Ethnic Groups And Discrimination
The United States of America is viewed by many as a country of freedom and liberty. The United States is a place where everyone has a chance to succeed despite race, ethnic origin and religious beliefs. Many different people have come to the United States for various reasons but one thing almost all immigrants had in common was the search of a better life. History shows that for many years and still today people are looking for something more in life. The United States of America came to be what it is today because of the immigrants who came to this country. Most Americans are immigrants; every one that came from various parts of the world eventually turns the United States of America their new home.
Of all the immigrants making their journey to America, many of them were German; making the German-American ethnic group one of the largest in the United States. In the year 2000 the German-American ethnic group made up 15.2% of the total American population (Schaefer, 2006). Despite this statistic, there are many Americans that have German ancestry but do not claim themselves as part of the German-American ethnic group.
According to German Life magazine, Jamestown, Virginia homes a historical marker with the title First Germans at Jamestown. The marker states:
“The first Germans to land in Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in America, arrived aboard the vessel Mary and Margaret about 1 October 1608. These Germans were glassblowers and carpenters. In 1620, German mineral specialists and saw-millwrights followed, to work and settle in the Virginia colony. These pioneers and skilled craftsmen were the forerunner of the many millions of Germans who settled in America and became the largest national group to populate the United States.” (Tolzmann, 2007).
Much like many other immigrants, Germans immigrating to America were in search of religious freedom and improved living conditions.
German-Americans...
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