| This thesis is a study of creating identities by the second generation Polish immigrants in Manitoba after World War II. In it, I argue that the second generation did not abandon their ethnic roots as Hansen's Law suggests, and instead the ethnicity was transformed and adapted to suit their new Canadian - Polish identities. This history of Polish immigrants in Manitoba is based on oral history interviews because this method is better than quantitative research at bringing out the personal experiences of the respondents. I also argue that the social and political changes that occurred in Canada in 1960s and 1970s influenced the interviewees from this study. The atmosphere of acceptance of ethnicity and diversity, fostered by Trudeau's multicultural policy, had a positive impact on the second generation immigrants. |
