By borderlands, the author means social phenomena where people from both sides of the variously understood boundary come into contact with each other. Boundary as a line dividing space is not necessary for the borderland to exist. In the case of a formal boundary, very oft en attempts were made to impede the emergence of borderlands. Such was the case during communism with its fortified and guarded border which prevented people on both sides to get into contact with one another. In borderlands, culture had a syncretic nature – although we need to ask how and in what aspects of life. We sometimes refer to some of its inhabitants as people of the borderlands. Th e oft en lead discussions about belonging of certain historical figures stems from the fact that they were oft en such people. At the same time borderlands sometimes are the terrains of confl icts, and people who live there suff er for it.

The purpose of this article is to analyze the daily and festive food practices of descendants of Polish immigrants in Brazil in the context of their collective and individual identities. The research was conducted by the participant observation method, the author also conducted formal and informal interviews, and also observed the activity of Brazilians of Polish origin on the Internet (Facebook, blogosphere). The author focuses primarily on one product: dumplings, which are considered “typical food” for descendants of Poles. She shows how dumplings, as an easy-to-prepare, nutritious and cheap dish, are reproduced in the Polish community in the public and private spaces, becoming part of the cultural diaspora program during various festivals.
It argues that dumplings, like other products considered „typical”, are susceptible to patrimonialization because they are at the center of the identity of the diaspora. At the same time, it proposes to move beyond the ethnic and national perspectives and show that eating habits are part of the rural, central-European identity, shared with the descendants of Ukrainians and emigrants from Western Pomerania, related to a similar way of life and modes of farming.

Americans with Polish roots constitute one of the largest ethnic groups, both in the city itself as well as in the Larger Chicago Metropolitan Area (just aft er Mexicans). When trying to answer the question of how many Americans of Polish origin live in Chicago or surrounding areas, the same answers are generally never found twice. The reason for such disproportions is that there is no particular criterion who can or should be included in the Polish ethnic group and not all people take part in the general population census as well. The objective of the article is to present the spatial distribution of the Polonia in the Larger Chicago Metropolitan Area in the following years: 1980, 1990, 2000 and 2010 as well as to analyse the phenomenon of the spreading of the Polonia beyond the boundaries of the city to other counties. The concentration of Poles living in specific districts of the city of Chicago in the years 1980 and 2010 as well as the discussion of the phenomenon of migration of the Polonia from Inner-city districts to richer ones located further from the centre are also the subject of analysis.

The article presents the analysis of posts published in social media by Polish migrants settled in the United Kingdom and Ukrainian migrants in Poland. The paper uses the concept of social anchoring defined as the process of searching for points of reference (anchors) which allow individuals to acquire socio-psychological stability and security and function effectively in a new life environment. The research showed the role of objective anchors such as employment, economic resources and institutional environment of the destination country as well as the crucial role of anchors embedded in social relations. Migrants from both analysed groups anchored themselves in strategically-imagined communities while constructing their ethnic and class identities that became their points of references in the new socio-cultural environment. In the narratives of Polish migrants in the UK the main reference groups are white, British citizens on one side and members of non-European minorities on the other. At the same time Polish migrants emphasize class and educational differences among the Polish community in the UK. In the case of the Ukrainian migrants in Poland the main reference group consists of members of the Polish, homogenous society. They also construct their identities with reference to European values. The research showed that in narratives of both analysed groups a pro-integration attitude is preferred.

The first waves of Polish emigrants arrived in Luxembourg at the end of 19th century. After the end of the First World War this country had become a destination of economic migration for Polish people living in the Rhine-Westphalia region. In the 1930s Poles were also leaving their country and heading for Luxembourg. There they were often employed in the agricultural sector and less commonly in the mining industry. During the Second World War the amount of Polish people in Luxembourg considerably decreased. However, there also appeared a small group of civilians who had previously been subject to forced labor for Germans. After the end of the war European governments started the process of repatriation of their citizens. The Luxembourg Authorities initiated the creation of a mutual agreement with Poland on the subject of repatriation. This document was signed on 24th of August 1945. Forced workers and ‘DPs’ were mostly interested in coming back to Poland. These groups were struggling with a deeply difficult social-economic situation. The previous migration wave which had appeared before the Second World War had already assimilated into the local society. Despite the poor organization of the repatriation machinery of the Polish Government, there were at least 334 people who successfully repatriated to Poland, usually through Belgium.

Most migrants from Poland who live in Great Britain long-term, fairly well-educated, young and with bad experiences in their sending country can manage quite well professionally and socially in the new circumstances and are basically happy with the decision to have left the country of origin. This is a completely new quality in Polish migration, and therefore is important but difficult to grasp because of its distinctness as compared to traditional forms of migration. When people migrate from one nation or culture to another they carry their identity with them. On settling down in the new culture, their cultural identity is likely to change as well as their sense of belonging. In this paper the author attempts to identify the main characteristics of Polish migrants’ identity in their new surroundings. The main subject of the study is the relationship between socio-cultural identity and migration.

The author attempts to answer the question of how the national identity of individuals is modified by migration. The fieldwork was conducted among Polish students who were living abroad to study at university. The author assumed, for the purposes of the research, that national identity is the self-definition that refers to national identifi cation and cultural valence. Based on case studies analyses, fi ve types of modifi ed identities were distinguished: “I” Polish – a citizen of the world; “I” a citizen of the world born in Poland; “I” Polish, a citizen of the country of residence and a citizen of the world; “I” Polish and a citizen of the country of residence; “I” a citizen of the world and/or a citizen of the country of residence.

