Shaping the knowledge of Polish and other Central European immigration in the US in the 21st century: Reflections on the margins of the books by Carl J. Bon Tempo and Hasia Diner, Immigration: An American History, and Nancy Foner, One Quarter of the Cover Image

Shaping the knowledge of Polish and other Central European immigration in the US in the 21st century: Reflections on the margins of the books by Carl J. Bon Tempo and Hasia Diner, Immigration: An American History, and Nancy Foner, One Quarter of the
Shaping the knowledge of Polish and other Central European immigration in the US in the 21st century: Reflections on the margins of the books by Carl J. Bon Tempo and Hasia Diner, Immigration: An American History, and Nancy Foner, One Quarter of the

Author(s): Anna Fiń
Subject(s): Recent History (1900 till today), Transformation Period (1990 - 2010), Present Times (2010 - today), Migration Studies, Asylum, Refugees, Migration as Policy-fields
Published by: Instytut Europy Środkowej
Keywords: Polish immigration in the US; Polonia studies; immigration from Central and Eastern Europe in the US; uses of history; knowledge production on migration; contextualization;

Summary/Abstract: This text problematises the approach to research on contemporary Polish immigration to the US and, consequently, other groups emigrating from Central and Eastern Europe. This analysis is informed by observations derived from two seminal publications that emerged in 2022 and focus on the history of immigration and its ramifications within the context of American society: Carl J. Bon Tempo, Hasia Diner, Immigration: An American History, and Nancy Foner, One Quarter of the Nation: Immigration and the Transformation of America. Based on observations from these two books, the author reflects on ways of shaping knowledge about Polish immigration to the US in the early 21st century and possible future avenues of interpretation. The text emphasises the significance and application of history in the research and explanation of contemporary migration processes. Referring to the approaches presented in the discussed readings, the author attempts to identify three key thematic/analytical areas with a potential impact on the further development of research on recent Polish immigration to the US: the application of history in research on recent immigration, greater contextualisation of the analyses conducted, and the inclusion of the issues of knowledge production and reflexivity in research on Polish immigration to the US.

  • Issue Year: 23/2025
  • Issue No: 4
  • Page Range: 193-215
  • Page Count: 23
  • Language: English
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