Journal 24 – Some Considerations about Terms Nationality and Ethnic Group

My English language teacher, Christina, announced that on Wednesday we will learn the unit 5 from our book Listening and Speaking. This unit mainly treats about Indians. I have little considerations which are related with this topic.

I consider that Americans in the different way than Europeans understand terms “nationality” and “ethnic group”. The American society consist of many different ethnic groups (people with different background), but all habitants who have lived in this beautiful country are Americans (nationality).

In my native country, Poland, is different. It can be more clearly when I will try to explain it on my personal example. I am from Poland, but I am not Pole (the Polish man). My nationality is Ukrainian, though that I was born in Poland. Additionally, my parents and grandparents were born in the Polish territory too. Poles clearly distingue three terms: “nationality”, “ethnic group” and “national minority”.

In Poland have lived 98% Poles; others 2% people called themselves “national minorities”. People from these sometimes small communities have a strong sense of belonging to their nationalities, for example, Germans, Russians, Ukrainians, Jews or Tatars.

A different term is “citizenship”, which is also called “nationality” (the American encyclopedia). I disagree with that kind of point of view. In my humble opinion, a person can have only one nationality but concurrently he can have citizenships of many countries. Of course, this is point of view a man from the Old Continent.
I sorry, my present journal is too long, but I couldn’t explain the above problem briefly.

Journal 23 – Darwin’s Theory Still Will Be Teaching in Polish Schools

The Polish deputy Minister of Education, Miroslaw Orzechowski, said that theory of evolution is a “lie” and “fable of a literary nature”. He considered, in a during newspaper interview, that Charles Darwin’s theory should be purged from the school curriculum.
However, the Minister of Education, Roman Giertych, a leader of ultra-Roman Catholic League of Polish Families, said that he doesn’t see conflict between that theory and the Biblical teaching that God created the world. Giertych, who took his office in May, 2006, considered his deputy expressed his private point of view in this matter.
Charles Darwin, a British naturalist, lived in the nineteenth century. He described his theory of evolution in the book which is usually called simply The Origin of Species.

Journal 22 – The FBI Arrested the Polish Businessman

In the previous week, the Polish businessman, Edward Mazur, 60, was arrested by the FBI. It happened without incident at his home in Glenview outside Chicago.
Polish persecutors have gathered “hard evidence” that Mazur played very important role in the killing of Gen. Marek Papala. Gen. Papala, the police chief under the left-wing government, was killed in the of his Warsaw home in June 1998. In that year, Edward Mazur was briefly arrested, but he fled to the United States after being released on orders from the chief prosecutor.
The businessman has both American and Polish citizenships. Poland asked the USA for Mazur extradition in May 2005. Investigation moved on the head only after the visit the Polish Minister of Justice, Zbigniew Ziobro, in the USA earlier this month.

Journal 21 – 50 Anniversary of Polish Uprising in Poznan

In the previous journal I have written about Hungarian anti-Communist uprising in 1956. In Polish city Poznan, on June 28,1956, took place the protest of workers with the dissatisfaction with both living and working conditions. Riots lasted for a few days. In these days more than 100,000 Polish joined striking factory workers; 70 people were killed, about 800 wounded and 700 arrested. Eventually, Wladyslaw Gomulka replaced Boleslaw Bierut as a communist party leader. Hardline Stalinists were removed from power. The Soviet officers serving in the Polish Army were dismissed. However soon, Gomulka’s reformist veil fell down.

Journal 20 – Hungarian Uprising in 1956

The Hungarian people revolted against the Soviet Union in October, 1956. It was the biggest crises of the Communist system in the world. During the Hungarian uprising were killed about 2,500 people, 20,000 citizens were sentenced and 200,000 had to go into exile.
But the Hungarians had won a great moral victory for freedom. On October 23, hundreds of students and workers marched through the streets of Budapest shouting, “Out of the Russian!” During a peaceful demonstration before the Hungarian parliament the Soviet troops opened gun-fire (in the above picture Soviet troops and tanks surrounded the Parliament Building.) Finally, Janos Kadar, the communist leader who was supported by the Soviet comrades, took power and held it until 1988.
In these days, the Hungarians solemnly celebrated 50 anniversary their revolution. The delegates from over 40 countries have come to Budapest.
I visited Hungary a few times; the Hungarians hated the Russians.

