Poles and Italians in Detroit

A detailed Summary of Poles and Italians in Detroit

In the late 17th century and early 18th century Detroit was a hotbed for foreign immigration. The booming automobile industry and resulting growth of the city ensured that many jobs were available for those able to take them. Among these immigrants were distinct groups originating from many different countries. Two of these groups were the Poles and the Italians, who arrive to Detroit looking for a new beginning. Although many similarities can be found between the groups there are an equal number of differences, which defined each separate culture. In this paper I'd like to focus on the similarities and differences between the Poles and Italians in Detroit by looking at their reasons for leaving their countries and subsequent arrivals into Detroit, their lifestyles upon moving to Detroit, and the Americanization process that occurred when they arrived.

In my opinion both the Poles and Italians left their homelands not necessarily because they wanted to, but more as a means of survival. Both of these groups suffered from insufficient family incomes due to overpopulation, lack of peasant landholding, and changing word economy. Although they shared these similarities their were also striking

Finally another difference was the importance of religion. For the Polish, "a church is considered the first need of a colony" (American Cities/Detroit/Poles/Neighborhood/In Streets/Location of Polish Colonies). Socialization of the Poles started in the church. However the Italians didn't put near as much importance in religion, as is evident in the fact that many more Italian children attended public schools than did the Polish children (who were enrolled in parochial schools.

Global View/Origins/Europe/Poland. American Identity Explorer. Immigration & Migration.

Most who left Italy and moved to Detroit were Southern Italian farmers. "As Italy became unified and tied to the world economy, its economy and society changed sharply," (Global View/Origins/Europe/Italy) due to the fact that most Italians used outdated methods of farming which produce insufficient crop when compared to more modernized societies. When they came to Detroit they shared a strong family ties and village obligation which led to most Italians settling together on the East side of Detroit.

I believe that although Americanization was inevitable, the industrial boom speeded up the process. The Detroit industries encouraged the "American" way of life because they believed if all of their workers spoke a common language the business would be more efficient. While I tend to agree with the thinking about efficiency, this is just another example of how money makes the world go round. That coupled with the insensitive Italian fathers further pushed the second generation Italians away from the Italian culture and towards the American one.

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Approximate Word count = 1621
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Politics