Przestrzeń ojczyzny – przestrzeń języka. Polscy emigranci z północnej Francji o pierwszej i drugiej ojczyźnie
Space of homeland, space of language. Polish immigrants in northern France on their first and second homeland

Summary/Abstract: The Polish understanding of homeland has a concentric structure: it progresses centrifugally from “little” homeland (linked with one’s family, neighbourhood, or region) to the national, European, and global homeland. In this way, various profiles of homeland and patriotism arise, underlain by values. This study reports on the reverse, centripetal direction of mental scanning, performed “from outside” by immigrants living in a foreign country and missing their home. This first homeland (one’s native land, country of origin) functions as a remembered impression, a reminiscence. An immigrant constantly travels in the new “socio-semantic space” between two worlds, and a major role in the process is played by one’s native and second language. New rules for the range of usage of both languages are being negotiated. The key aspect in that process is the reverse viewing perspective of one’s native country: the image of the lost homeland, viewed from afar, is highly selective, minimized, emotional. In this study, I focus on the accounts of Polish immigrants to northern France.

• Details
• Contents