I was born in Fremont, California, but my parents and my whole family were born in Poland and came to the U.S. years ago. So, when I was young kid, I never knew what to consider myself. Was I an American or a Pole? Or was I a Polish-American?
This is a short story about how I learned about myself. Maybe it will be helpful to other scouts who are trying to figure out the same thing for themselves.
I attended school in America until the 3rd grade, when my family had a great opportunity to move back to Poland. But soon after we arrived in Poland, I found that life there wasn’t so easy at first. I didn’t have any friends and didn’t know how to speak Polish. All I had was my family.
My parents hired a language tutor for the summer, which made it possible for me to speak Polish after only three months. I lived in Poland for five years, and by then, I really felt like a true Pole. I was really proud of Poland’s long history and some of its most famous people who have done amazing things.
For example, Pope John Paul II was from Poland and was the first non-Italian to serve as head of the Catholic Church in 455 years when he became the Pope in 1978. He was one of the most popular popes in the church’s history. He traveled to 122 countries, and on a trip to the Philippines, he attracted the largest crowd of supporters of any Pope ever—four million people came to see him!
Lech Wałęsa was a humble electrician in Poland when he co-founded the first free trade union for workers known as Solidarity (or Solidarność in Polish). In 1980, he became a legend when he jumped on top of a fence in the Gdańsk Shipyard and rallied his co-workers to go on strike against the communist government. He was jailed for advocating for democracy in Poland. But he never gave up his struggle, and in 1983, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. After the communist government fell in 1989, Walesa became the first democratically elected president of Poland in 1990.
So I’m really proud of my Polish background, and during my five years in Poland, I learned to be responsible and independent. For example, in 4th grade my parents bought me a Metrocard. I had to plan my route, and every morning I would use public transport to get myself to and from school. The Polish community where we lived taught me many skills and gave me certain experiences that you can't get anywhere else.
After five years in Poland, my family and I moved back to America to live in northern Virginia, and it had a big impact on me. In Poland, I had finally felt home again. I had everything thought out, and I had many friends, who I still consider to be lifetime friends.
When we got back to the states, however, I once again felt entirely out of place. The teens here seemed very calm and more focused on education. In Poland, my friends and I used to go out for a movie, lunch, and dinner almost every day after school. We traveled all around the city by ourselves at the age of 13.
I think one of the best decisions I made to help me get used to living in America again was to join the Boy Scouts. I’m part of a great troop and have made some good scout friends. We do a lot of activities that are both learning experiences and really fun. Recently, my fellow scouts elected me to serve as the patrol leader for our Dragons patrol. I would encourage any guy who has to make big adjustments in life to think about joining the Boy Scouts. You’ll be glad you did.
Today, I feel integrated in the U.S. and am proud to be an American. I like living here and enjoy the many opportunities that exist in the U.S. I also have made some good friends at my high school.
Deep inside, however, I know myself better than ever. I definitely consider myself to be Polish. I think in Polish; I speak Polish; and I “live” like a Pole. I often miss my friends in Poland and plan to return there one day.
In the meantime, I’m happy in Virginia and really like being a member of Troop 1916. And I look forward to earning my Eagle Badge in the future.
But, finally, I really know who I am. And that’s a great feeling to have!
By Dominick Z. — Life Scout, Troop 1916