Journal 20 – Hurricane Paul is expected in Mexico


Yesterday, we were talking in the class about different disasters as earthquake, dust storm, flood, drought, smoke and hurricane.
Today, October 24, 2006, I read that in some areas in Mexico is a emergency condition. Forecasters predicted that Hurricane Paul could hit Mexico’s Pacific coast on Wednesday. The civil defense director said that about 3,000 families could be evacuated from flood risk areas.
Mexico was struck by two Pacific hurricanes last month. Both Atlantic and Pacific hurricane seasons will end about November 30.
Poland, my native country, lies in the moderate climate and I never experienced these kinds of disasters. A few years ago, the south region of Poland was haunted by flood. Poles don’t have experience how to fight with these kinds of catastrophes.

Journal 18 – My sad weekend

The last weekend was sad for me. On Friday I have got a message that my brother-in-law passed away. I had looked for opportunity to go to Poland. It wasn’t possible, because a funeral was planned for Sunday. My family went to church and prayed for John’s soul. We sent sympathy to our relatives in Poland.

Journal 17 – My presentation

Today is Tuesday, October 18,2006. It is a day my presentation. I would like to tell my Professor and classmates about a man who saved the world against World War III.
Colonel Ryszard Kuklinski, a Polish spy, for the 9 years delivered the CIA over 40,000 pages of top secret Warsaw Pact materials. He still is one of the most a controversial figures in the Polish postwar history.
Is Ryszard Kuklinski a hero or traitor? I will ask my audience to help me to answer this question.

Journal 16 - The USA population reached 300 million


The Census Bureau informed that today, on September 17, 2006, at 7:46 A.M. the US population reached 300 million. In 1967 were 200 million Americans.
The Census Bureau “population clock” estimates a birth every seven seconds, a death every 13 seconds a new immigrant every 31 seconds. If we summarize it, we receive one new American every 11 seconds.
The United States are a big country. It isn’t easy estimating the exact number of people in this country.
Some estimate that in that hospitable country live about 12 million illegal immigrants.
The United States are, after China and India, are third the most populated country in the world.

Journal 15 - The Polish archbishop became the pope 28 years ago

The Polish archbishop, Karol Wojtyla, was elected by conclave the head Catholic church on October 16, 1978. He adopted name John Paul II.
Karol Wojtyla was born May 18, 1920 at Wadowice, Poland; he died April 2, 2005 at Vatican City.
Karol Wojtyla was a great student and sportsman. In 1942, he has ordained a priest. He became the pope at the age of 58. He was the first Polish pope and the first non-Italian pope since 1522.

Journal 14 – Is an Army Officer who broke the Oath always a Traitor?


Polish Colonel Ryszard Kuklinski was one of the CIA’s most effective spies after World War II. For 9 years he delivered about 40,000 pages of secret Warsaw Pact materials to the American CIA.
Some politicians and historians consider that the colonel saved the world against World War III.
Colonel Kuklinski didn’t get any money for his collaboration. Kuklinski’s two sons disappeared under incomprehensible circumstances. Kuklinski was fighting with the Soviet Union which Ronald Reagan, the former American president, named “the Devil Empire”.
I am content that I will have opportunity to tell you about this controversial person during my presentation on Wednesday.

Journal 13 - The Banker of the Poorest People Won Nobel Peace Prize


The Nobel Committee awarded Dr. Muhammed Yunus, 66, Nobel Peace Prize. Yunus has had phenomenal success helping people lift themselves out of poverty in rural Bangladesh. He developed his revolutionary micro-credit system believing that it can be a weapon to fight poverty. Today, micro-credit programs based on Yunus’ Grammen Bank model operate in nearly 100 countries.
Bangladesh is one of the poorest countries in the world (GDP per capita – 440 dollars; life expectancy – 63 years; the literacy rate – 41%).
Many experts consider that help provided by rich countries to poor ones doesn’t work efficiently. Professor M. Yunus showed one of the ways, how the poor people can help themselves. He isn’t only an economist; he is a social worker, too.

