Strangers at the Gate; Black Poland

By James Omolo

The history of People of African Descent (PAD) is a complex story in itself, and lies at the centre of the history of humanity.
This book recounts the multiple realities People of African Descent experience in Poland. The process of migration of PAD had been voluntary and devoid of duress because Poland had no colonies in Africa. Their rational choice for coming to Poland is mainly due to cheap education. Considering that majority of Africans coming to Poland wanted to pursue further education.
The African continent for a long time attracted the interest of Polish people who, in spite of their geographical position at the far East of Europe and their non involvement in colonial activities, have always been curious to know more about the distant and exotic to them, regions of the world. Their curiosity about Africa was satiated in the past hundred years or so by a number of scholars and journalists in the field and by travellers who wrote about their experiences.
The drama that surrounds PAD’s co-existence with Polish community is worth a discourse: the process of transformation that PAD undergoes during their quest for integration, adapting to their new society and still face a hostile environment. The agony that People of African Descent experience in the hands of a specific group is unquestionable. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: James Omolo
• Release date: Jan 2, 2018
• ISBN: 9788394711801

James Omolo

James Omolo studied in Kenya, India and Poland. He is the founder of Africa Connect Foundation, a radio host at imiradio and an activist on Human Rights related issues affecting People of African Descent. He also lectured at the University of Social Asciences and Humanities (SWPS), Centre for Postgraduate Studies and Training on ‘Africa Business and Beyond’. He has also contributed to publications in local academic journals.

Book preview

This book is dedicated to my late brother

Dr. Ayiemba Omolo

Nobody can teach me who I am. You can describe parts of me, but who I am - and what I need - is something I have to find out myself. 

Chinua Achebe

PROLOGUE

My quest towards writing this book was inspired by my activism in human rights issues affecting People of African Descent (PAD) and other minorities. I have been a victim of discrimination and other manifestations of racism since my very first day in Poland. I strongly hold the opinion that unmasking the intrinsic intolerance in the country unequivocally solicits a standpoint of a black person which I am explicitly covering in this book.

What connects me with the book is my background which I would say is my experience in Poland. I represent a social group that endures intense prejudice meted upon them. At the same time I have also lived in Poland for more than 8 years and therefore my narrative is built on generating the discourse which I am at the same time a subject.

The insight to the reality of People of African Descent that I cover in this book is not general to all them but conveys a divergence in cross cutting areas such as gender and generations; People of African descent perceives the realities differently. I also use different parenthesis to validate some of the narratives.

I form an allusion to my own encounter in the course of my activism, and other Africans who have been victims, the prevalence of manifestations of racism and intolerance towards People of African Descent which also affects other minority groups.

The history of Africans and people of African descent is a complex story in itself, and lies at the centre of the history of humanity. The tale of modernity cannot be fairly told without full attention to the African continent and People of African Descent (PAD).

This book recounts the existence of People of African Descent in Poland, their journey from Africa to Poland and their experience in the country. The process of migration of PAD had been voluntary and devoid of duress because Poland had no colonies in Africa. Their rational choice for coming to Poland is mainly due to cheap education. Considering that majority of Africans coming to Poland wanted to pursue further education.

Similarly, African people are continuing to expand their areas of residence, primarily in the countries of Western Europe. There, they face the virulence of racist practices on the part of the white indigenous as they attempt to establish themselves.

To clear the air, Africa is used in this book mostly not to refer to a country, but as a continent. I also want to stress that when covering discrimination and other forms of racism such as xenophobia, hate crime etc., my intention is to give a practical picture of what is happening in Poland. However, I’m not depicting the entire Polish population as racist, but a portion that tarnishes the image of the entire country.

The African continent for a long time attracted the interest of Polish people who, in spite of their geographical position at the far East of Europe and their non involvement in colonial activities, have always been curious to know more about the distant and exotic to them, regions of the world. Their curiosity about Africa was satiated in the past hundred years or so by a number of scholars and journalists in the field and by travellers who wrote about their experiences.

The history of Africans and people of African descent is a complex story in itself, and lies at the centre of the history of humanity. The tale of modernity cannot be fairly told without full attention to the African continent and People of African Descent (PAD).

