This study is a historical overview of humble individuals who wished for independence from an oppressive government but had more immediate individual and familial concerns. These immigrants wanted not only a better material life but also a strong moral community and achieved their goals through the church, lay organizations, and Polish parochial schools.

But their children were influenced by their own needs and desires and the attractions of larger society. Not much has been written about the children of immigrants in Polonia during this period. William J. Galush explores their impact on both national and local levels and compares the education, work, and home environments of these two generations along with the evolution of their individual identities.