CPC Canadian-Polish Congress
KPK Kongres Polonii Kanadyjskiej
British Columbia
Together We Matter !
Amazing People and Stories
Professor
Maria Anna Jarochowska - de Kosko
February 4, 1924 - June 29 2018
Prof. Maria Anna Jarochowska was born in 1924 in Poland. She graduated with a degree in Economics, Political and Biological Science from University of Poznan, Poland.
While still in Poland she published the book for university students about Canada called 'Kanada, Kraj i Ludzie' (Canada , The Country and Its People).
Prof. Maria came to Canada in 1965, where she took a position of Prof Assistant at University of Manitoba in Winnipeg. After that she worked as Associated Professor at University of Quebec in Montreal.
Prof. Maria Anna Jarochowska, from her early times in Canada was very interested in the history of Polish Emigrants, the structure and their assimilation in the 'New Country'. This became her hobby.
After her retirement her interests, knowledge, and collected materials about the topic of Polish emigration to Canada resulted in two books
'Out of The Nest' - available in both English and Polish versions. This is the history of Polish women immigrants to Canada.
'Diaspora' - the history of Polish emmigration to Canada in the years 1949-60. Currently published in Polish but will be soon available also in English language.
Both those very interesting books include facts and stories of Polish emigrants in different regions of Canada and how over the years they impacted the Polish as well as Canadian communities.
To these days Professor Maria Jarochowska, now 90 years old , lives and works in White Rock, British Columbia, Canada. I had a tremendous pleasure to visit her in her beautiful apartment and listen to the countless stories not only about her own life and work on the books, but also about many amazing and excptional Polish Emigrants. For that I am very grateful.
Professor Jarochowska wrote a short version of her life story for CPC (KPK) website. Please see the link at the bottom of this page.
Pictures and page prepared by Iwona Swiatczak
Professor Maria A. Jarochowska about herself ...
Myślałam co jeszcze mogloby sie przydać Pani do scharakteryzowania mnie i oto wyniki mego dumania:
1. nie umiem się ładnie i godnie starzeć, ciągle jeszcze z trudem przypominam sobie, że lata mojej aktywności minęły dość dawno i teraz powinnam siedziec przy ciepłym piecu i poblażliwie patrzeć na świat. Ale losy Polski mocno mnie obchodzą tak samo jak polskośc Polaków mieszkającyh poza Krajem, więc wtrącam się do rozmow mlodszych pokoleń.
2. Co mogę im dać ? Tylko opowiadania o czasach ktore przezyłam i o ludziach ktorzy wtedy dokonywali wielkich czynów albo nawet oddali swoje życie. To oni są bohaterami, "wyrastali ponad poziomy," i pamięc onich powinna być tak samo pielęgnowana jak robią to inne narody.
April 2nd, 2015. A. Dobrowolski and I. Swiatczak from Canadian Polish Congress BC visited Prof. Maria A. Jarochowska to talk about her books, history and upcoming translation of "Diaspora" to English language.
Dear Polonia :
In the book 'Diaspora - Narodziny Polskiej Emigracji do Kanady 1940-1960' you will find very unique stories of Polish Canadians who with hard work, dedication and passion participated in building Canada to become a great country as it is today. It definitely was not easy, but the contibutions of Polish Canadians are many, and Canadian Polish Congress is working on making them count.
