Kultur1-- Ross Smith

I thought the pamphlet was very interesting and it had a lot of information in it for how short it was. One thing that was particularly relevant to me was the settling of the Midwest by people of German descent and how it has affected my youth. The Germans established themselves in Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, and other traditionally rural states at the urging of promotions found in their home countries as well as offices in New York and other large ports. German ancestry is a common trait in my area and is prevalent in my family's history. The entire culture of close-knit, small, farming towns is the basis of many of the towns, including mine, today.

I also found it very interesting how much German influence is scattered about popular culture in the U.S. It seems almost the entire tradition of going to the ball game, having a beer, pretzels, and hot dogs, and enjoying time with family and friends was taken directly out of the German playbook. The Oscar Mayer weinermobile too holds a place in everyone's heart whether they admit it or not! It is always cool to see how much of a melting pot the United States is when it comes to borrowing traditions and celebrating the awesome things each individual culture has to offer!