▁first ▁generation ▁German ▁imm igr ants . ▁ ▁German ▁Americans ▁had ▁national ▁sp okes men ▁who ▁often ▁provided ▁conflic ting ▁political ▁messages . ▁ ▁They ▁reflected ▁the ▁wide ▁variety ▁of ▁opinions ▁held ▁by ▁German ▁Americans ▁as ▁they ▁had ▁assim il ated ▁into ▁American ▁life . ▁ ▁Period ▁soci olog ists ▁noted ▁the ▁multip licity ▁of ▁opinions ▁as ▁demonstr ating ▁the ▁process ▁of ▁American ▁assim ilation ▁among ▁Germ ans ▁in ▁America . ▁Many ▁German - Amer icans ▁were ▁completely ▁assim il ated ▁into ▁American ▁society . ▁ ▁By ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁distinct ive ▁institutions ▁of ▁German ▁society ▁in ▁O ma ha , ▁such ▁as ▁stores , ▁German - language ▁churches , ▁and ▁social ▁groups , ▁had ▁disappeared ▁or ▁become ▁less ▁exclusive ▁of ▁other ▁groups . ▁ ▁L ega cies ▁ ▁The ▁experience ▁of ▁German ▁imm igr ants ▁in ▁O ma ha ▁and ▁throughout ▁Neb r aska ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁deeply ▁influenced ▁W illa ▁C ather . ▁ ▁She ▁addressed ▁the ▁assim ilation , ▁disc rim ination ▁and ▁community ▁of ▁Germ ans ▁in ▁several ▁of ▁her ▁stories . ▁ ▁The ▁invent or ▁of ▁the ▁Re uben ▁sand wich ▁was ▁a ▁German ▁American ▁who ▁lived ▁in ▁O ma ha . ▁O ma ha ▁Trib une ▁editor ▁Val ▁Peter ' s ▁company , ▁the ▁Inter state ▁Print ing ▁Company , ▁is ▁still ▁operated ▁today ▁by ▁the ▁Peter ▁family ▁in ▁O ma ha . ▁The ▁Volks zeit ung ▁Trib une '' ▁was ▁a ▁German - language ▁newspaper ▁that ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁O ma