When you are approaching the American Polish Cultural Center (APCC) on a windy day isn’t it inspiring to see the American and Polish flags flying side by side? Each one is flying separately and yet at the same time together. This image more than anything else represents the Polish American experience. It brings back memories, sometimes long forgotten. Sometimes Polish, sometimes American, sometimes Polish American. In a special way those flags represent the mission of the APCC and its not-for-profit sister organization American Polish Cultural Society.
Polonia as a Beautiful Mosaic
The establishment of Polish identity in Detroit began in the late 1870’s when Poles, primarily from what is now western and northwestern Poland, emigrated to America for jobs and the opportunity to be able to freely preserve their culture, language, and ethnic identity while at the same time becoming Americans. Eventually they were to come from all areas of what is today’s Poland and beyond. The first great and varied centers of Polish culture were the churches which formed first along the Canfield corridor near where today the I-75 expressway runs and from there spread to all parts of Detroit. The first churches were Saint Albertus, Sweetest Heart of Mary, and St. Josephat – all along Canfield. Along with the many churches arose many important cultural groups such as the Polish National Alliance, Polish Roman Catholic Union of America, Polish Falcons and Central Citizens Committee to name a few. Beginning in the late 1930’s and the early forties and later we had the Polish American Congress and many smaller groups such as Friends of Polish Art and the West Side Detroit Polish American Historical Society. There were a number of Polish language newspapers such as the Dziennik Polski (The Polish Daily News, established in 1904) where different perspectives on life and politics were shared (of course where there were two Poles you had at least three opinions). Polish restaurants were everywhere with the aroma of freshly made kiełbasa stimulating appetites and friendly discussion and banter which I am sure some of you remember! At one point the neighborhood on the near eastside of Detroit around Chene Street, and the city of Hamtramck were “the” early vibrant centers of Polish life. Similarly, for the west side of Detroit we had the McGraw-Livernois-Michigan Avenue corridor. There was a time when the first language of business, churches, and social gatherings in these was Polish. The most recent area of Polish growth has been around the Polish language parish of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Sterling Heights and northwards into Oakland and Macomb counties.
The Polish identity in America has been deeply influenced not only by which part of historical Poland people came from but also when they came to America. The first waves of Poles which came in the early 19th and 20th century and their descendants were quite different than those who came immediately after World War II. They in turn were different from those who came in the early 1970s, many of whom had lived under Nazi and Soviet occupation. The next major wave of emigration occurred in the 1980s after martial law was imposed on Poland. This was the early years of the Solidarity movement when Poles active in Solidarity had to leave Poland as the government became more brutal in their fruitless tactics of repression against Solidarity activists and the general population. After 1989 when Poland became free there were still other smaller waves of Polish immigration. The difference in all these waves were sometimes cultural, or educational or political and they could be quite significant causing deeply felt misunderstandings. At the same time there was a common bond of Polish heritage and language as everyone identified themselves as “Polish” with a desire to become a “Polish American.”
The Need for the American Polish Cultural Center
Polonia has always been a complex and dynamic group. As time passed Polonians became more and more dispersed throughout the Metropolitan Detroit area. Polonians were becoming more and more affluent and consequently moved away from the “old first wave immigrant neighborhoods” to the suburbs (although moving away physically from the old neighborhood of their parents and grandparents does not in any sense mean moving away emotionally from the old neighborhood or even in many cases from Poland). It was becoming evident that there was no convenient center of Polish activity for Polonian institutions and groups and new waves of immigrants who could afford to immediately live in the suburbs. However, there was a growing network of expressways which could link far flung communities, groups and individuals. The question now became, “was there a location which could function as a new center of Polish activity which could take advantage of the network of expressways and bring Polonians closer”? A location less exposed to the continuous pressure on the individual to move their homes further and further away from the “old neighborhoods”? Yes, and this is the location of the American Polish Cultural Center!
The American Polish Cultural Society was established in 1985 with the initial objective to identify, purchase and maintain a “Polish Center” which could serve as a coordinating and meeting site for Polish-American organizations and other ethnic groups. That step was finally achieved in 1989 when the current APCC building and land around it was purchased. In many ways a good deal of credit goes to Noreen Smiałek-Sinclair for finding this building and working hard with many others to convince many others to invest their personal funds in the purchase. The location sold itself. It felt very European and traditionally Polish. Ultimately it was the bold decision of several hundred Polonians to become founding members and lifetime members which secured the purchase of the APCC building. Individuals and families made the important decision to invest their hard-earned funds in a common vision of the American Polish Cultural Center. They were making an investment with no certainty of repayment. Because of their vision and foresight, we have this beautiful facility in which to celebrate our heritage. Their vision has continued to grow through new members who have contributed to the ongoing growth and prosperity of the APCC.
