Yesterday BBC America had a video piece on
New Britain, CT....
"The city's official nickname is the "Hardware City" because of its history as a manufacturing center and as the headquarters of Stanley Works. Because of its large Polish population, the city is playfully referred to as "New Britski"....
Polish community
New Britain has the largest Polish population of any city in Connecticut with many residents considering the city's Broad Street community as its heart. Affectionately referred to as "Little Poland", the vibrant neighborhood has been home to an exceedingly large number of Polish businesses and families since 1890. In recent years, the Polish community has been credited with revitalizing the area both culturally and economically.
Broad Street, January 2008.
Whether they want to shop, get a haircut, learn how to dance, talk to an attorney or have their taxes done, visitors to New Britain's Broad Street neighborhood have the unusual opportunity of being able to conduct the entire day's business completely in Polish. Within the span of a few blocks, the Polish District boasts its own contracted U.S. Post office, a Polish Mall, both national and regional banks, real estate agents, accountants, several travel agencies, a dance school, European day spas, hair salons, restaurants, delis, European cafes, grocery stores, jewelers, three Polish language newspapers, a tanning salon, a television station, and one of a distinctively small number of law firms that offers legal consultations entirely in Polish. In 2006, the Hartford based litigation firm Podorowsky, Thompson & Baron opened a regional office in the heart of the Polish district at the behest of local business leaders. Founded in 1940, the firm's legal staff includes attorney David L. Thompson, son of former Wisconsin Attorney General George Thompson (R. 1963–1965) and attorney Adrian Mark Baron, a former aide to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
snip
Anyway.. the piece was a good one about how many of the Polish immigrants who came here to escape the Iron Curtain, may now be re-thinking the whole thing. The father they interviewed commented that he was thinking seriously about "going back", now that Poland was part of the EU..and seeing as how the economy in CT was not good at all.. His nearly grown daughters were quite enthusiastic about this idea.
This is the type of family that America will start to lose, if we are not careful. These folks came here to escape oppression, raised their kids with USA "values", and most likely, the whole family has been tax-paying, upright citizens.
Having that dual citizenship must look pretty good to them about now, especially for folks in their 40's, 50's, & 60's.
Imagine yourself in their shoes..
Maybe you have a small business that's tanking (the impression the story left with me)..You have college-aged kids, and you're barely keeping your head above water, financially...
but you have that dual citizenship opportunity to go back to Poland (or any other EU country, for that matter)..
Once you went back, you would already know the customs, language and probably have extended family there who would be very happy to have you back. Depending on the country, your kids would have access to college, your family would have health care with no-muss-no-fuss..and your other benefits of citizenship would vary by country, but would surely outweigh what you left behind in the US..
When the righties froth at the mouth and demand "repatriation" of immigrants, they are missing the fact that some of the people we will lose will be people like this family..who are tired of just missing the american dream..
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