The drama that surrounds a People of African Descent’s co-existence with Polish community is worth a discourse: the process of transformation that PAD undergoes during their quest for integration, adapting to their new society and still face a hostile environment. The agony that People of African Descent experience in the hands of a specific group is unquestionable. However, much they would like to feel at home in their adopted country, invariably, someone has to remind them that they are not welcome; they do not belong where they are. However a portion of the Polish population is open to them with receiving hands hence, my use of the title – "Strangers at the gate".

Therefore strangers at the gate set a discourse around People of African Descent in Poland with a focus on their everyday experiences in different spheres of their life. Since this is a story of overlapping and connected lives, the book is intended for general readership, especially from those who are interested in the advancement of the modern Poland as experienced by Africans and People of African Descent. I hope the book will open new vistas about the breadth and connections in the past, and the realities that sometimes some of us (PAD) are afraid to walk on the streets at night for fear of being attacked, the presence of structural racism and discrimination especially in labour, housing and health sectors.

The first general chapter is the new wave of immigrants. The analysis here is about the dynamics of interaction across the largest part of the EU in which black people have lived, identifies a set of patterns that may have been representative in many ways of the world as a whole, the challenges as well as the economic impact of immigrant inflow into Poland and their perspectives.

The second chapter is about integration. This section maps out the integration policy in Poland and the state of social integration between the black community and the Poles. Within the chapter I also built a pattern of multiculturalism and its social ramifications.

In chapter third racism and islamophobia is tackled. Hate crime and the attitude of Poles are also projected.

The fourth chapter is to set a tone about the relationship between Poland and Africa. This volume presents a broad overview of where Poland and Africa have been in the past, present and in the future – and the connections to one another.

Finally the last chapter underlines the recommendations as part of the way forward.

African, Black, People of African Descent and the African Diaspora is thus used interchangeably, but with due deterrence in the context involved. The context often involves such factors as parsimony of language as well as the attempt to achieve the clarity when discussing peoples of African descent in different countries. I prefer this usage in order to conceptually indicate that in so far as the term Black refers to unique people and their culture and not simply a colour. In this case it carries the same connotation as Polish, Danish, Irish or other such cultural epithets.

CHAPTER ONE

Continental Africa in Poland

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DIASPORA ENGAGEMENT is vastly pertinent to individual Diaspora communities and their interests, ambitions, establishments and source of identities. Such dynamics may control the way Diaspora communities connect with the development in the host country. Nevertheless, other related elements of the host country such as policies and legal system are instrumental in outlining prospects – at the same time influence the ways of Diaspora engagement.

The population of African Diaspora or People of African Descent living in Poland is tentative. There are no comprehensive figures that could exhibit the socio-structural genetics of PAD in Poland. The official statistics are based on the Africans living in Poland, and do not include all persons with African identity-second and third generation Africans born in Poland. It is estimated that there are between 4,000 – 5,000 Africans in the country. This rough overview of the African Diaspora in Poland projects a sign of its intricacy. Although there is an ambiguity in the size and composition of the African Diaspora in Poland, there are some indicators that the African community is robust and poses considerable organisational competencies and enthusiasm linkages in or with policy makers in mutual initiatives.

DEMOGRAPHIC AND SOCIOECONOMIC characteristics of African Diaspora in Poland

The history of Africans migrating to Poland is characterised by three types of migration that played a key role in various stages of African migration: educational migration, asylum-seeking migration and family reunification. Asylum seeking migration is very minimal and covers very few countries such as Somalia, Eritrea, Central African Republic and Libya. Family reunification is also in very small numbers due to many restrictions from Polish embassies in Africa.

The mainstream of the African Diaspora from Africa comes from Nigeria; other countries of origin include Tunisia, Kenya, Egypt, Somalia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Ghana, Cameroun, Uganda, Congo, Morocco and Algeria. The rest is less represented.

Data on African Diaspora is for the most part unavailable. The only data existing is that collected and published in Poland by the office for foreigners and immigration department. It is a great challenge to provide a clear outline of the PAD in Poland. The primary downside is obviously the fact that data is available

Reviews for Strangers at the Gate; Black Poland

[Jacek Lubecki · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An interesting book, perhaps the first on this theme. Worth reading and learning from.