%0 Journal Article %T “Bolujmy więc!”: Polish Americans and Bowling in Milwaukee %A Pease, Neal %J Studia Migracyjne – Przegląd Polonijny %V 2019 (XLV) %R 10.4467/25444972SMPP.19.033.11075 %N Nr 3 (173) %P 59-68 %K bowling; Milwaukee; Polish American Bowling Association; Polish Americans; Polonia; taverns %@ 2081-4488 %D 2019 %U https://ejournals.eu/czasopismo/smpp/artykul/bolujmy-wiec-polish-americans-and-bowling-in-milwaukee %X Bowling played a key role in community life among Polish Americans in Milwaukee during the first half of the 20th century. This working-class pastime was uniquely suited to industrial Milwaukee, which long held the reputation as “America’s bowling capital,” and the Polonia of the city accounted for a dominant share of its bowling public, focused for the most part in alleys within taverns on the Polish “South Side.” The locally-based Polish American Bowling Association attempted to unite Polish American bowling nationwide under its leadership. The bowling culture of Polish Milwaukee came to an end by mid-century, linked with larger social phenomena such as suburbanization and ethnic succession in what had been traditional ethnic urban neighborhoods.