“Appropriating” Norway – Polish Migrants’ Settlement Patterns in Norway The article aims to analyze Polish migrants and their family migration patterns to Norway, as well as how they adjust to the new country. It is based on qualitative (24 interviews, wintersummer 2014) and quantitative (web-survey, May-June 2015, 648 respondents) research conducted in the framework of the TRANSFAM project. Official statistics and earlier study results are also applied. The author gained additional knowledge from observations made during her visit as a visiting researcher at Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences. On the basis of the analysed material, it can be concluded that regardless of their initial plans, Poles  prolong their stay in Norway. Together with the development of a migrants network and a growing number of children born there or brought by their parents, Polish migrants’ stay in Norway turns into a long-term one. A dominant pattern of primary male migration at the beginning of the 21st century has been accompanied by the stable family migration pattern.

This paper presents the genesis and evolution of the concept of racism and related mechanisms and the perception of those occurrences in contemporary Poland with regard to the Arab Diaspora, whose members can potentially be its victims and in fact they often are the victims of racism and related occurrences. Issues as: racism, social distance, prejudices, discrimination, stigmatization, marginalization, exclusion, stereotypization of an “alien”, xenophobia and intolerance are also presented in the context of sociological theories. The paper includes the opinions of respondents of fieldwork conducted in twelve cities in Poland between May 2013 and March 2014 (members of Arab Diaspora and Poles) regarding the subjects connected with perceiving „aliens” and the perception of above mentioned occurrences in Poland.

This article is an attempt to demonstrate the role that sisterhoods played in the formation and functionality of Polish clusters in Nineteenth Century Chicago. The year of 1874 was the moment that the School Sisters of Notre Dame started their work at St. Stanislaus Kostka parish. In later years, sisters from other sisterhoods (such as: the Felician Sisters, the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, and the Franciscan Sisters of Blessed Kunegunda) engaged in the ethnic lives of numerous Polish parishes emerging in “Windy City”. Their activity was noticeable in their religious, charitable-social, and especially their educational dealings. The nuns were leaders in work with the homeless, sick, and elderly Polish immigrants. They occupied their time by educating the youngest, focusing on basic knowledge as well as nurturing the Catholic spirit and attachment to ancestral traditions.

The Portuguese are undoubtedly the greatest explorers and travelers in history. From the 15th to the 17th century, they ruled the world’s oceans, but being a small country they quickly lost their struggle for infl uence in most newly discovered areas to stronger European powers.
At the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries, Portuguese sailing ships reached the coast of today’s Brazil, which for over three centuries became the pearl in the crown of Portuguese overseas possessions for centuries. It was also Brazil where the Portuguese emigrated most often.
However, they were leaving not only to their colonies. Portugal almost never was a prosperous country for most of its inhabitants. In the period of 100 years, from the end of the 19th century to the 1990s, about 4 million people left the country. According to statistics, in 2007, almost 5 million Portuguese lived outside their country. The largest number of them lived in  the Americas – 2.8 million, while across Europe the Portuguese Diaspora in 2007 was as large as almost 1.6 million people.
Not only do the Portuguese migrate around the world, but they are also intrepid fishermen who fished for over 500 years on the Grand Banks, on the north-western coast of today’s Canada. In the 20th century, their presence in the East Canadian fisheries was dominated by the so-called White Fleet, Frota Branca

A prominent part of Britain’s national mythology is the idea that the country has, throughout its modern history, provided refuge to those fleeing war and persecution around the globe. Yet this perception of hospitality as an historical British trait sits dissonantly alongside a widespread reluctance to accept today’s refugees. This is because, as so often, collective memory contradicts historical fact: each wave of refugees has actually faced strong opposition to their arrival, and hostility once they reach Britain.
This pattern is well illustrated by the parallels between British reactions to two groups of refugees that arrived a century apart from one another: Jews, who migrated in large numbers in the period 1880–1940, fleeing first Russian pogroms and later Nazi persecution; and Muslims, who have come in the last two decades. Both have aroused many of the same concerns: that their alien culture and religion represents a threat to Britain’s way of life; that they are responsible for spreading radical, violent ideologies which threaten British security; and that they would be an economic burden on the state and compete with the native population for resources.
This paper will explore the similarities – and diff erences – between British discourses regarding Jewish and Muslim refugees, and use these to reflect upon Britain’s self-perceived national trait of hospitality.

The article outlines the history and functioning of the Polish community residing in Mariupol, Ukraine. The first part of the paper focuses on the characteristics of Poles within the local Polish community structures and their actions within the Roman Catholic Church. A great deal of the discussion is devoted to the past 15 years, but some aspects of the previous two hundred years of the city’s history are also reported in order to understand the essence of the Mariupoles’ position. The second part is dedicated to efforts aimed at evacuating citizens of Polish descent from a city at risk of war. The process of its organizing and implementation is touched upon. Actions conducted to legalize newcomers’ stay, relocate Mariupoles to Polish centers, as well as facilitate and help them to adapt to the new conditions are characterized. The viability of those people who remained in Mariupol is also indicated. An integral part of this paper is unveiling forms of aid granted by Poland and Polish people to the needy both in Ukraine and on the territory of Poland. Attention is given to the presentation and evaluation of the behavior of the government, the political opposition, the media and the Poles themselves in relation to the aspirations of people of Polish origin living in Mariupol.