Voices from the Peripheries: the Vietnamese people’s quest for belonging in Poland

The Vietnamese community is among the largest non-European migrant diasporas in Poland. They concentrate in the Masovian Voivodeship, especially in Poland’s capital – Warsaw and the areas surrounding it and is the third-largest group of immigrants there, behind Ukrainians and Belarussians. Masovian Voivodeship also house the highest numbers of immigrants and foreigners in Poland.

According to the Office for Foreigners, in 2026, there are 11,404 Vietnamese legally residing in the Masovian Voivodeship. While statistics published by the Polish National Consensus in 2021 showed that there were 5,271 people identifying “Vietnamese” as their ethnicity, the real numbers of Vietnamese present in Poland at the time were likely to be many times higher. The Vietnamese people also make up one of the largest foreign worker groups in Poland together with other EU citizens and Indians, numbered at 9,837 people in 2024, according to ZUS.

Living in a predominant Christian and ethnically homogeneous Polish community, the Vietnamese are often seen as “the others” and numerous research and journalistic accounts have supported this observation.

Accounts on the Polish perspective suggest two opposite streams of opinions, let the Vietnamese remain invisible or encourage them integrate more. As for the Vietnamese, despite the lack of political capital due to the othered position, the Vietnamese have chosen the integration strategy.

For example, Thien Phuc pagoda – a Vietnamese Buddhist pagoda located outside of Warsaw, has welcomed non-Vietnamese visitors by serving refreshments and vegetarian meals. They also host workshops in the local library and school trips to promote Buddhism and Vietnamese culture.

Also, the community has become increasingly socially and politically conscious, which could lead to participation in local councils and authorities.

Furthermore, the second generation of Vietnamese immigrants, who came to Poland in the 1990s, sent their children to Polish schools which helped the children become fluent in Polish and accustomed to the Polish ways. This led to some Vietnamese adults identifying themselves more with Polish culture rather than their culture of origin.

Despite such efforts, the Vietnamese community still finds itself at the edge of Polish society. Other than objective factors such as the attitude of the host country, there are also subjective factors.

For one, the Vietnamese entrepreneurs of the first generation and first-and-a-half generation, who arrived in Poland from the 1950s to 1980s, identified strongly with the imagined homeland, which rendered them reluctant to engage with the Polish way of life, unless it is necessary for business.

The identification is the most visible in the Vietnamese shops in the ASG shopping center in Wólka Kosowska, which was founded by educated Vietnamese businesspeople. The organization style of the shops resembled the “controlled-chaotic” style found in Northern Vietnam, where most of the immigrants are originated.

The ancestral altars used for showing gratitude to their ancestors and asking for good luck are also a common sight. The children of the second-generation immigrants recalled being taught obedience and respect for elders, which are important Vietnamese traditional values. Furthermore, for the older generation, language barrier is a challenge that hinders their effective communication with the Polish people.

This is especially dire if they seek to promote Vietnamese religion and culture.

The first Vietnamese who arrived in Poland in 1950s were elites who sought to solidify their knowledge of communism. But history has changed and two countries have chosen two different political systems. Therefore, moving forward, the two communities will need to find new ways to relate and connect with each other.

Many have suggested that the Polish-speaking young Vietnamese could serve as a cultural bridge, similar to what the English-speaking youth of the Vietnamese diaspora around the world have done.

Bibliography

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• Nguyen, D. K., & Phan, T. T. V. (2016). Vietnamese immigration in Poland: issues of education and integration for children. (2016). Issues in Early Education, 4(35).

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Written by Kim Minh Nguyen - Bachelor in Political Science @UWR

Edited by Sofia Tamagni - Master in Human rights and Multilevel Governance @UniPD