Woodsy Amirowska Kopik grew up in Poland in the 70s and 80s.

She remembers this one really important tradition that took place under communist rule, the parade.

Every city had to organize the parade in their city and everybody was required to go. The schools were

required to go, all the factories, all the businesses. She's talking about the traditional

May 1st or May Day parades. In many countries, May Day celebrates the labor movement and workers' rights.

But the May Day parade in Poland was a mandatory celebration of communism.

People attended.

It was because everybody was required to do.

And it was in all communist countries.

So when Woodse was first invited to the Polish constitution to do. And it was in all communist countries.

So when Woodsy was first invited to the Polish Constitution Day Parade here in Chicago in 1993,

she didn't know what to expect. I still had, in the back of my mind, the May 1st marches that we had during communist time in Poland.

But she found something completely different here.

The Chicago event was full of excitement.

This is so unusual to see so many red and white dress people in one spot.

And they weren't celebrating communism. They were celebrating the Polish constitution,

which was adopted in the late 1700s.

People are happy.

People are, you know, attending and joining and marching

because they want to be.

They want to show their heritage. They want to show how happy they are.

Of course, because we are together showing how important it is to have Polish roots.

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