London's Polish Borders by Michal P. Garapich

Author:Michal P. Garapich [Garapich, Michal]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Social Science, Social Classes
ISBN: 9783838266077
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Published: 2016-05-11T16:00:00+00:00

Freedom and work

Since migrants decided to leave their home environment, moving from what they often call the group of ‘passive, rural, backward’ Poles to ‘active, dynamic’ Poles, it is no surprise then that they see Britain as a place where merit and hard work determine opportunities rather than connections. However, this attitude is expressed in very different ways. It can keep migrants in a state of denial, as well as have a real meaning for advancement.

Two cases illustrate this process. Bronek is a van driver from a middle-class background. He came in 2004 and initially was quite excited about his prospects. In Poland, he had tried to study medicine but got frustrated by local nepotism, which helped the offspring of doctors to study medicine, and left for London. During several conversations, he stressed the fact how corrupt things were in Poland and his intention to become a paramedic. However, he continually failed to sit the examinations in London and seemed unwilling to move forward. He was happy to continue moaning about his British employer and his lack of spare time. His criticisms of Poland justify his unwillingness to return, while his plans help him believe that his courier job is only temporary, even though he has been in that position for the last five years. Bronek seemed to be trapped between his negative attitude towards nepotistic Poland and a fear of failure in London.

There may be, however, a different way of understanding this contrast between Poland and Britain. As we have already seen, the references in Polish migration narratives to individualism, freedom, and a sense of independence is a constant feature, whether we talk about a city banker or hip-hop artist, a homeless person or an unemployed carpenter. A good example is the case of Joanna, who comes from a small town in southern Poland where her family was quite ‘well off’. She was able to get an office job in a local employment office—a job regarded by her family and friends as a strong status symbol and sign of success. She worked there for a while but got frustrated and decided to go to London. Here she works as a cleaner but insists that she has advanced socially. Her case is a good example of the somewhat casual, accidental way in which migration decisions are made:

Well, I’m a highly indecisive person really; it takes a long time for me to take up my mind … But in this case it was that in my job it began to be a bit … like boring … and this friend of mine who lives in London came for holiday and she said: ‘Look, Wiola, if you want you can come to London, we will find something … If you want to see how it looks come along.’ So, actually, at that time I had small problems at work, had a bad mood and I thought: ‘Why not?’ … I asked for unpaid leave. My boss also thought for some time and gave me the leave.

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