Journal 12 – Trial of Orhan Pamuk’ Shows Turkey not Ready for European Union


Orhan Pamuk, the Turkish novelist, won Nobel Prize in Literature in this year. In December, 2005, Pamuk was charged by a Turkish court, with “denigrating the Turkish national identity”. Pamuk told a Swiss newspaper that Turkey was responsible for Armenian genocide during World War I and after it. Genocide is the systematic extermination of a cultural or racial group.
Historians consider that during the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire, during World War I, over one million Armenians and about 30,000 Kurds were killed.
European Union officials strongly criticized the Turkish government for Pamuk’s arrest. This kind of disagreement can be one of the reason which could delays Turkey membership at European Union.

Journal 11 – The Turkish writer won Nobel Prize in Literature

Orhan Pamuk, 54, was warded the Nobel Prize in Literature on October 12, 2006. He was born and has lived in Istanbul his entire life. He left the architecture school after three years and graduated journalism at the University of Istanbul in 1976.
Pamuk is one of Turkey’s most prominent novelist; his works has been translated into more than forty languages.
Pamuk’s main works are: The Silent House (1983), The White Castle (1985), Snow (2002).
Today, I borrowed his book, The New Life, from East Meadow Public Library.

Journal 10 - John Dewey – a brilliant American educator


In Poland, my native country, John Dewey is the most famous an American educator. All students who want to be teachers know that J. Dewey was a father of progressive education.
Only in the USA, I have had opportunity to keep in my hands his main works issued, of course, in the English language. Dewey’s educational philosophy was created in the beginning twentieth century, and cannot exist in its pure issue in the USA, right now. However, I consider that “Dewey’s spirit” still predominates in American schools.
Very interesting is Dewey’s impression from his trip to the Soviet Union in 1928. It can be an interesting topic for presentation.

Journal 9 – Are Americans poor educated?


Many my friends, the immigrants, consider that the most Americans are poor educated people. The main argument is that Americans don’t know the world geography. I think that it is the particular and cursory value.
I disagree with this point of view. I don’t have opportunity to know an American schools, exactly.
However, I know that American and European educational systems have different goals. Simplify, we can say that the American education is more practical, however European one more encyclopedically. Personally, I prefer the American philosophy of education.

Journal 8 – Is complaint Polish peculiarity?


Sometimes, complaint can be an engine of progress. However, it isn’t good if complaint constitutes a stable trait of someone’s attitude. At that case, complaint doesn’t have a positive influence for a malcontent and his surroundings.
When I lived in Poland, one time I watched on TV interview with foreigners from different countries who have lived in Poland no less than 5 years. A Polish journalist asked guests about differences between people in Poland and their native countries.
The American diplomat, a lady of the middle age, said that Americans don’t complain as much as Poles do. She gave an interesting example. If a neighbor asks John, who had a serious heart surgery two weeks ago, “John, how are you today?”, than John suddenly answers, “I am fine. How are you?”
In Poland, when we meet people they usually complain about health, money, job, spouse and many different things. Poles are very kind and hospitable, but complain is their particular trait style of life, the American lady ended her statement.

Journal 7 - Don’t complain, please


Some immigrants, especially from Eastern Europe, criticize many aspects of American daily life. They complain everywhere and whenever.
Often, they have lived here illegal, don’t speak English well, but have a simply quite nice job. Complaint became their peculiarity. Maybe, they forgot about the saying, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”.
The Polish saying is, “If you came in among crows, you must caw as they do”. Russians in these kinds of situations saying, “Don’t force in a foreign convent with your law”.

Journal 6 – Are Americans faked?


Some immigrants consider that Americans are faked. I disagree with this kind of opinion. Americans are different than, for example, European people are.
Attitudes of Americans were formed by specific history, culture, customs etc. I like Americans, and I consider that my relations with them enrich my personality. I am content that I can learn the English language and American culture.