My Mother, Kasia and Her American Dream

By Maria Kordas

My Mother, Kasia and Her American Dream is the story of my mother and her incredible life. All her childhood and her early adulthood life, she was dreaming about America. Her strong dream became reality. She came to this beautiful country in 1974. There was not one day for forty-two years being in Chicago that she ever complained. Her life was full of struggles. As an immigrant and a single woman with three children, she loved every day being in America. Having had the opportunity to work, to give a better life to her children and grandchildren, she felt so lucky. Her American dream was so strong that it gave her energy to become someone special that her children, grandchildren, and others close to her were so proud of. She gave her children what all people, immigrants from all over the world, wish to give their childrena freedom and a better life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 20, 2017
• ISBN: 9781543463873

Maria Kordas

Maria Kordas-I am doctor of nursing, nurse executive, and nurse practitioner. I was born in Poland and I came to United states 35 years ago. Most of my professional life I spent working in Northwestern Memorial Hospital with cancer patients. First years being in United States I worked for my mother, who was my role model of work ethic and achiever of American Dream. I am married to my high school sweet heart. I have two wonderful children who are my life. My children were the reason, I wrote this book.

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Copyright © 2017 by Maria Kordas.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2017917066

ISBN:      Hardcover      978-1-5434-6392-7

      Softcover      978-1-5434-6391-0

      eBook         978-1-5434-6387-3

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 11/18/2017

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Contents

Introduction

Before

During

After

This book is

dedicated to three the most important people in my life, my children:

Kasia & Peter.

They are my life, my inspiration, and my happiness.

To my husband, thank you for giving me such great support and balance in me life.

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Mom, you came to Chicago from such a small place, Hoczew, Poland, and you achieved and taught us so much. Your power, your energy and your wisdom will stay in us forever. This book is a tribute to you for teaching me the value of life.

Introduction

Polish people started to immigrate to America in the beginning of the 19th century. It was an emigration for bread (za chlebem). According to a census found in an immigration record, between 1897 and 1913, about 2 million Poles left Europe for a better life, bringing with them the big dream. Additional times of immigration from Poland include after World War I and World War II, as well as the 1980s. In the beginning of the 21st century, the immigration of Poles started to subside.

Many Poles who came to Chicago wanted to recreate the free Polish nation and the fatherland. They came for a better life for their children. Chicago was and still is the biggest center of Poles in America. Many years ago, these immigrants started their lives around Polish churches such as St. Kostka, Holy Trinity, St. Helen, St Hyacinth Church and many others in Chicago area.

I recently took my children to see New York, the place where millions of immigrants passed into American Dreamland more than 100 years ago. I saw the railroad tracks, empty now. Seeing this spot, I tried to feel what others had felt many, many years ago when they reached this beautiful country. Thousands of people from all over the world had come for a better life. The trip was long and often included unexpected circumstances. Our trip to New York was special for us because my brother, sister and I had followed our mother here hoping to achieve the American dream.

My mother, like millions of Poles, came to Chicago to get a better life for her children. My mother lived her American dream. Her start in Chicago was not easy, but her big dream, her hard work and passion for what she was doing, will stay in my and my children’s hearts forever.

Before

My mother’s dream was to live in America. Her grandmother’s sisters, Mary and Julia, had emigrated to America from Galicia in the southeast part of Poland. Julia ended up in Philadelphia and Mary in Chicago.

Born in 1935, my mother’s childhood was not easy. She came from a small village; she was the youngest of 3 sisters, 2 stepsisters and one stepbrother. Her father died when she was 5 years old. She often tearfully told us of him being in the hospital and dying there. She missed him all her life.

When she went to school, my mother’s best subject was math. She never liked to read books. She always remembered all telephone numbers and never had to write them down.

During War World II, Mom was often hungry and without shoes but always with a dream for