The American Polish Cultural Center now receives over one hundred thousand visitors annually. It is an anchor for several nearby Polish businesses which provide needed and convenient services for Polonians and others. In 1995 part of owned land was sold to facilitate the building of the PAC Federal Credit Union. In 2002 the APCC sold land to establish an important medical plaza next to the APCC which now includes other businesses. Across the street we have a separately developed business plaza whose primary anchor is the Polish Market.
APCC’s Role in American and Polish Political and Humanitarian Efforts
A primary objective of the APCC is to “encourage the participation of Polonians both American and foreign born in the pursuit not only of their heritage and culture, but also to bring about and increase awareness of it to Americans in general.” This is achieved by the APCC becoming a meeting place for American and Polish political and humanitarian activity.
In this respect we have been highly successful. In 2002 President George W. Bush and President Aleksander Kwasniewski of Poland met here for a banquet which was attended by many Polonians and non-Polonians. There have been additional instances where politicians and political groups have come to hold events here. We have had former Governor Rick Snyder hold a town hall meeting here. Former presidential candidate Mitt Romney and Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow have been at the APCC for different events. Today the APCC continues this fine tradition with national, state, and local political figures. Various political groups continue having activities and fundraisers. 2024 has been especially exciting! These events happen at the APCC because Polish Americans continue to be an important and active political bloc concentrated in important battleground states such as Michigan.
The APCC has been the location for political and humanitarian aid to Poland. In the early 2000s there were events to raise funds to benefit Polish orphans. Earlier, around the mid-1990s the American Polish Cultural Society sponsored benefits for Project Hope with the objective of supporting the Polish American Children’s Hospital in southeastern Poland. Today Poland is becoming a prosperous country as a member of the European Union and one of its larger economies. It has been able to erase many of the physical scars of World War II and over 50 years of Soviet occupation. Remember after the war, unlike much of western Europe, Poland did not have the advantage of the Marshall Plan. Worse yet Poles at that time often felt that they were part of a country which was like a “long-necked cow which was fed in Poland and milked in Moscow.” The APCC besides supporting Poland during its challenging time was the first location at which Polish citizens in the Metro Detroit area could vote in Polish Parliamentary and Presidential Elections when Poland became finally free of the Communist yoke in 1989. In 2004 Poles could vote at the APCC in the European Parliamentary elections after Poland became a member of the European Union earlier that year.
“This is Where I Became an American.”
One of the most memorable events held at the APCC is the Naturalization Ceremony. Over 4,000 individuals from all over the world have become American citizens in our main ballroom hall. In this ceremony it is always stressed that becoming an American citizen does not mean you forgo your ethnic identity. It does mean that you swear allegiance to the “United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God with liberty and justice for all.” Before the naturalization ceremony individuals entered the APCC as Poles, Canadians, Brazilians, Italians, Indians, Chinese etc. Afterwards they left as Polish Americans, Canadian Americans, Brazilian Americans etc. or simply as “Americans.” Often these newly minted Americans will return to the APCC with family and friends, and they will proudly proclaim: “This is where I became an American.”
APCC is the Site for Many Meetings and Celebrations
The APCC has been the site for meetings, celebrations, and events for a multitude of Polish organizations, groups, and individuals. The demand was so great that in 2002 the APCC successfully undertook a major building expansion which was completed in 2004. We mention a few of the demands and celebrations in order to illustrate the dynamic and mosaic quality of Polania and the growing demand for the APCC facilities. Some of the events occur occasionally and some are annual events. Some of the events have deep significance to Poles and are not well known to Americans, even those of Polish descent. Of course, others are important to everyone. What is important is many, many events are occurring at American Polish Cultural Center.
Here are some examples, in 2004 there was the 100th anniversary gala celebration of the Polish Weekly (Tygodnik Polski) newspaper. In 1991 there was the bicentennial commemoration of the Polish Constitution (the oldest in Europe and the second oldest after the American Constitution). Every year there is the May 3rd signing commemoration for which there is often a party. Perhaps one of the most interesting was the 90th Anniversary of the Polish Blue Army. The soldiers of this group were mostly Poles from all over the world and outside of Poland. They fought under the leadership of General Józef Haller and received much of their equipment from France including their blue uniforms. After fighting in France, they went to Poland where they fought in the Polish-Bolshevik/Russian War of 1918-1919 and then returned to the United States. Detroit was one of the areas from which many of the volunteers in America came. These Poles from Detroit took their oath of allegiance at St. Josephat’s Church before departing to a training camp near Niagara Falls in Canada.
