Kultur 1

Kultur 1- Sam Engel
I found the historical description of German immigration to America to be the most engaging element of the article. I am of German ancestry and my mother is from rural, central Wisconsin while my father is from Madison. Some of the Wisconsin towns documented I was familiar with and that surprised me. Specifically, I was surprised to read of the early prominence of German Jews, especially in New York City. I favored the portrayal of Midwestern Germans as progressive, social conservatives and the inclusion of the Socialist mayors of Milwaukee that were part of the Turner’s group led me to acknowledge the direct link between the Progressive Political movement headlined by Wisconsin in the late 19th century and mass German migration to the area. I was moderately startled by the proposition that the World Wars had caused further integration of “German-Americans” into German culture through shaming them of their heritage. I liked the portrayal of what I perceived to be the “natural human” drawn to “land and nature” in the beginning of the piece. The second half of the pdf, which turned more to cultural influences in America, such as businesses, newspapers, clubs, and prominent individuals was not as interesting, as it should be apparent that a country that dominates the European Union would be able to influence the “diverse melting pot” that is America.
This website I believe is a more accurate portrayal of the settlement of German immigration to America as the numbers are both given absolutely and relatively and a similar list can be found on Wikipedia’s “German-American” page: http://www.germancorner.com/info/stat/USpop.html
These are images of a village in Michigan nicknamed “Little Bavaria” which is a tourist destination courtesy of its large German celebrations