








msuit edition. Adolph Coors, g^ts its share of complaints for the W it is promoting its Killian's Irish brand with contests and other ^ dcs; Irish Red drinkers will be d such freebies as leprechaun and shamrock hats.
Mmer Brewing comes in for for a series of St. Patrick's ^at warn against drinking
The Philip Morris .newspaper ads, for example, Sod ? akttached to a green J^ychain with the words, t htg to remember this St.
Patrick's Day. Think When You Drink." Sober enough-but critics say the ads unfairly associate drunken driving with the Irish.
The beer companies say they've heard no complaints. And some Irish-American ad executives say their outraged brethren are a little too sensitive. "Lighten up!" scoffs Sean Fitzpatrick, vice chairman of Interpublic Group's McCann-Erickson. As for himself, Mr. Fitzpatrick confides, "I never go to an Irish bar to drink on St. Patrick's Day because I don't like to drink with amateurs."
But the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations insists the ads are no laughing matter. Last week it fired off a letter to Anheuser-Busch's president, August A. Busch III, demanding that the company pull the Kathy Ireland spot. "We believe strongly that it is exploitative marketing and is tantamount to an ethnic slur when drinking and alcohol are equated with the celebration of the patron saint of Ireland," fumed William Fugazy travel-company executive and chairman of the group, which represents 66 ethnic organizations.
"We have the same problems as the Italians with [stereotypes of] mafia ties and the Polish with jokes, Mr. Fugazy, who is partly of Irish heritage, said in an interview. An Anheuser-Busch spokesman said the company hadn't seen the letter and couldn't comment on it.
The Budweiser spot follows Ms. Ireland unnamed and fully clothed  through a crowded neighborhood bar, all the while punning on the swimsuit model's name by suggesting Bud is the official beer of Ireland. The St. Patrick's Day campaign marks an ironic twist for Budweiser, the No. 1 selling beer: It comes as brand manager August A. Busch IV is proudly touting his effort to cut down on the use of sexy babes and assorted bimbos to sell brews in advertising.
The Irish-American groups, in any case, have already succeeded in pressuring other kinds of marketers to drop hard-drinking stereotypes. They organized protests against greetingcard companies in the past few years, and take credit for persuading them to abandon some of the most tasteless St. Patrick's Day cards. Between 40 million and 70 million Americans have some Irish heritage, and "they're saying all these people are drinkers? That's not the case whatsoever," says John Finucane, president of the American Irish Political Education Committee.
Marketers probably wouldn't dream of touting such stereotypes in Ireland itself, where St. Patrick's Day is a religious holiday. "It tends to be a very sober day" notes Ray O'Hanlon, national editor of the New Yorkbased Irish Echo, the country's largest Irish-American weekly. "The pubs close earlier than usual."
Reprinted reserved
with permission from Wall Street Journal. wodrtwiHo
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175
Article 39
Polish American Congress 1992 Convention
Resolution Committee Repor
Conceived during a devastating war, the Polish American Congress was organized in 1944 to unite and solidify the patriotic, political and social conscience of Americans of Polish descent or birth.
Poland had already been victimized by Nazi German brutality and bondage. The potential of Soviet oppression in the post World War II era was evident. Poland s geographical, historical and very cultural identity was threatened with extinction.
The establishment of the Polish American Congress as a strong, central force in the United States created a platform upon which Polish Americans could defend and advance Poland s right to freedom and independence as a sovereign nation. The Congress provided a ray of hope and rejuvenation to Polish Americans, inspired a renewed awareness of their ethnic heritage and aroused in them a renewed desire to elevate their status in the American mosaic of pluralism.
The emergence of the Polish American Congress as a unifying umbrella laid a firm base for the defense of the interests of Poland . It created the avenue for Polish Americans and encouraged visions of positive achievements that would be the driving force following the Second World War serving to elevate th! good name and prestige of Poland, the Polish people and Americans of Polish heritage.	P 31X1
More than 2,600 delegates representing organizations from 26 states participated in our founding convention. Negative world events that ensued after World War II led to th 8	.
absorption of Poland into the Soviet Union or^tTS consent and the threat of Soviet inspired Communist a   of the world, including the Unit^e^^ made the cause of Poland and
communism the dominant issues on the Polish Amt gress agenda.
Its people s tragic fate under Soviet domination Congress to focus its energies on the work to free
As the years passed, generations of American! descent lost interest in the Polish American Congress the lack of programs about their concerns. They 1 invisible Polonia of largely assimilated citizens i surnames, who knew little if anything about thei roots.
