Americans - a bunch of Germans?

[Odin]

Southern Minnesota is so full of South Germans it's scary. I swear there are German flags on every other street corner in New Ulm. It's also the most conservative part of the state, which makes them even more scary.

[Apocalypse]

Your map isn't color blind friendly

[OzzyKP]

Very interesting.

I'm from that splotch of dark green in West Michigan. Very Dutch area. My hometown is Holland, MI. Right next door to Zeeland, MI. We are known for our annual Tulip Festival. And our Wooden Shoe factory, and our authentic Dutch windmill, and... you get the idea.

But interesting people are starting to identify as Americans. I never understood why Mexican or Puerto Rican were considered ethnicities, while most people in the US are all Irish-American, or German-American, or Polish-American, etc.

[Odin]

I was actually quite suprised when I first heard that there are more people of German ancestry than English ancestry in the US, I expected English to be #1 and German to be #2. More ammo to throw at the people who say the US shouldn't be in Civ because they think we are a British appendage.

Edit: The mass of german blood in the US also is why I find it annoying that we are often given the "WASP" (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) lable just because we are an English-speaking country.

[Barnabas]

it was german protestants who came tot he usa mostly, you didnt get many bavarians

[mrmitchell]

hence the South, our most patriotic area, where a lot of people take offense to the concept of being from some other country originally. OTOH, you have the east coast, just as American as the south, but most people there are proud to be irish, or scots, or scotch, or whatever

Also, most Southerners don't know where the hell they're from, either.

[Bill3000]

Edit: The mass of german blood in the US also is why I find it annoying that we are often given the "WASP" (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) lable just because we are an English-speaking country.

Well, there is a Saxony in Germany...

[Grandpa Troll]

Originally posted by mrmitchell

Also, most Southerners don't know where the hell they're from, either.

but they know who kicked thar @ZZ to get em here!!

Yankeezzz

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by mrmitchell
Also, most Southerners don't know where the hell they're from, either.

I'm from Jackson, MS.

[C0ckney]

i read somewhere that the most common ancestry in the US is english, but that the most common surnames are german, because of an influx of german men (and few women) in the 19th century. i don't know how true that is though.

[Dis]

woohoo, we're mostly mexican.

I have mostly german ancestory as well. What can I say. Germans are awesome.

[Dis]

Re: Americans - a bunch of Germans?

Originally posted by Gangerolf


Guten Tag

Yes yes, I know it says "largest population", not "majority".

Anyway me finds it interesting. It's the largest ancestry in 26 states. Lots of Germans. That might explain all the French bashing.and all the invasions of other countries.


Also interesting that Utah is "English" (where did the Mormons come from?). And it seems like many whites in the south are simply of "American" decent. I suppose that's because many there have less recent immigrant roots than elsewhere.

Bitte diskutieren.

speaking of mormons. My fathers german family did some weird things upon coming to the U.S. Germans are weird as you know. They converted to mormons! Not to mention changing their german last name into an English sounding name. . I wish I could find out what my german last name is so I can change it back. . They moved to Utah of all places, but eventually wizened up and moved to Californian grew out of the mormon phase.

[Dinner]

Originally posted by DanS
In my home town, the first newspaper was in German. But everything quickly changed to English in the mid-1800s.

Besides, we don't have any official language in the US, let alone German.

Some states do. Louisania officially has English and French while I believe Arizona officially maintains English as its official language. Most states don't both with it and just assume people will learn English.

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Brachy-Pride
scot irish are those ireland ulster protestants right?

Yes. The English crown thought those Irish Catholics weren't sufficiently loyal so they settled large numbers of Scottish Protestants in northern and easternr Ireland. Most of the Protestants left for Northern Ireland after Ireland won its independence.

[Last Conformist]

Originally posted by Oerdin


Some states do. Louisania officially has English and French while I believe Arizona officially maintains English as its official language. Most states don't both with it and just assume people will learn English.

IIRC, Texas has Spanish and English as official languages.