Academic Scientific JournalsPolish Americans in Toledo, Ohio, USA: Ethnicity and Holiday Traditions
Keywords:
ethnicity, identity, Polish-American, holidays, ChristmasAbstract
This paper presents a case study of Polish American Christmas events in Toledo, Ohio in 2013 through interviews and participant-observation ethnographic research.1 It also briefly examines the history of the Polish American presence in Toledo, as well as the challenges the community faces now that its members no longer live in geographically concentrated neighborhoods. Despite the changing tastes of Toledoans both of Polish origin and other backgrounds, as well as controversies surrounding some Polish American events, a noticeable Polish American presence remains in the city and region, and is especially active around Christmas time.
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