The Polish Emigrants' Association in California “Samopomoc”, 1950-1975

Abstract

Knowledge of the Poles who immigrated to the United States is relatively good. However, we know little about the assistance given to newcomers by Poles who arrived to America earlier. The Polish Immigrants' Association in California “Samopomoc” (1950-1975) was formed, among others, on Anna Górska's initiative in Los Angeles in 1950, in order to set proper conditions for Polish immigrants, mainly going to the States after World War II to settle down there. The aim of the association was also to find jobs for the newcomers, to help them learn English, to prepare them for the examination qualifying to obtain American citizenship, to help them get the licence to set up a business and pass the driving test. However, the most important task for “Samopomoc” was to defend the Polish language, to preserve the national heritage and to transmit it to the next generations; which boils down to supporting the national spirit, preserving the Polish culture, the native tongue, customs and the Catholic morality, knowledge of the history of Poland, as well as uniting the new immigrants with the whole of the Polish circles. These tasks were carried out by “Samopomoc” very well. Apart from that, owing to the Polish doctors' and lawyers' public spirit, it secured free medical and legal assistance to all the Polish immigrants. Doctor Tadeusz Mrozowski was the most active person in this respect; he even used to go to the railroad station to meet the newcomers there.

All the activities of “Samopomoc” were coordinated by the Managing Board, with the help of members of the Association. Moreover, within the Board there was the Social

Welfare Department in which a few people worked, one- or two-people Event Department, and outside the Managing Board – the Control Board and the Court of Arbitration. The number of members of “Samopomoc” increased from 85 in 1950 to 235 at the beginning of 1954 and to 315 in 1958. The Association did not have its own premises; it resided in a hired office. As soon as the initial period of its existence, “Samopomoc” joined the State Polish American Congress and it became a shareholder of the Polish Home of the Polish American Congress. It published a magazine entitled “Komunikaty” that was soon renamed “Samopomoc-Komunikaty”. It also had its column in the monthly “Nasze Sprawy”.

The Association, basing on the membership fees, organized many sorts of social meetings for the post-war immigrants; they often included lectures, dances and balls, as well as other kind of events aiming at integrating the newcomers, and giving them aid from the financial means obtained in this way. In this kind of activity “Samopomoc” especially took care of young people, especially those who were students, by supplying them with stipends, giving them loans, etc. It cooperated with Polish American organizations set up by the newly arriving immigrants. It was active in the life of American cultural organizations, staging exhibitions showing Polish culture and art.

With Anna Górska's active inspiration, already at a very early stage a center was developed – that was affiliated with “Samopomoc” – of independent Polish creative work, and soon five autonomous departments were established, such as a Polish school, theatrical and sports sections, a youth club and a Ladies' circle with an education section. With time, from autonomous departments separate social organizations evolved, such as “Polonia” Sports Club, Polish School Organization, or Polish Theater; a choir called “Hejnał” and a dance group “Krakusy” were established, both supported financially and morally by “Samopomoc”. The Association contributed a lot of work, which is proven not only by the effort necessary to organize the events, but first of all by the level of financial outlay for assisting the immigrants. During the twenty-five years of work (1950-1975) “Samopomoc” spent at least 50 thousand dollars to this aim; during the first fifteen years (1950-1965) it was exactly $32, 806.86. The work of “Samopomoc” was the more so generous that in the whole twenty-five years none of its members-activists received any money; everyone treated it as welfare work only.

Nearly from the very start “Samopomoc” tried to keep contact between the Polish immigrants and so it strove for building its own center, that is a building in which new arrivals from Poland could meet from time to time, talk about their common problems, and share the news from their homeland. After a few vain attempts at buying some land on which to build a house, “Samopomoc” finally joined the River's End Polish Center established by American Polish organizations, and paid it $25,000 in 1971. The formal union of “Samopomoc” and the Polish Center took place in 1975. Practically this meant the end of the Polish Emigrants' Association in California “Samopomoc”. The new organization – The Polish Center – that is open for all the Polish Americans, has been working until now.