"I never seen nor did anyone mention anything special brought from Poland. A friend from Sugar Notch, Mrs. Bertha Wawrzyn, visited Poland every few years to see her family and would visit the family while there. All she ever brought back were photos that she took of the Polish Czarnecki's (see earlier comments).
"There was very little discussion of the Polish life and family. Usually, when there was, it was a brief mention of the farm that was left behind. There did not seem to be any regrets about leaving for a better life. After all , they settled among Polish, Slavic, Hungarian, Lithuanian, and Ukrainian people just like themselves. Similar language, similar customs, similar faces, houses, churches, etc. But life was much better than on the farm. They were quite happy in America and much better off. The motherland, Poland, was far off and just a memory, not to be forgotten but no regrets for leaving either.
"Periodically a church pastor would run a heritage trip back to Poland for a group. Very few of those who immigrated would return. Occasionally someone "in the family" in America would join a relative for the return trip, Usually meeting the Polish or Slovak relatives for the first time and occasionally maintaining a letter writing relationship afterwards. This DID NOT happen in our family.
"There was not very much correspondence with the Polish family. Only an infrequent letter. There were no exchanges other than through the Polish Church which would have clothing drives and send clothes to Poland in general, but not to specific family members. Bertha's photos which came after the trips were the only contact until they asked for the deed to be changed in the mid 1960's.There was no special items from Poland that were kept by the family that I know of. They came with little and acquired everything they had in America. Over the years all traces of Poland disappeared. They were now AMERICANS and wanted to be known as such. The Polish heritage was maintained through Church and their friends in the community..."
Julian and Alexandria left everything—including s'forim Torah—behind when they emigrated. Of course, Granduncle Tony (z"l) either did not know—much less suspect—that we are Jewish or was in denial of it at even that time—eventually, even in-denial Jack Czarnecki begrudged, "If we had any Jewish blood, I don't know about it."
Now comes the question as to whether I will have to flee to Canada or somewhere else if God doesn't stop Trump and if an aliyah g'dolah can't overwhelm Netanyahu and the Haredim. Meanwhile, what if Trump would invade Canada like ****** invaded Holland, Slovakia (split in between Czechoslovakia and Hungary), and other countries?
Either way, I will either try to flee if God does not stop Trump or die trying to flee, even if that means that I'd have to hide somewhere within the U.S. and I'd ended up being caught and kidnapped by Trump's cronies as the Gestapo caught and kidnapped Anne Frank's and other families. \