Thousands of Polish women in the United States—teachers, cooks, students and accountants back home—spend every day cleaning, dusting, washing and ironing for American families. They are willing to do any kind of work to build their own America. They all have come here hoping for a better tomorrow.

It’s early morning and the street in downtown Peterson, New Jersey is nearly empty. The morning calm is interrupted by the loud conversation of a group of women, who meet here every day at 6 a.m. They are not talking about cosmetics or new trends in fashion; they are waiting for a van that will transport them to the houses where they work every day.

Eager to Work

Julia, a marketing and management student at one of Poland’s private schools in Warsaw, took a leave of absence and came to the United States to make some extra money. Most of women in the group are much older than her, with bent backs and palms damaged by hard work; however, they are all still eager to work. Some bring sandwiches in plastic bags. Although they cook at work, the people they work for are not always willing to feed them. “And what am I to do in Poland? I just own a part of a house in Bieszczady and my pension is very modest. Here I can at least earn some money and help my children,” says 65-year–old Maria from Elmwood Park, who came to the United States five years ago.

On Their Knees

The van is full. The scent of perfume fills the air. The women are dressed in colorful clothes – sweatshirts, vests, sweat suits and sneakers – to be more comfortable at work. The radio is playing Disco Polo. One of the passengers, Danuta from Peterson, is singing along while putting a support band around her knee. It’s crowded but she manages. “Sometimes you have to work on your knees for several hours,” she complains. They mop floors, iron, cook; some baby-sit or do shopping. There is always work to do.

First Impressions

Krysia came to the United States just a few weeks ago and also lives in Peterson. Everything is new to her. She gets up early in the morning and commutes to work in a borrowed car. Her friend helped her get a job at a private house. Now Krysia does house cleaning there three times a week. “The owner of the house is a very nice lady and she is impressed with my English,” says Krysia. The woman’s home made a big impression on Krysia. She says she has never seen anything like that before.

Moments of Doubt

But not all houses are the same. “Things that happen in here are hard to imagine. There is so much mess you cannot catch up. It never changes,” complains 55-year-old Irena. She does not want to continue working at this house for too long. She hopes to find another job, so she is learning English, spending an hour every evening studying. But it’s hard to concentrate on her studies since she shares her room and one bunk bed with two other women. The place reminds her of a bad motel. There is a table with three chairs in the center of the room and the TV gets only three channels. “Sometimes I feel like I am in prison, but I know that thanks to what I am doing, I can help my family in Poland,” Irena comforts herself.

Different Kind of Money

Krysia gets her first paycheck. When she figures out how much Polish zloty it is, she becomes even happier. She grabs a piece of paper and jots down some numbers. She is figuring out how much she’ll be able to save and how much she can spend on clothes. It’s her first brush with real financial independence and Krysia is starting to like it. “I have been calculating like that for five years,” says the apartment owner laughing. She originally came here to stay, “just a little while,” but she has taken to counting the money and decided to stay longer. “It’s all illusory. Be a realist. The more you make the more you want,” she comments.

Build Your Own America

Come Monday, a large number of Polish women will start another work week house cleaning, and so will Krysia. At work she will be thinking about the things she’d like to buy with the money she earns. Some women will return to their home country soon, others will end up staying here for many more years, and some will stay maybe for good. Cleaning is one of the most popular jobs among Polish women in America.