Just another ethnic group

"Gaining access to the inner sanctum of Yankee {rich WASP} society was a vital aspiration for Joseph and Rose Kennedy, but by the 1970s these old longings had become anachronistic. To outsiders, the exclusive Brahmin waltz evenings at the Ritz {hotel} in Boston became equivalent to the polka nights at the Polish clubs.''

-- Richard D. Brown, Massachusetts: A History (1978)

Editor's note: The Ritz referred to is the luxury hotel in Boston's Back Bay that opened in 1927 and was long known as the Ritz-Carlton. It has been called the Taj Boston since 2007.