Ethnic Groups and Discrimination

Do you culturally identify more with the ethnic group you examined, with United States mainstream culture, or with both equally?Assignment: Ethic Groups and DiscriminationLike most Americans today my bloodline consists of a plethora of ethnicities, German, Dutch, Irish and even Cherokee and Cree Indian. German is the largest ancestral group in the United States (Schaefer, 2006). Since it is the most abundant ethnicity in our family as well, I have chosen to write about the experience of the German people settling in America.

The Germans began migration to America in the 1700s. The English had already begun the process of domination over the indigenous people when the Germans began immigration in large numbers. Benjamin Franklin worried that immigrating Germans would swamp America's predominantly English culture (Gerdes, 2005). German people began their immigration for several reasons; like many other immigrant groups, many Germans came seeking employment opportunities. And in this arena the Germans did very well, because many of the migrating Germans were highly skilled and could demand the high-income sector jobs (International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, 2008).

German soldier's "Auf Wiedersehen" (LOC)

Germans at Princeton -- Weitzer - Lt. Reichenau - ...

[German vehicle tax registration issued to George ...

One of the first German ships to come to America was the Concord. In Immigration to America Wagner, states: "The development of a settlement by Germans immigrating to America began [sic] already in the 17th Century. The pioneer Francis Daniel Pastorius, born in Sommerhausen (near Wuerzburg), together with 13 Mennonites & Quaker families from Krefeld, was the first German immigrant to enter and set foot in the North American Continent" (Wagner, 2001).

Because a large number of immigrating Germans immigrated to the America for work and they were essentially highly skilled most found high-income jobs without any problem. The ability for the German immigrants to find desirable employment quickly meant that they were not affected by the dual labor market (Narrett, 1997).