Mirka Wilczoch left Poland at age 26 in December 1981 when the communist government fell. She now lives in Claremont. The following is an edited interview.
Before I left, the stores were really empty. It was really hard to find something to buy. With my friends and my boyfriend at that time, my ex-husband now, we decided to go to Austria for Christmas shopping. Austria was the one country that didn’t require a travel visa for us, so we decided to go look for Christmas presents. We were supposed to be gone for one week.
Three days later we found out that Solidarity took over, the borders were closed, and communism had collapsed in Poland. What were we going to do? We spent our money on Christmas shopping and we had nothing. We never had a chance to go back. I had an aunt and uncle here, in Enfield, they sent us letters once in a while, so I thought maybe I could go to America. I thought in America it is the biggest and the richest country in the world, everything is new and modern and living there you would have the best of everything.
When I arrived to my aunt’s house in Enfield I was a bit disappointed. I said to my aunt, “Really, this is how it is? Like this?” And she said, “Yes, it is what it is.”
I missed my family a lot. I cried everyday. If I went to the post box and didn’t see a letter, I cried. If I did see a letter, I cried, too, so I cried a lot.
We found it hard to get a job, and things weren’t like we expected. In school we had to learn Russian but English was new for me. With no language it was hard to find a job, and not the good job like we had before.
When I ended up in Claremont I found a Polish church, a Polish community. I was able to talk my language, nobody was making fun of me for my speaking English and everybody was helping me to learn. I discovered very nice good things in America.
When my son died, the church supported me, the priest said he was praying for me, and the people were very nice friends. I was thinking that the church and the prayers gave me some kind of relief and hope to feel better.
Now, Claremont is my home. It is a very good place to live. I am an American citizen and I couldn’t think of leaving. My children are here. I visit my son in the cemetery every day. I bought the plot next to him for me, so yes this is my home.