ant ▁s tere ot ypes ▁that ▁had ▁developed ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁before ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s . ▁During ▁the ▁Part itions ▁of ▁Poland , ▁Polish ▁imm igr ants ▁came ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁considerable ▁numbers , ▁fle eing ▁mass ▁per sec ution ▁at ▁home . ▁They ▁were ▁taking ▁the ▁only ▁jobs ▁available ▁to ▁them , ▁usually ▁requiring ▁physical ▁labor . ▁The ▁same ▁eth nic ▁and ▁job - related ▁s tere ot ypes ▁pers isted ▁even ▁as ▁Polish ▁Americans ▁joined ▁the ▁middle ▁class ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 2 0 th ▁century . ▁" The ▁constant ▁der ision , ▁often ▁public ly ▁dis sem in ated ▁through ▁the ▁mass ▁media , ▁caused ▁serious ▁identity ▁cr ises , ▁feeling ▁of ▁in ade qu acy , ▁and ▁low ▁self - este em ▁for ▁many ▁Polish ▁Americans ." ▁In ▁spite ▁of ▁the ▁pl ight ▁of ▁Polish ▁people ▁under ▁Cold ▁War ▁commun ism , ▁negative ▁s tere ot ypes ▁about ▁Polish ▁Americans ▁end ured . ▁ ▁Since ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁Polish ▁American ▁organizations ▁have ▁made ▁continuous ▁effort ▁to ▁challenge ▁the ▁negative ▁s tere ot yp ing ▁of ▁the ▁Polish ▁people ▁once ▁pre val ent ▁in ▁American ▁media . ▁The ▁Polish ▁American ▁Guardian ▁Society ▁has ▁argued ▁that ▁N BC - TV ▁used ▁the ▁trem end ous ▁power ▁of ▁TV ▁to ▁introduce ▁and ▁push ▁sub human ▁intelligence ▁j okes ▁about ▁Pol es ▁( that ▁were ▁worse ▁than ▁prior ▁simple ▁anti - imm igr ant ▁j okes ) ▁using