Polish-Americans in United States
Polish-Americans are the largest Slavic ethnic group in the United States. There are more than 10 million self-identified Polish-Americans. This number represents almost 3% of the entire US population. Let’s see how we can help you find your Polish roots!
How to Find Your Ancestors in Poland
First of all, we think it’s great that you want to find out more about your genealogy! We believe that with a little research and a great travel itinerary, you can have the trip of a lifetime.
Searching for information about your ancestors might sound overwhelming. We work with English speaking, genealogy experts in Poland who are able to assist in this project. Keep in mind, the history of Poland is very complex and the borders changed often. This can make the process difficult as the country of origin in your research may be listed in many different ways.
It is also known that people did not always use their village name as their place of birth, but rather the closest city instead. Another challenge is that there may be several towns or villages with the same name, not only in Poland, but in Ukraine or Belarus as well.
This article from Legacy Tree gives some steps on how to get started on your genealogy research.
The genealogist we work with are experienced with these challenges and will try to help as much as possible. Here are a fe steps you can take to make the whole process more exciting and less painful!
- Start your research now. The sooner you start the sooner you will get results. It takes a lot of time, research and a little luck to be successful. Some people call genealogy research an endless process and there is some truth in that.
- Make your personal goals. As mentioned, this can be a long but very rewarding process. It is really important to decide what would you like to accomplish from this research. Do you want to find you ancestor's cemetery, visit their home, learn about their past or meet your distant cousins from Poland? Genealogists will help you find out as much as possible, but it is essential to know what is your main goal.
- Collect information. Gather up all of the information you can find on your ancestors. Anything you can find will be very helpful including old letters, pictures, articles, notes or already completed research. This step may take some time but it is essential. Be patient and detail-oriented.
- Talk to your relatives. This will not only help genealogists locate your ancestors but will also strengthen family ties. Listen carefully to your oldest family members, they usually have the best information. Take notes and try to ask the right questions to help remind them of their memories.
- Contact us. We are here to help make your process enjoyable. In addition to finding your Polish heritage, we want to help you discover the place and the culture of your ancestors. This will make your genealogical journey more rewarding and personal. We design you a custom itinerary based specifically on your goals as well as pair you with a private genealogist and local guides who will introduce you to the cuisine, art, culture, history and more.
- See you in Poland! Bring copies of the important documents and let your adventure begin!
Polish Heritage Tours
You can find more about our Genealogy Tours to Poland here: Genealogy Tours To Poland
We are Damian and Elizabeth, a Polish-American couple, and we are excited to share Poland with you! We have traveled around the world and seen many places but find ourselves most inspired by our home countries.
