Polish Constitution Day Parade May 7
When: Saturday, May 7, 2022, Parade steps off at 11:30AM-1PM
Where: On Columbus Drive from Balbo Drive to Monroe St.
This parade celebrates the first democratic constitution in Europe (1791) and second in the world only to the United States Constitution. It draws approximately 25,000 viewers. The Raising of the Flag Ceremony will take place at Daley Plaza (Washington and Dearborn Sts.) May 2, 2022 at 12 noon.
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About Polish Constitution Day
The Polish constitution May 3, 1791 was the first democratic constitution in Europe and second in the world only to the United States Constitution. Every year Parade gathers thousands of people devoted to Polonia and Poland. Thousands more are expected to be drawn to the television coverage of the parade provided by Polish TV stations. Polish values, history, traditions and culture will be presented by the participants at this biggest parade outside Poland
Chicago Polish Community
The Milwaukee Corridor and the far Northwest Side is the most common area for Polish immigrants to settle. In 2000, of all Chicago community areas, Portage Park had the largest number of people of Polish ancestry, some 20,854 persons.
Poles in Chicago are made up of both immigrant Poles and Americans of Polish heritage living in Chicago, Illinois. They are a part of worldwide Polonia, the proper term for the Polish Diaspora outside of Poland.
Poles in Chicago have contributed to the economic, social and cultural well-being of Chicago from its very beginning. Poles have been a part of the history of Chicago since 1837, when Captain Joseph Napieralski, along with other veterans of the November Uprising first set foot there.
As of the 2000 U.S. census, Poles in Chicago are the largest European American ethnic group in the city, making up 7.3% of the total population. However, according to the 2006–2008 American Community Survey, German Americans and Irish Americans each had slightly surpassed Polish Americans as the largest European American ethnic groups in Chicago. Polish is the third-largest speaking language in Chicago behind English and Spanish.
According to Dominic Pacyga, most of the Poles who first came to Chicago settled in five distinct parts of the city. The first of those Polish Patches, as they were colloquially referred to, was located on the Near Northwest Side. Centering on the Polish Triangle at the intersection of Milwaukee and Ashland avenues with Division street it later became known as Polish Downtown.
The second large settlement, developed in Pilsen on the west side near 18th street and Ashland avenue. Poles established two separate enclaves in the Stock Yard district, one in Bridgeport, the other in the Back of the Yards near 47th street and Ashland avenue. Another Polish neighborhood developed in the area around the massive Illinois Steel works in South Chicago in the area colloquially referred to as “the Bush”.
Polish communities in Chicago were often founded and organized around parishes mostly by peasant immigrants who named their neighbourhoods after them, like Bronislawowo, named after St. Bronislava.* Sometimes the neighbourhoods are contiguous so its difficult to say precisely where one ends and one begins, as in the case of ‘Stanislawowo’ by the church of St. Stanislaus Kostka and ‘Trojcowo’ by Holy Trinity Polish Mission in the former area of Polish Downtown.
