The answer to the nature and extent of the persecution (and in some
cases prosecution) of German-Americans is to be found in the evidence of the
period. It is a fact that some Lutheran layman and a pastor or two returned to
Germany to serve in the Kaiser's army (I can look up a couple of references
for you if you wish).
I spoke many times about this subject with my maternal grandmother (died
this year at 102) who was a teenager when America entered the war in 1917.
She told me first of all that "Germans" in Nebraska had to buy war bonds to
show their patriotism and that she and other students from "German" families
were taunted, pushed into the mud and had stones thrown at them by others who
did not have a German background. In addition, she told me that the pastor
of her church was told to cease preaching in German and give his sermons in
English. When he refused he was threatened with hanging. He was put on a
train out of town and ended up in Milwaukee. I ran across the evidence of this
last story last year when I was translating the records of the congregation in
question.
In Nebraska a law was passed forbidding the teaching of primary subjects
like math, etc. in the German language and a Lutheran pastor was arrested
for teaching a ten-year-old boy in German. This case was appealed all the way
to the Supreme Court and the law was struck down in 1923. A similar law was
adopted in Oregon.
If we are to try to make a case one way or the other for the pervasive
ness of the persecution of Americans of German descent we should make an effort
to examine the evidence-as much of it as we can find.
This thread actually evolved from an earlier one (Gary via Jo Meyers via mine). You might want to read my earlier comments also. [see below]
Persecution always smacks of oppression. When it is as temporary and circumstantial as it was during this period, a word like persecution becomes a bit of overkill. Some Americans with German backgrounds suffered; no one will deny this. Except isolated incidences though, little of it was life threatening or mob like. Nowhere does it amount to the kinds of persecutions we see the world over that involve life and limb, some even spanning generation to generation. This country had many, many millions of German citizens back at this time, just as it does now. MOST were not persecuted. Some - many even - were intimidated, harassed, demoralized, etc., but rarely much more (exceptions, as always, apply). I have no doubt some areas were worse than others.
If it's a matter of semantics, so be it. I think the choice of that word overstates and exaggerates the way things were somewhat, especially if we are talking of digressions as it applies to the whole and span of this country during that time period.
The thing of the USA being a melting pot is just an old wives tell. That's a
funny saying, I wonder where that got started? Anyway if this is a melting
pot then we are all pieces of fat just floating around in the pot. There is
so many racial problems in this country it is amazing that we can even
operate as a country. And believe it or not that has to do with genealogy as
many people from different tribes intermarry and cross lines so you have to
research many ethnic back grounds and cultures to connect A,B & C. As I have
said lately, genealogy is an interesting journey.
Jim