ABSTRACT
This chapter does two things. First, it looks at the construction of contemporary Poland, especially during the interwar periods, as part of the processes that continue to reproduce race and nation that anchor systemic inclusion and exclusion in Poland. This not only shaped the Jewish question but also shaped the presence of “many foreigners” which people of colour are a distinctive part. Secondly, while focusing on the roles of nationalism in Poland, this chapter shows how the presence of black bodies is perceived as different identity within the nation and consequently an interruption of what is often assumed to be the original Polish identity. The chapter draws on empirical data in order to vividly demonstrate the importance attached to what is often assumed to be “the ideal Polish type”. In doing so, the chapter explores the ways in which black and brown bodies are perceived as “different” but sound “the same” as Polish, often the case with mixed-race Poles. The aim here is to show what happens to a racialized body when undermined by Polish nationalism.
