The Melting Pot
The Lawrence Welk Show 1955 - 1982
As Stalin was ruthlessly crushing German communities in Russia between 1920 and 1940, a more peaceful transition was occurring in the United States. While German was the language used at home and children were expected to marry a good German guy or gal, changes were happening to draw the German-Russians into the general American society.
Language was a subtle but powerful factor in this transition. By 1940 a generation of German-Russians had grown up learning English, making it easier to communicate and integrate into the greater society. While German was common in homes and pubs, English was slowly becoming the dominant language.
A more dramatic shift occurred as young men returned after serving in World War II. They had been exposed to US citizens of many cultures and learned skills that would not have been possible had they remained at home. They had also experienced the realities of war. Upon returning home, these young men had a wider array of options for their futures than any previous generation.
The Germans’ physical isolation was breaking down as well. Cars were now common, good roads were being built and plowed in the winter. Rural electric and phone service, radios and, later, television, served to reduce the factors that had insulated the German-Russian community.
In the end, the biggest impact in the traditional German-Russian community was the transition from farming with horses to farming with tractors. Farming with horses effectively limited the size of a farm. The widespread use of tractors ended this limitation. All across the country, as farms grew in size; traditional family farms like the Hutmacher farm began to disappear. As each small farm was lost and small towns like Fayette began to disappear, a way of life that had defined German-Russian culture for over 150 years began to disappear as well.
Despite this loss, the desire to preserve German-Russian culture remains strong in traditional celebrations, food and music.
The Melting Pot
