Polish Venezuelan
  | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 4,000 [1][2] to 8,900[3] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Caracas, Maracaibo, Valencia, Maracay | |
| Languages | |
| Predominantly in Spanish, minority speak Polish | |
| Religion | |
| Roman Catholicism, minority are Orthodox and Judaism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Poles, Polish Brazilian, Polish American, Polish Canadians |
A Polish Venezuelan (Spanish: polaco-venezolano) is an Venezuelan citizen of full or partial Polish ancestry. The Polish colony in Venezuela is well dispersed throughout the country, but most of the Poles and their descendants live in big cities like Caracas, Maracaibo and Valencia.
Polish immigration to Venezuela
Polish immigration to Venezuela occurred in three stages, the first during World War II, when Polish citizens of Jewish origin were fleeing the Holocaust.
The second happened immediately after the war (years 1946-48), when the Poles of Jewish origin who survived the war joined their relatives already established in Venezuela. In addition, many Polish soldiers who had fought in Britain, Germany and Italy or were prisoners in Nazi camps migrated to Venezeuela.
The next wave of Polish immigration to Venezuela took place between 1957-1958 when a few hundred Polish citizens primarily of Jewish origin arrived. There were others who escaped from Poland during a communist crackdown (1947-1956).[4][5]
Current status
As for their profession and employment, the largest group among Poles in Venezuela is constituted by representatives of small family business. There are a considerable number of musicians, academics and doctors. The governor of Miranda state, Henrique Capriles Radonski and film director Jonathan Jakubowicz are of Polish origin. In the sports world, Jimy Szymanski is a representative of Venezuela in tennis. Mariano Kossowski founded Promar Television. Harry Abend, national prize of sculptur. Ángel Rosenblat was a philologist, essayist and hispanist. Mieczysław Detyniecki is a painter. David Smolansky, politician, Voluntad Popular, mayor of El Hatillo, Miranda State. Two Polish Venezuelans have achieved considerable success in the Miss Venezuela. In 1996, Miss Venezuela for Miss World pageant was Ana Cepinska who then get the third place in the Miss World 1996 pageant in India. In 2003 one of the 10 finalists of Miss Venezuela was Francys Sudnicka, who later represented Poland in the Miss Universe 2006 (did not place) and Miss Earth 2006 (semi-finalist) pageants.[4]
References
- ↑ "Relaciones Polonia-Venezuela". Caracas.polemb.net. Retrieved 2012-09-16.
- ↑ "Rozmowa z szefem misji dyplomatycznej Wenezueli w Polsce - Młodzi Socjaliści: "Z lewej strony" - Salon24". Mlodzisocjalisci.salon24.pl. 2011-06-24. Retrieved 2012-09-16.
- ↑ Joshua Project. "Polish of Venezuela Ethnic People Profile". Joshuaproject.net. Retrieved 2012-10-05.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "The immigration and Polish Colony in Venezuela (Spanish)". Caracas.polemb.net. Retrieved 2012-09-16.
- ↑ "Sources related to Venezuela in the archives of Poland (Spanish)" (PDF). Ikl.org.pl. Retrieved 2012-09-16.
External links
- The Other Child: Poles in Latin America
- (Spanish) The immigration and Polish Colony in Venezuela
- (Polish) Rozmowa z szefem misji dyplomatycznej Wenezueli w Polsce
- (Spanish) Sources related to Venezuela in the archives of Poland
- R. Stemplowski y J. Szemiński: Polskie źródła archiwalne do dziejów Ameryki Łacińskiej w XIX i XX wieku [Fuentes de archivos polacos relativas a la historia de América en los siglos XIX y XX], «Dzieje Najnowsze», 1972, n° 2. p 2.
- K. R. Pragłowski: Nawiązanie stosunków gospodarczych z Wenezuelą [El establecimiento de relaciones económicas con Venezuela], Warszawa 1929.
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