We recognize the complexities of the dilemma th; and hurts Americans who trace their heritage to Pol; also aware that 383 years of Polish presence in A fostered and evolved with a redefined heritage-American Heritage. The unfortunate fact is that Ai Polish ancestry, especially the present younger   have had and continue to have very limited exposure and knowing about the great accomplishments of immigrated here and Americans of Polish desceni made contributions at the highest levels to the pro; United States. Curriculums in schools do not focus and the Polish American heritage. Our many c oriented parochial schools no longer emphasize any on Polish heritage, arts, music, etc. The Polish langu cases was eliminated decades ago. There are very ft texts on Polish American heritage for primary and schools.
We continue to have a very deep affinity and sy Poland, her struggle and needs. Poland is free, bui secure. The latter has been a problem over cen co lapse of the Soviet Union, disintegration of
176
Reprinted from the 1992 convention Resolution
Report of the Polish American Congress.
K in Eastern Europe and the emergence of new free republics in the former Soviet Union may have led to overstated optimism. Former Soviet republics, whose politics are un-predictable, have access to or control of nuclear and conventional weapons. There is a rise in right-wing extremist attacks on ethnic immigrants in Germany. Most notable are the recent reports and investigation of  ethnic cleansing  and genocide in the former Yugoslavia, a grim reminder of the Nazi rise to power in the 1930 s. Nonetheless, the Polish American Congress has attained one of its primary goals. Poland is free. The Polish American Congress Charitable Foundation is continuing its outstanding assistance. That effort is ongoing and highly successful. It should be encouraged and supported.
This is a historic convention because it is the first Polish
American Congress convention held in a time of elation over a free Poland. It is a critical convention because Poland s emergence as a free nation places the Polish American Congress at the crossroads. The Congress played a lead role in the struggle for Poland s freedom and defeat of Communism in Europe. Ironically, it has yet to focus equivalent vigor and resources in meeting the challenges of domestic Polish American problems. During the years of actions for Poland s freedom, the issues affecting the esteem and quality of status of Polish Americans may have become the inadvertent casualties of that commitment and dedication.
A generation of Americans of Polish ancestry has been virtually left, unwittingly, to the assimilative structure of the melting pot, without any knowledge about their heritage, and, perhaps, feeling left out of its own ethnicity and regarded as second class.
There are very few Polish Americans in the highest levels of political, business, educational and governmental hierarchies. Polish Americans are out of the inner circle of power and influence. Compared to other ethnic groups, there are very few Polish Americans ascending to those lofty positions. Our successes have been unnoticed or, to be blunt, almost non-existent or very short termed.
Over the years, the Polish American Congress has built an effective lobby for Poland at the highest levels of influence. However, that influence has not translated into effective pro-granis t0 help Americans of Polish ancestry to advance in Wies, government, business, and other endeavors.
N e have often heard the phrase:  Let Poland be Poland .
w is the time to put this into practice. Poland is a free and   ePendent sovereignty. It has a duly elected government.
er the Polish American Congress or any other private ^ uPkthe government of Poland. Our current responsibility is Respect that sovereign status which the Polish American ^flitch ^Ped attain, continue the caring humanitarian work haritable Foundation, offer counsel when requested and faithina?eAmer*can  ovcrnmcnt aid. Above all, we must place iithe" 6 reS 1Ve and capability of the Polish people to succeed  ll ill; discovered tree enterprise and remain vigilant to fended obstacles.
tbat tbc Polish American Congress broaden 4:^/ vigorous program that addresses and utions to the domestic concerns of Polish Americans.
39. Polish American Congres
Dedicated people have given years of devotion to Poland: e om. The same type of concerted energies must now lx exercised in creating and implementing positive actions for the benefit of Americans of Polish ancestry.
Consequently, having considered and thoroughly reviewec the record of the Polish American Congress and looking to the future, we, the delegates to the Polish American Congress Convention, assembled in Washington, D.C., do hereby recommend and resolve, with firm conviction, the following proposals for consideration by the National Council of Directors:
1.	We recommend that the conduct of Polish American Congress affairs be pursued from a broad domestic concept which includes all efforts of Polish Americans or permanent residents of the United States in acting on behalf of our own ethnic community and Poland.
2.	Our Polish American fraternal organizations, mainly the Polish National Alliance, the Polish Roman Catholic Union, the Polish Women s Alliance, and the Polish Falcons of America have been the resource lifelines of the Polish American Congress. Considering their financial and human resource commitments to maintain the work of the Polish American Congress on the national and international levels, we express our appreciation and commend their contributions.
3.	One of the very serious and chronic problems facing the organization is its lack of sufficient funding. It i
