Piast Institute Launches New Survey of Polonia

The Piast Institute is a National Center for Research, Analysis and Policy formation on Polish and Polish Affairs and an official U.S. Census Information Center (CIC) that focuses on Polish and other East Central European ethnic groups in America.  This survey follows up on two earlier national studies in 2009 and 2010 that the Institute did of 900 and 1,400 Polish Americans respectively.  The new study probes some of the key social, political and economic questions asked on the earlier studies and adds a few additional issues that have aroused public concern since.  It also probes the attitudes of Polish Americans on matters of concern to the community and their ideas about its future.

The study is being conducted as a “rolling survey” over a span of three months.  Polish Americans and Poles living in America are encouraged to participate.  Dominik Stecula, a Ph.D. student at the University of British Columbia who coauthored the original study urged as wide a participation as possible to give the study a broad statistical sample for analysis. ”I hope all Polish Americans who have a concern about our community take the time to respond to the survey,” he said. Mr. Stecula noted that “The original study demonstrated to us that Polonia is a unique community which shows distinctive opinions and attitudes on public and community issues.  We need broad national participation to allow us to confirm our earlier findings and to deepen our analysis.  These will be invaluable as we seek to create Polonia anew in the 21st century.” The survey, he pointed out, which can be completed in 25 to 60 minutes, can be accessed at  blogs.ubc.ca/piastsurvey.

The 2010 study published as Polish Americans Today by the Piast Institute has gone through three printings. Its findings have been a key item of discussion at several national conferences.  The chancery of the President of Poland ordered copies for its staff as have several Polish Ministries as well as the offices of the Marshalls of the Sejm and Senate.  “The Piast Institute undertook the original study because we found a dearth of information about the Polish American Community as major Research Centers such as NORC at the University of Chicago and the national election exit polls have stopped asking about European American ethnic groups.” Says Dr.Radzilowski.  “Poles and other European groups were lumped into a new default category called “White” which makes no historical, cultural or demographic sense.  It is a new version of the melting pot.”

The new study will be published by E. Mellen Press, a major Social Science and Humanities publisher.

For more information contact the Executive Vice President of the Piast Institute
Virginia Skrzyniarz
Skrzyniarz@piastinstitute.org
or (313) 733-4535