Leter-Writing Communities in the Polish American Press

This chapter places Ameryka-Echo within the context of other Polish American and ethnic newspapers, which adopted the letter-writing culture, and explores the different ways in which the editors used letters from readers, facilitating the creation of communities of readers-writers. Through the maintenance of the close connection between the newspaper and its readers, and the inclusion of the content provided by them, the press created a national as well as diasporic community of Polish immigrants, formed readers' networks loyal to a particular newspaper, and guided the immigrants in their adaptation to the new country through the adoption of personal service journalism and advice sections. Ameryka-Echo remained at the forefront of the Polish-language newspapers, engaging its readers in the process of direct communication and featuring long-lasting and popular sections based on correspondence from readers.