Title: About the USA - History of German-American Relations > 1683-1900 - History and Immigration
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Content: In these later phases of German immigration, newcomers joined established settlers. This phenomenon of "chain migration" strengthened the already existing German regions in the United States. Today, approximately 58 million Americans claim German ancestry. They are most numerous in California, followed by Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, and Texas. The most dense German-American populations are in the "German belt" -- Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa. Politics & Government
German-American political participation was more focused on involvement in the labor movement than in government. Germans in America had a strong influence on the labor movement in the United States. Labor union membership enabled German immigrants to improve working conditions and to integrate in American society as a whole. Originally strong in such occupations as baking, carpentry, and brewing, they were also laborers, farmers, musicians, and merchants. The first and most prominent German figure in American politics was Carl Schurz.