There are many annual events. There is the Friends of Polish Art Wigilia. Another favorite is the annual Chopiniana when we celebrate the life of the great Polish composer Frederic Chopin in an evening of a concert followed by a dinner. The Polish Numismatic Society Coin Show and the Polish Folk Dancing Festival are two additional events that draw large crowds. Of course, there is the incredibly popular annual Polish Sports Hall of Fame Banquet. At this event Americans of Polish Descent who are recognized for their athletic prowess are inducted into the Polish American Sports Hall of Fame which is located in our Cultural Center. One of the inductees into the Hall of Fame was Lieutenant Colonel Matt Urban who was the “most highly decorated officer and soldier of WW II.” The very first individual inducted into the Hall of Fame was the great Stan “The Man” Musiał. He, like many of his fellow inductees was the first – or second-generation descendant of Polish immigrants,
We have had banquets by the White Eagle Sports Club in which the greats of Polish soccer such as Andrzej Szarmach and Włodzimierz Lubański were honored and remembered. The beloved singing group, Filarets, has had a commemorative ball at our center. There is also “The Friends of Nowy Sącz” which has held meetings and events here. (Nowy Sącz is a town in south-central Poland). One of the extremely popular events is the International Armed Forces Night which celebrates the cooperation of American, non-communist Polish and Canadian armed forces during World War II. Today we also celebrate that same level of cooperation and dedication through NATO in fighting Russian aggression in all its manifestations and other anti-democratic forces. The annual International Armed Forces Night alternates between Windsor and Troy.
Another aspect of the use of our Center has been performers from Poland such as Czerwone Gitary, Zbigniew Wodecki, Marek Grechuta and the wonderful Polish singer of Greek descent Eleni Tzoka as well as various cabaret performers. We have also been a welcome meeting place for events sponsored by Korean, Filipino, Chinese, Indian, Iraqi, and Hispanic groups, and individuals. There have been events sponsored by Alliance Francaise and the Friends of Polish Art.
From the more recent events we should mention: The 85th Anniversary of Polish Varieties Radio Program in 2015, 40th Anniversary of Polish American Federal Credit Union and 65th Anniversary of the White Eagle Sport’s Club (2016), 100th Anniversary of the Michigan Division of the Polish American Congress (2018), 115th Anniversary of the Polish Weekly (Tygodnik Polski, 2019), Filarets Dinner Dance, Sportsman’s Wild Game Dinner etc. There were also cultural events such as: Piotr Rubik Concert, From Verdi to Volare Italian Musical, “Tamara L.” play presented by Salon of Poetry, Music and Theater from Toronto , Sylwia Grzeszczak Concert, Polish Bilingual Day and many more. One of the newer annual events is the International Fundraiser-Wielka Orkiestra Świątecznej Pomocy. We need to mention highly successful “Nicolaus Copernicus (Mikołaj Kopernik) 550th Jubilee Exhibition in February 2024.
The APCC has its own sponsored series of annual events which are immensely popular: Mother and Father’s Day Buffet, Pączki Day(s), Christmas Buffet, and the extremely popular New Year’s Eve Ball. In the recent years new annual events were added: the Polish Easter Basket Social and Luncheon, Visit with Santa, and the popular Polish Patio – Music and Street Food.
What makes the APCC most important to many Polonians are the special family events that are held here: weddings, christenings, graduations, anniversaries, and memorials. Often these events have a special importance for many years afterwards. For example, there is a family that comes to the Wawel restaurant to show their young daughters where their parents were married. That is the beauty of the APCC: we were here yesterday, we are here today, and we will be here tomorrow for all your special moments.
Walking Around the APCC and Experiencing Polish Heritage and Culture
An important part of the APCC is the Wawel restaurant. We have continuously upgraded the restaurant to make it feel like a very high-class place with excellent traditional Polish cuisine and ambiance and with very reasonable pricing. We have striven to make it a place you want to come often and where you will want to bring family and friends. Many of our wait staff are fluent in Polish and English. It is not only the exceptional quality of our cuisine and service which bring visitors to the Wawel, it also the ambiance, which is enhanced by the beautiful woodwork, the glass exhibit cases which display Polish folk art and other beautiful aspects of Polish culture and celebration. One of the cases is dedicated to Polish American and Polish sports memorabilia including soccer.
