Title: Building Institutions, Shaping Tastes | German | Immigration and Relocation in U.S. History | Classroom Materials at the Library of Congress | Library of Congress
Headings: Building Institutions, Shaping Tastes
Building Institutions, Shaping Tastes
Content: Several of the most familiar elements of the American Christmas celebration, from the Christmas tree to the gift-giving Santa Claus, were gifts from the Germans, as was the Easter bunny. By the end of the 19th century, German Americans and German culture were generally accepted as necessary threads in the fabric of American life. They were less geographically and culturally isolated than in previous generations and increasingly spoke English as a first, rather than a second, language, all the while maintaining a vital written culture in German. German was widely taught in American public schools and was studied by German and non-German students alike. German Americans were occasionally portrayed as figures of fun in the popular press, but they were seldom demonized. The coming years would see German Americans rise to even greater heights in American life; however, German American culture would not fare so well. What other foods, celebrations, or traditions might be linked to German heritage? Previous Section Urban Germans
Next Section Shadows of War