Lajkonik of Tucson – a Piece of True Poland: Constructing Polish – American Identities in an Ethnically Heterogeneous Society
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LAJKONIK OF TUCSON – A PIECE OF TRUE POLAND: CONSTRUCTING POLISH – AMERICAN IDENTITIES IN AN ETHNICALLY HETEROGENEOUS SOCIETY __________________________________________________ A Dissertation Submitted to the Temple University Graduate Board ___________________________________________________ in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY ___________________________________________________ by Monika Glowacka-Musial January 2010 ii © by Monika Glowacka-Musial May 2010 All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Lajkonik of Tucson – a piece of true Poland: Constructing Polish-American identities in an ethnically heterogeneous society Monika Glowacka-Musial Doctor of Philosophy Temple University, 2010 Dr. Paul Garrett Tucson, Arizona is a site of a lively Polish-American community. Initially associated with a political organization (“Solidarity Tucson”), which actively supported the Solidarity Movement throughout the 1980s, the Polish diaspora has gradually transformed into an ethnic community very much focused on maintaining its distinctive heritage. Recent formation of the Polish folkloric dance group Lajkonik was directly stimulated by the local multicultural establishment, which promotes ethnic diversity in the Old Pueblo. Having become an integral part of the Southwestern society, Lajkonik has developed a collection of identity practices, which despite diverse influences continues to reproduce Polish cultural traits. In my ethnographic account, I examine ways, by which members of the Lajkonik group construct their diasporic identities. First, I focus on the core activities of the group, which include the practice of Polish traditions, learning folk dances and songs in a wide cultural context, and negotiating the speaking of Polish. Additional analyses, based on video recordings, of Polish classes and dance rehearsals, which show the actual mechanics of the production processes, as well as the narratives of the teacher and parent of performers, further support the account of the ethnographer. Secondly, I look into the development of Polishness for public consumption, which involves negotiation of multiple images in accordance with specific cultural events, creation of engaging stage programs, and presenting iv the essence of Polishness to festival audiences in Tucson. Regardless of the particular purpose of identities‟ productions, either for integrating community or public display, these processes simultaneously involve the quest for authenticity, building ethnic pride, and negotiations of diverse traditions. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This ethnography has grown since November 2003, the time of our arrival to Tucson, Arizona. Long before that, however, I met people who greatly contributed to it. I would first like to thank my mentor, Niyi Akinnaso, for giving me the initial idea to start this project. I also owe a dept of gratitude to my advisor, Paul Garrett, for always providing clear and helpful guidance through subsequent stages of this long rite of passage. As a novice writer in a strange language, I benefited greatly from editing sessions with my dearest friends from the Upsal Garden in Mount Airy in Philadelphia: Lillian Pelios, Lucia Metzinger and Amy Olaya. They introduced me to the precision and elegance of English language. The form of editing, however, only gives shape to the content. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all members of the Lajkonik group, who have been supporting my project and sharing their lives with me from the moment I entered the dance rehearsal room at the St. Cyril parish in Tucson. Without the help and encouragement of Joanna and Robert Schmit, Agnieszka and Robert Stawicki, Dorota and Mariusz Gajda, Ula Szymczak, Renata i Darek Kocoń, Bożena and Quetzali Szwaykowska, Jola Kwiedacz, Iwona Anderson, Ewa and Talal Alsbiei, Gosia i Wojtek Wyżga, Ewa and Tadeusz Lis, Monika and Paweł Kiela, Beata and Piotr Witusik, and Mindy and Adam Grodzki the process of writing this dissertation would have been more difficult to sustain. vi Also, developing my research and sharing its results with my native academic community at Temple University in Philadelphia would not have been possible without the generous financial assistance of Dorota and Mariusz Gajda, who covered all my travel expenses and unexpected fees without a moment of hesitation. In a similar fashion, Marylka and Vince Radkiewicz as well as Ela and Wiesiek Cichocki and Krystyna and Olek Palusinski took care of me and my family, whenever we were in need. I have had the great privilege of finding best friends and exceptional editors of the manuscript among my students of Polish language. Ray Kellman provided me with his constructive feedback in every chapter of this dissertation. It was simply priceless. Last but definitely not least, I would like to thank my children: Piotrek, Hanka and Helenka. They put up with a mom who was writing for most of their young lives. I would also like to thank my husband, Paweł Musiał, for his unfailing love and tremendous support ever since we have met. He often says that a woman who is truly loved has no other choice but to succeed. Thank you, Paweł. I dedicate this project to my family and to all Lajkonik‟s members. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................v CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................1 The Quest for Authenticity ......................................................................................2 Negotiations of Heritages ......................................................................................11 Poles as Others – the American Experience ..............................................13 Production of Ethnic Pride – the Polish Heritage ......................................21 Selection of Traditions ...............................................................................28 Preservation of Language ..........................................................................29 Diaspora Formation ...............................................................................................33 Defining Diaspora ......................................................................................34 Methodology .........................................................................................................37 2. TUCSON: A NEW DESTINATION FOR POLISH IMMIGRANTS ..........................42 Behind the Second Chance ....................................................................................43 Employment Opportunities ........................................................................43 Real Estate Prices .......................................................................................46 Climate and Landscape ..............................................................................47 Family Friendly Environment ....................................................................49 Arts and Education .....................................................................................50 Sports and Outdoor Lifestyle .....................................................................58 Cultural and Ethnic Diversity ....................................................................62 Tucson – a Borderland Community .......................................................................66 Ancient Land Claimed by Four Countries .................................................67 Institutions Promoting Diversity in Tucson ...........................................................71 viii City of Tucson............................................................................................71 Non-profit Organizations ...........................................................................73 University of Arizona ................................................................................74 The Davis-Monthan Air Force Base ..........................................................75 The Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson ...................................................76 Tucson – a Dark Legacy of Wild West City ..........................................................78 Conclusion ............................................................................................................81 3. POLISH DIASPORA IN TUCSON ..............................................................................83 The Momentous Year of 1989 ...............................................................................84 “Solidarity Tucson” – Contingent Identities ..........................................................85 A Political Legacy......................................................................................85 The Founder and Formation of the Group .....................................87 The Dominant English – a Marker of Multinational Identity ........91 “Just because I speak with an accent does not mean that I think with an accent” ...............................................................................93 Building Community .....................................................................95 Towards Polish Identity ...............................................................100 The Newsletter Community .........................................................103 Negotiations of Political