, it seemed impossible. She began showing publishers “Bieganski” in 2002 and continuously received the same reaction: initial praise, promise of publication, and then a final backing-out. Each of the rejections in this series always employed the same reasoning; although compassionately moving, her words were to be written by some famous scholar, not an unknown Polish-[Roman] Catholic writer.

Finally in 2009, her long search ended when she found a pair courageous enough to take on the controversial book and set it out into the world. Antony Polonsky, Albert Abramson Chair of Holocaust Studies at Brandeis University, suggested Academic Studies Press, run by Igor and Kira Nemirovsky.

Before her speech, Goska told reporters, “I knew that somewhere out there were my fellow Poles and Polish Americans, and I vowed that I would reach them someday with a book that would serve them, serve my ancestors, and serve my own family. In the upcoming lecture at CCSU, I will finally reach my audience.”

It would be interesting to see the author address the role of the PNCC and other early Polonia organizations, such as the PNU (not necessarily Roman Catholic at the time, but inclusive of R.C., PNCC, Protestant, and Jewish Polish immigrants), in both fighting nativism and in building the underpinnings of the success found by future generations.

Bishop Hodur, of course, stressed the idea of cohesive community, education, literacy, representation, Trade Unionism, participative democracy, and self-sustaining communities.