Posts

Showing posts from December, 2020
Image
Poland and New Zealand Now~   The Relationships Between the Countries:  New Zealand and Poland have an air services agreement, film co-production agreement, double taxation agreement, and a working holiday scheme in place growing relationships between their parliaments, NGOs, and think tanks  both participated in the work of the Global Research Alliance, and focus on the work of the Livestock Research Group which aims to cut greenhouse emissions from agriculture trade between the countries has grown  New Zealanders ages between 18 and 30 can apply for a 12-month working holiday visa in Poland  The Polish population in New Zealand is currently between 5,000 and 6,000  Sources:  New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. “Poland.” New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade .
Image
Seventh Wave of Polish Immigration to New Zealand~                                                                          (After the 1990s) "I love working in New Zealand. It's just the most beautiful country I've ever been to." -Grant Bowler Young and intelligent:      Many of the Poles who emigrated to New Zealand after the 1990s were young and highly skilled workers. Many of them came to New Zealand on temporary work visas, and worked as contractors on computers, veterinarians, and medical specialists. Working in New Zealand is different than working in other countries, and everyone is expected to have a positive attitude. It is known in New Zealand for workers to find solutions in order for tasks to get accomplished. They often work with what they have. New Zealand gives workers hands on experience and management opportunities that may not be available for younger workers for years in other countries. New Zealand respects the workers family time and many employ
Image
  Sixth Wave of Polish Immigration to New Zealand~                                                                                                                        (1980-1989) "Solidarity was the movement that turned the direction of history, I think." -Jeane Kirkpatrick  Solidarity Movement:     Poland was still under the Marshall Law, so 10,000 refugees requested political asylum and arrived in Austrian camps. Austria could not sustain that many people so they requested help from the United States and New Zealand. In 1981, New Zealand granted entry to 297 Polish refugees. The Solidarity Movement was a nonviolent movement that united all people who protested against living in a Communist country. Then in 1987, New Zealand made a political change that ended refugee selection based on ethnicity and religion. They decided to set a quota at 800 refugees.  First Person Narrative:      We formed a movement to finally be free. We could not stand to live under a Communist rule
Image
  Fifth Wave of Polish Immigration to New Zealand~                                                                                                                                                                                 (1950s-1980s) Reuniting Families:     The fifth wave consisted of families reuniting in New Zealand. The fifth wave was approximately 1,000 Poles. Some of these immigrants came over as refugees and were considered 'hard to settle' by other countries. Many of these immigrants were over the age of forty-five and some had disabilities. In 1973, Labour Prime Minister, Norman Kirk, told the UN Agency for Refugees  that his Cabinet would be sympathetic to welcoming more refugees who were considered harder to settle, for he would not like New Zealand to be a country which did not take its fair share of such international responsibilities.  New Zealand is still one of the few countries today to welcome refugees with disabilities. Although New Zealand was welcomin
Image
  Fourth Wave of Polish Immigration to New Zealand~                                                                                                  (After WWII) "May God permit us both to return to a free and independent Poland."                                                                                                - Władysław Anders The end of the Second World War:      The next group of immigrants arrived after the Second World War ended, and it consisted of approximately 850 immigrants who were looking to live outside of Communist Poland. Two-hundred of these immigrants were soldiers from the Second Corps. The Second Corps  was commanded by  Lieutenant General   Władysław Anders  and fought with distinction in the  Italian Campaign , specifically at the  Battle of Monte Casino .  First Person Narrative:      The war is over, and I am tired of fighting. I migrate across the sea with my fellow soldiers looking for peace. I pray for the country I'm leaving, but
Image
  Personal Recollections From the Children~ Dioniza Choroś: Born: February 29, 1928; Died: October 12, 2020     Dioniza Choroś was the third of four daughters. Her parents were Witold and Janina Gradzik. Her father was murdered by a Russian soldier, while her, her sisters, and her mother were sent to Siberia. They survived the cold and had very little food. Eventually, they were allowed to leave and traveled across the Caspian Sea to Persia (Iran). Iza was a devout Catholic, and she believed her faith saved her in Siberia. Her mother died in Tehran, and the girls were now orphans. From there, they sailed to Wellington, New Zealand and ended up in Pahīatua's camp ("Little Poland"). Iza went to school to be a nurse, but she originally wanted to be a doctor. She exchanged letters with a Polish ex-serviceman who had emigrated to Australia. His name was Tadeusz. They eventually married and had three children together. In their family, they kept Polish traditions and customs. I
Image
  Third Wave of Polish Migration to New Zealand~                                                                                                                                                       (1939-1944)                "I use to dream about having enough bread."  The Story of Seven Hundred Polish Children:      In 1939, many Poles were victims of war when Poland was divided and occupied by Germany and Russia. Those living in eastern Poland were under the Russian control. One day in the middle of the night, they were told that they had an hour to pack, and many families were deported to work camps in Siberia. On the pack train cars, they had little food and no sanitation areas. Many people died on the way from starvation, disease, and exposure. One million five hundred thousand Poles were deported and lived on bread and water alone. When Russia and Germany joined powers, that was when the Poles were freed from Siberia. Many of the children became orphans after that and
Image
  Second Wave of Polish Migration to New Zealand~                                                                                                       (1919-1939) Beginning of 20th Century:      The second wave was also a small amount, only about 2,000 people. It was shortly after the first world war, and Poland had recently became an independent nation. Many Poles were looking for jobs to better their economic standings. The second wave was such a small number because the push pull factor had decreased. The harsh conditions in Poland declined, and the assistance from the New Zealand government also declined.      First Person Narrative:      We were finally free, but still financially burdened. The end of the world war left our country torn apart. I left Poland searching for a job, hoping to settle down and to not worry where my next meal was coming from.  Sources:  https://polishcommunitytrust.weebly.com/uploads/2/8/5/3/28538017/polish_immigrants_to_new_zealand_synopsis.pdf
Image
First Wave of Polish Immigration to New Zealand~                                                                                                                                                                                                     (1840s-1900) Mid 19th Century:     The first Poles to emigrate to New Zealand were in the 1840s. Many immigrated as individuals who experienced a hard life back in the Prussian and Russian parts of Poland. They were forced into 'Germanisation' and 'Russianisation' and left to keep their Polish identity. Although, many still identified as Germans when they made it to New Zealand because they spoke mostly German.      They was a surge of Polish migration in the 1870s after the failed January Uprising which lasted from  1863-1874. The Polish families settled in groups, and there was assistance from the New Zealand  Prime Minister Julius Vogel. Chain migration followed as many left Poland to join friends and family. Many settled in t