Opposite Poles

Opposite Poles: Immigrants and Ethnics in Polish Chicago, 1976-1990 examines the complex social dynamics of the Polish community in Chicago. This history volume 1 explores the tension between established Polish American ethnics and a new wave of immigrants arriving from communist Poland during the 1980s. While both groups shared a desire for a noncommunist homeland, their differing social backgrounds led to significant intracommunity conflict.

Mary Patrice Erdmans utilizes interviews and surveys to analyze how these groups competed for political and cultural ownership. This work of ethnic relations and American history demonstrates that shared ancestral heritage does not always guarantee collective action. By focusing on the social conditions of Chicago, the text provides a detailed study of the heterogeneity within immigrant populations in the United States.