Culture and American Polonia

This thesis examines the influence of Polish culture on Polish Americans. My focus is on the roles that the Polish customs, traditions, and religion play in the everyday lives of the Polish Americans exemplified by my family members and how Polish customs, traditions, and religion influenced my family members as they integrated themselves into America. My maternal great-grandparents were all Polish immigrants. My thesis explores the customs they brought with them and held onto as they began to adapt to this new country. The paper will show how the "melting pot" effect did not erase their customs and traditions, which are still maintained today, also sometimes modified, by the family.Master'sCollege of Arts and Sciences: Liberal StudiesUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/117947/1/Weller.pd