Racism, Colonialism and Migration in Poland

This chapter explores the role of racism, racialisation and migration in Poland in the context of wider colonial contexts and entanglements. It shows that although Poland did not directly participate in colonialism, Polish nationalism, identity formation and politics have been embedded in the wider contexts of colonial imagination and racialisation of ‘Others’. By examining the historical complexities, the chapter also highlights domestic and internal versions of colonialism as crucial parts of the Polish identity politics. It thus shows emerging hierarchies and racialising practices, which throughout history have served as means for (re-)inventing ‘Polishness’ vis-à-vis (internal and external) ‘Others’ and which continue to be significant in Poland’s transition from being an ‘emigration country’ to gradually becoming an ‘immigration country’.