An attractive feature of the Wawel restaurant is the winter painting of the Wawel Castle as seen from the Vistula (Wisła) river. If you come close enough to the painting, you can feel as though you are in the painting. On the walls of the Wawel restaurant near the ceiling are the portraits of many great Poles. Some of whom are known to Americans such as Maria Skłodowska-Curie who was the winner of two Nobel Prizes in physics and chemistry. During the First World War she would travel near the French frontlines demonstrating the use and value of her X-ray machine in helping to identify the nature of war injuries. How many American and civilian lives have been saved because of this Polish scientist’s determination to show the medical importance of x-rays?
There is a painting of the composer Frederic Chopin which needs no introduction. His music has thrilled millions of listeners and challenged generations of pianists to play his complex pieces with precision and deep emotion. There is also a painting of Henryk Sienkiewicz who received the Nobel Prize in Literature primarily for his great epic novel Quo Vadis. For Poles in Europe and the United States the memory of Sienkiewicz is a little more nuanced. For them he is primarily known as the writer of the Knights of the Cross (Krzyżacy). A novel which culminates with the Polish Lithuanian victory over the German Order of Teutonic Knights at the critically important 1410 Battle of Grunwald. He is also the writer of a three-part epic novel dealing with Poland and its wars during the 17th century. All these writings were important because they were composed at the end of the 19th century when Poland did not exist as free and independent country. They were intended to help create in Poles in Partitioned Poland, America and throughout the world a great sense of national identity, purpose and pride. There is a portrait of the great Polish poet Adam Mickiewicz who is unknown to most Americans , even many of Polish descent. On the other hand, almost every Polish speaker can recite the opening lines of his epic poem Pan Tadeusz which begins ‘Litwo, ojczyzno moja! Ty jesteś jak zdrowie’ (Lithuania my homeland, you are like good health… !”) of course there is a picture of one of the greatest Poles from the 20th century and that is Pope Saint John Paul II born Karol Wojtyla. There are many more portraits than those we have already mentioned.
Leaving the Wawel Restaurant and entering the Main Hall with a splendid wooden dance floor one sees to the left a large portrait of George Washington on his horse. Although Americans know him as the” Father of Our Country” he is not necessarily well known to Poles. However, if you tell them that he is the one who recognized the talents and promoted to the rank of general two of the greatest Polish patriots in history, Thaddeus Kosciuszko and Kazimierz Pulaski, during the American War of Independence, then watch their faces light up with interest and pride.
Going further into the Main Hall one sees the exhibits of the National Sports Hall of Fame. It presents the most famous American athletes of Polish descent many of whose names are known to every Polish American sports fan. Several of the athletes were born in Poland.
As we proceed toward the main entrance of the Main Hall, on the left, we see the Polish Library. On either side of its entrance there are plaques related to two great Polish military groups of World War II. On the left is the plaque commemorating the Polish Air Force Veterans whose most famous battle was the Battle of Britain in 1940 and the cover they provided for the American and Polish troops during the Normandy Campaign of 1944. On right of the library door is a plaque commemorating the veterans of the Polish Second Army Corps. This army led by General Władysław Anders achieved fame during the Battle of Monte Cassino in 1944. Americans may recall that the battle for Monte Cassino was the deadliest battle on the western front in which many Americans, Poles and others lost their lives in a common cause to defeat the Nazis.
Renovations at the APCC and Surviving Covid Business Impact
The last two years have seen a major renovation of the main hall which involved the installation of new ceiling, lighting, carpeting, restoration of the dance floor, new bar, painting of walls etc. These are the more obvious but there were also upgrades in the kitchen, roof maintenance etc. The APCC Board of Directors is committed to keeping the APCC building in the finest condition as we move into the 21st century. For the Board and our members, the greatest challenge was dealing with the Covid epidemic which required new ways of serving customers and adapting to a reduction in in-person events. The Cultural Center survived primarily by emphasizing carry-out, finding Federal funding because regular business became almost nonexistent. The most important were fundraising actions by the membership (the plaque commemorating members’ generosity could be viewed at the right of the entrance). We would also like to mention the great assistance provided by the Polish American Federal Credit Union. The APCC survived when many other businesses and banquet centers went bankrupt thanks to our Staff, Board, Membership, and the Credit Union that came together in common cause: “to preserve and grow our Polish culture and values”!
The American Polish Cultural Center is a place in which your Polish and Polish American experiences can be remembered and celebrated! We are many and we are one!
(Prepared by Frank J. Dmuchowski with the assistance of other members of the APCC 35th Anniversary Committee. November 2024)
