The Day of the Polish Diaspora and Poles Abroad is a national holiday established in 2002 by the Seimas of the Republic of Poland. In this way, millions of Poles living abroad were honored, but who for centuries fought for Polish independence, they supported Poland in the most difficult moments of history and actively expressed their attachment to the Republic of Poland.
Over the centuries, poles were forced to leave their homeland. For 123 for years it fell under the occupation of its three neighbors (Russia, Prussia and Austria). Then there were two world wars, soviet occupation and a difficult road to freedom. Many poles had to flee persecution, ostracism and lack of opportunities for growth.
The polish diaspora refers to people of polish origin living outside of Poland. The polish diaspora is also known in modern polish as Polonia, which is the name of Poland in Latin and many other Romance languages.
According to information found on the website of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the diaspora is estimated at approx 21 million people (bringing the number of poles and people of polish origin to approx 60 millions globally).
The largest center of polish expatriates is, in the United States of America, between 9 and 10 millions of strong people. The second place belongs to Germany, approximate 2 millions of poles. , and the third country with the largest group of Poland is… Brazil – 1,5 millions of poles, 700 thousands in the United Kingdom. Also, we find poles in places like France (historically the main emigration direction of polish elites since the 19th century), Canada and Argentina.
Everywhere there are active communities where later generations have been in contact with polish culture through polish schools which are an important extension of the polish education system. The polish authorities ensure that such schools are available for polish minorities. Programs are introduced to encourage young students to learn about their polish roots and culture, the language and history of the country. Polish schools can be found practically everywhere there are centers for polish minorities, even in "exotic" destinations such as Thailand, United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Qatar, China, Kargazstan, Iceland and Egypt.
It is estimated that at least one polish person lives in every country on the globe, which makes Poles true cosmopolitans and citizens of the world.