There are countless stories of people immigrating to the United States of America, each one having its own twists and unique elements. I interviewed my grandmother, not about herself, but her father. My great grandfather, Thomas, was of Polish descent. The interesting thing about him and his story is that he was actually born in the United States in McKeesport, Pennsylvania. While this contradicts the definition of an immigrant, he moved back to Poland at a young age and from there his story progressed.
His parents lived in Gdnansk, Poland, and owned a small farm. At the time, many people were looking to travel to the United States to find a better way of life, mostly revolving around wealth. His parents followed this trend and while living in America, Thomas was born. At the age of six, he and his family returned to Poland. Things were turbulent there at the time before World War II broke out, and they wanted to go back because of their property and the fact that they had satisfied their wealth needs in America. Thomas’ parents sent him right back at the age of 16; the reason being that they wanted better opportunities for him than his future in Poland. He set off for his new life in the United States on a boat, alone and unaware of the future as he travelled through Ellis Island. He loved telling his immigration story to my grandmother and her family, since the idea of an American citizen immigrating back to America was such an interesting thought.
He lived with distant cousins in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania and after a few years, he found a cushioned job at the “Jones and Laughlin Steel Corporation”. The whole town was built around this steel mill, and it was a common place for immigrants to work. This stable job was hard and laborious, but he eventually earned enough money to buy his own business: a bar called the “National Café”. He prospered at this business for 25 years until he retired with his family. My grandfather, Thomas Rozanski, was a United States-born immigrant, and he has passed his Polish customs down generations reaching all the way to me. This itself is a great representation of immigration; changing your whole life to live somewhere completely different than what you’re used to and successfully spreading your traditions.
