The Wild, Wild Promised Land of Upper Silesians: Panna Maria and Its Cultural Heritage

Abstract

In the mid-19th century, a small number of families from the Upper Silesia region of Poland emigrated to Texas and established Panna Maria, which many historians have identified as the oldest enduring Polish settlement in the United States. The current study focuses on the cultural identity of these settlers and their descendants. It also discusses various aspects of the lasting cultural impact that the Panna Maria story has had on the two areas involved, Texas and Upper Silesia itself. The approach will draw on the theoretical frameworks of cultural and ethnic studies.