Kulturraumstudien USA, Work for Week Two

I hope you all are doing well! Last week, you watched how European immigration to the United States in the late 19th century/early 20th century shaped the start of the US film industry. This week we'll be honing in on one key aspect of 19th century European immigration to the US: that of German immigration. (I know it looks like a lot of content, but the videos are actually rather short.)

Begin by watching this video from the Deutsches Auswandererhaus Bremerhaven (their main site can be accessed here: https://www.bremerhaven.de/de/tourismus/museen-erlebniswelten/deutsches-auswandererhaus-bremerhaven.16123.html): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVPH8Dm8bWU
Answer these questions:
1. Which US state did the first German immigrants migrate to?
2. Name the three reasons why the US was attractive to Germans.
3. How many US citizens claim to have German heritage?
4. What role did German immigrants to the US play in shaping the notion of an American dream?

Watch this video focusing on Pennsylvania's Amish and answer the questions that follow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQdb0giFVsQ
1. What does Pennsylvania Dutch refer to?
2. What is the Ordnung for the Amish?
3. What is Rumspringa?
4. How many Amish live in Lancaster County?
5. Why are geneticists interested in Amish communities?

Many Germans also emigrated to Texas in the 19th century. Watch this video on public education in New Braunfels, Texas amongst the German Texans: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQxCHHpimjU
1. What did the German community establish in New Braunfels, Texas?
2. How did this community come to fund its school? Why was this measure groundbreaking for its time?

Continue with German Texans and tension during the Civil War: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wy-r-yyc6dc
1. Why was there tension between Texans and German immigrants to Texas during the Civil War?
2. What were the consequences of this tension?
3. What did German immigration to Texas look like after the Civil War?
4. Who were Robert Justus Kleberg and Alice King, Dr. Ferdinand Herff, and John O. Meusebach (this will require some outside research)?

Now have a look at anti-German sentiment in the United States during WWI and its effects: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW8j_CHCOMQ
1. What form did anti-German sentiment take in WWI?
2. Who led the campaign to register and interrogate hundreds of thousands of German-Americans? What would this man later become (this requires outside research)?
3. The United States is known for prominently displaying its flag. What influence did this period of time have on the practice?

Texas German is a bonafide dialect of German that is still spoken today. The effects of WWI and WWII make it one that will most likely die out entirely by 2050. Have a look at this video on Texas German and answer the following questions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwgwpUcxch4
1. How is Texas German different from Standard German?
2. Where can one hear Texas German today?

(You might be interested in Dr. Hans Boas' Texas German Dialect page, available here: https://tgdp.org/) 

Now listen to this extended clip of a Texas German speaker and identify some of its features (I know it might initially just sound like an American with a strong accent speaking standard German, but listen more closely and you'll notice distinct syntactic and lexical differences): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_dH403pqRU

Compare Texas German with Pennsylvania Dutch. What are the differences? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhUPyhsnlQ8

If Spanish is your F1 or F2, I would like you to investigate Spanglish and compare its features with standard Spanish. If French is your F1 or F2, I'd like you to investigate Cajun French and compare its features with standard French. In addition, answer the following questions: approximately how many speakers does the dialect have? Where is the dialect spoken (and taught, if applicable)? Are there any controversies associated with the dialect?

As was the case last week, you are welcome to send your work to me via email. 

Links that might be of interest:
Ellis Island's (the famous port of entry in New York) passenger search engine with which you can look up ancestors who were registered (the last hit for "Stavroudis" is my own father): https://www.libertyellisfoundation.org/passenger 
Official webpage of the German Free School in Austin, Texas, whose events I attended when I lived there: http://germantexans.org/
The story of one of the US' most famous German immigrants, Levi Strauss: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlJ911HYEuY
Some of you might be watching the mini-series "Self Made" on Netflix right now. You might be interested in checking out these short videos on Madam C.J. Walker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEKXMHIGmrQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLpT97qXLKk

And now for some music:
Marian Hill "Got It" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAMhMU9EC-w
Esperanza Spalding "Jazz Ain't Nothin' But Soul" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03MXhKZqG9Y
Spoon "Don't You Evah" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSu6ixOlzmc
half alive "still feel" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOOhPfMbuIQ&list=RDKOOhPfMbuIQ&start_radio=1
Bishop Briggs "Dark Side" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akrnJEjUUm4
J Dilla "Life" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Agl1TgVfls0