I'm a Canadian of Polish decent, born and schooled in Canada and living in Poland for the past 14 years since completing my studies.  My wife is Polish and, although my 3 children have dual citizenship, living in Poland will make them Polish.

Growing up in Ottawa, my immigrant parents tried to instill in my brother and I a sense of Polish identity.  "You're Canadian but don't forget that you're Polish too," is something we heard often.  Saturday Polish school, belonging to the Polish Parish and (the horror!) accordian lessons were to ensure that.  In thanks to them, my Polish was good enough to give me a start when I moved to Warsaw in 1994 although I quickly realised that speaking Polish and having eaten my fair share of cabbage rolls and pierogis was too little to make up any culture.

The funny part is that I had to move to Poland to understand that I am, in fact, Canadian.  After this much time, however, my parents' dream of my remembering where I come from has probably at least partly come true - who can tell?

What defines Poles?  Pride, which explains how a nation that has gone through so much in its 1000+ year history can emerge whole and with a drive to achieve what they feel has been denied them for so long; probably suffering from a slight inferiority complex vis-a-vis the rich West that comes to light, for example, in international politics or in their travels, however, which is also going away at a fast pace as the country modernises itself and as Poles discover the world first hand and see that they have nothing to be ashamed of; a deep sense of family - during communism they turned inward to themselves and those closest to them and this has endured and; a beautifully green and, for the most part, clean country with the most pristine white sand beaches on the sea in the north, mountains to the south and lakes, forests, fields and farmland in between.  There's also a sense of optimism and opportunity - the worst has passed and it is only going get better.