Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Announcing the Publication of Polish American Studies, Vol. 72, No. 1



The new issue of Polish American Studies (vol. 72, no. 1) is here!

In Memoriam section includes obituaries of Professor Victor R. Greene and Reverend Leonard F. Chrobot, who both contributed to the development of Polish American history as a discipline.

In the Editor's Note, Professor James S. Pula comments on his thirty years of editorship of Polish American Studies, as he steps down from this position.

In his article "Troubles with 'Mela': A Polish-American Reporter, the Secret Services of People's Poland, and the FBI," Pawel Zietara reveals the Communist authorities' attempts at infiltration of American Polonia in the 1950s and 60s. The article is based on the research in declassified records of Poland's intelligence and security structures.

Robert Szymczak in his article: "Cold War Airwaves: The Polish American Congress and the Justice for Poland Campaign" highlights the activities and impact of the popular radio program initiated by the Western Massachusetts Division of PAC in 1945 in order to present the plight of Poland and the region in the wake of the betrayal at Yalta.

Patricia B. Yocum in "Leaving Kozuchow, a Village in Bobrzechow Parish, Galicia," presents an analysis of Polish population who left the same area in the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, in order to extend our understanding of migration from rural Galicia.

Thomas J. Napierkowski in the article "The Khaki Boys Series: Images of Polish Americans, 1918-1920," discusses a collection of six novels aimed at adolescent audience and published in the United States following World War I. The novels perpetuated hurtful stereotypes of Polish Americans, which were then present in popular culture.

Two books reviewed in this issue of Polish American Studies deal with the goral culture in America and the intellectual contributions of Professor Piotr Wandycz.

Join the Polish American Historical Association and receive a subscription to Polish American Studies and PAHA Newsletter as part of your membership!


The Polish American Historical Association's interdisciplinary refereed scholarly journal (ISSN 0032-2806; eISSN 2330-0833) has been published continuously since 1944. It appears biannually and is available world-wide through JSTOR, a database of full-text research journals. PAS is indexed in America: History and Life; American Bibliography of Slavic and East European Studies; ATLA Catholic Periodical and Literature Index;Bibliographic Index; Current Abstracts; Historical Abstracts; MLA International Bibliography; PIO - Periodical Index Online; PubMed; and TOC Premier. The journal is also ranked by the Polish Ministry of Science and Education. To subscribe and for more information please go to http://www.press.uillinois.edu/journals/pas.html

The editors welcome scholarship including articles, edited documents, bibliographies and related materials dealing with all aspects of the history and culture of Poles in the Western Hemisphere. They particularly welcome contributions that place the Polish experience in historical and comparative perspective by examining its relationship to other ethnic experiences. Contributions from any discipline in the humanities and social sciences are welcome. The Swastek Prize is awarded annually for the best article published in a given volume of Polish American Studies.

ARTICLES: Manuscripts or inquiries should be submitted in Microsoft Word via e-mail attachment to the editor, Anna D. Jaroszyńska-Kirchmann, atanna.k@polishamericanstudies.org. Manuscripts are evaluated based on their originality; relevance to the mission of the journal; the clarity of the thesis, presentation and conclusions; and the depth of research based upon the nature of the sources cited. Contributors whose first language is not English should have their work reviewed for clarity prior to submission. The journal employs a "double-blind" review process with each submission being read by a minimum of two reviewers, and usually three. Comments of the reviewers are summarized by the editors and provided to the authors.

BOOKS FOR REVIEW: Books for review should be sent to Mary Patrice Erdmans (English language) or Anna Mazurkiewicz (Polish language) at the addresses below. Books may be submitted by publishers or authors. Submission is no guarantee that books will be reviewed and books will not be returned.

Mary Patrice Erdmans
Book Review Editor
Polish American Studies
Department of Sociology
10900 Euclid Avenue
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH 44106
Anna Mazurkiewicz
Book Review Editor for Poland
Polish American Studies
University of Gdansk
Faculty of History
ul. Wita Stwosza 55
80-952 Gdańsk, Poland



    EDITORIAL BOARD
  • M. B. B. Biskupski, Central Connecticut State University
  • Tobias Brinkmann, Pennsylvania State University
  • John J. Bukowczyk, Wayne State University
  • William J. Galush, Loyola University Chicago
  • Ann Hetzel Gunkel, Columbia College Chicago
  • Gabriela Pawlus Kasprzak, University of Toronto, Canada
  • Grazyna Kozaczka, Cazenovia College
  • Karen Majewski, University of Michigan
  • Thomas J. Napierkowski, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
  • Neal Pease, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
  • Angela Pienkos, Polish Center Wisconsin
  • James S. Pula, Purdue University
  • John Radzilowski, University of Alaska - Southeast
  • Francis D. Raska, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
  • Dariusz Stola, Museum of the History of Polish Jews, Warsaw, Poland
  • Adam Walaszek, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
  • Joanna Wojdon, University of Wroclaw, Poland

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Nominations for PAHA's Awards and Prizes for 2015 Due by July 15!

Each year at its Annual Meeting, PAHA bestows a series of award honoring individuals and organizations for their contributions to the Polish American cultural, artistic, and social life. The Oskar Halecki Prize honors the best books, the Miecislaus Haiman Award - distinguished scholars, the Amicus Poloniae - individuals not of Polish descent dedicated to the cause of Polonia, the Swastek Prize - articles published in the Polish American Studies, and the Skalny Civic Achievement Awards - contributions to Polonia's community. PAHA also bestows Creative Arts Prizes, Distinguished Service Award, and Graduate Student Awards. An exceptional achievement and contribution to the organization is recognized by Honorary Membership.

Structural Orange (2012) by Julian Stanczak, Creative Arts Prize winner for 2013.


Nominations are sought for the following awards bestowed annually.  Kindly send all nominations to the chair of the awards committee, Dr. John Radzilowski (University of Alaska Southeast) at john.r@polishamericanstudies.org.

The award nominations must be received by July 15, 2015.

Mieczyslaw Haiman Award is offered annually to an American scholar for sustained contribution to the study of Polish Americans.

Oskar Halecki Prize recognizes an important book or monograph on the Polish experience in the United States. Eligibility is limited to works of historical and/or cultural interest, including those in the social sciences or humanities, published in the two years prior to the year of the award.

Skalny Civic Achievement Award honors individuals or groups who advance PAHA's goals of promoting research and awareness of the Polish-American experience and/or have made significant contributions to Polish or Polish-American community and culture.

Amicus Poloniae Award recognizes significant contributions enhancing knowledge of Polish and Polish-American heritage by individuals not belonging to the Polish-American community.

Distinguished Service Award is given occasionally to a member of PAHA who has rendered valuable and sustained service to the organization.

Creative Arts Prize recognizes the contributions in the field of creative arts by individuals or groups who have promoted an awareness of the Polish experience in the Americas.


Mirrored (1971) by Julian Stanczak, who received 2013 Creative Arts Prize.


Read the lists of Past Winners and Awardees on PAHA website or PAHA News Blog.