Page 2 - GC-Sept-Oct-23

PERSPECTIVES
Perspectives . . . German ethnicity and the U.S. Presidency

We could learn a lot by Martin Ederer Theodore Roosevelt had a
ow many U.S. presidents
small amount of German ancestry
could claim German ethnic-
from each other Hity? The picture is actually alongside seven other ethnicities,
quite complicated. In the interest of primarily British Isles and Dutch.
by Martin Ederer not encouraging any more lies, Harry Truman had some Ger-
here was a famous piece of graffiti on the Berlin Wall that sardoni- damn lies, and statistics, let’s define man among four other ethnicities,
cally stated, “Wer mauert hat’s nötig” (Those who build walls need some terms and set some ground but British Isles were primary.
Tto). As we begin to enter yet another presidential political season the rules. Lyndon Johnson – some Ger-
political rhetoric has already begun to rev up. There is the politics of the First, the vast majority of U.S. man roots but among four other
left and the right, there’s the politics of race and ethnicity, politics of the presidents have roots in the British ethnicities, mostly British Isles.
entitled versus those who would like to be entitled, the politics of big Isles (England-Scotland-Ireland- Richard Nixon also claimed
business and money, the politics of greed and the politics of envy, the Wales, Scots-Irish), some 100% some German heritage, but among
politics of religious ideals versus secular ideals. Maybe we all need to call English, but most a mix. three others: all British Isles.
a timeout. What often seems to be missing is the politics of reason, of Second, let’s leave out the fact George H.W. Bush and George
reality, of humanity, of solidarity, of the common good and a sense that we that “English” in all probability and W. Bush claimed some German
are (or should be) all in this together. in most cases included Anglo-Saxon Dwight Eisenhower. No sur- ancestry among a whole list of other
Maybe people of all ethnicities – different as they may well be from one ethnicities – six of them. The most
ethnicity, which presupposes Ger- prise here. As Supreme Commander
another – could all teach each other something. Maybe we could do some manic heritage…but that’s ancient of Allied Forces in Europe, the Brit- meaningful ones would appear to be
careful listening instead of building walls of noise and walls of one-sided from the British Isles.
history dating to the 500s AD. By ish sometimes wondered – thanks to
talk: more curious and less furious. “German” we’ll stick to much more how his name sounded – whose side Barack Obama possesses some
Consider the stories of so many ethnic groups in America. We all have German and Swiss ethnicity among
recent history, and define “German” he was on. Still, Americanization
them, and they are far more complex than we often realize. Not all Anglo- as having come from ethnically Ger- de-spelled the original Eisenhauer seven other ethnicities.
WASPs made it big in America. Consider Appalachia. German-Ameri- There are perhaps a few interest-
man and/or German-speaking re- family name. Primarily of German
cans, prosperous though some may have become, often felt compelled to gions of Central Europe, not and Swiss ethnicity, Eisenhower al- ing takeaways here. From the stand-
bury their ethnicities, heritage, and names, thanks to being on the wrong point of “privilege,” we can make
necessarily Germany as we know it so claimed some English heritage.
side of two world wars. Even Protestant Germans, who might have had today. the case that Germans in some form
things easier, were often considered somewhat-less-than desirable than Third, there has been no presi- made it to the presidency much
more Anglocentric Protestant denominations, and therefore somewhat more than a good many ethnicities
dent of 100% German ethnicity.
less-than-desirable Americans. Even within Lutheran denominations, real There have been 11 presidents with in America which have not made it
difficulties existed between German-speaking communities and Scandina- to the White House at all. Two pres-
varying amounts of German ethnic-
vian Lutherans. ity, but only three for whom it could idents made it to the White House
Then there’s the rest of the list: the “No Irish need apply” signs which with detuned German names and a
be defined as a dominant (but not
helped to keep Irish immigrants poor. Italian immigrants were considered necessarily meaningful) part of their lot of assimilation. None of them
only good for outdoor work, and often enough found themselves getting made much of their German roots.
ethnic makeup. Those three were
lynched for being “almost” African Americans. The Polish were all kinds well-assimilated. Still, in comparison to the Brit-
of trouble, too Catholic, and quite possibly revolutionaries. Jews were also ish Isles juggernaut, German ethnic-
Here's the list…and there will be
nothing but trouble with their inscrutable religious traditions. African a few surprises. The three most Ger- ity in the White House is still very
Americans were often enough deemed incapable of really being taken much a minority. All of this should
man:
seriously as Americans or even as human beings. Asians were sneaky, make us think – about assimilation,
semi-humans trying to take us over long before Pearl Harbor, as fears of a ethnicity, about success and failure
“Yellow Peril” heated up. Native Americans got ground up thanks to in America. To what extent does
European disease, European policies, diplomacy gone bad, and the sheer any political rhetoric about privi-
inundation of new arrivals. lege and empowerment – what it
The short form here is that (1) most Americans had their turns at being Donald Trump. A lot of Ger- means, and what it should mean –
man on his father’s side, but his
dumped on by someone, some facing much worse things than others, and align with the real world? Let’s end
for longer times than others. But the commonality is that most of us faced second ethnicity – apparently equal- with that open question. It should
ly strong – is Scottish. His name is
something, and we should all be adult enough to recognize that every provoke some thought.
national history has dirt that we’d all rather ignore. (2) Our stories are far German. It is also the only presiden-
tial German-origin family name
more complicated than political operatives on any side would like us to
believe. (3) The other reality to balance all the bad stuff is that there has president to have survived Ameri-
canization intact.
been progress, admittedly more for some groups than for others, and
sooner for some than for others. For the remaining eight, there is
German ethnicity, sometimes only in
Maybe it’s time to peek over the walls of political rhetoric, to really get
to know each other, and to listen more than we talk. We’ll all learn a lot minor amounts. For the most part,
the non-German ethnicities seem to
and maybe also learn to shout less. It’s worth a shot.
have been the more significant.
Herbert Hoover. The family Grover Cleveland had a small
name was originally Huber. Hoover
amount of German Quaker ancestry,
had German and Swiss heritage as the rest being English and Scots-
well as English.
Irish.
� Friday, September 1 and Saturday, September 2 -
Federation of German-American Societies hosts German Great timing
Fest 2023 - Cheektowaga Town Park, Harlem Road. Live
by Elaine Timm ical info of the inscriptions? Yes, in
music, German beer, European car show, Bavarian his past Spring, an elderly Buf- fact he would like all the books!
Dancers, Marktplatz, contests and more. Tfalo area woman came to our After I got home I shipped them
www.buffalogerman.com Das Haus Museum to donate old off to Terry in northern California.
German language religious books. I then sent a note to the Buffalo area
� Saturday, September 9 - The Canal City Oktoberfest - 1 She was initially turned away, as lady to describe what happened to
- 8 p.m. - Canal Street Pavillion, 1 Main St., Tonawanda - we have many such books already. her books, and how happy Terry
A Collections Committee member was to have them.
music by Polka Boys & Frankfurters. Authentic food,
happened to be coming in, and re- She replied that she had rela-
beer and music. viewed the books and decided to tives that lived in northern Califor- Advertise
take them. They had inscriptions in nia. I Google mapped the city and
� Sunday, September 10 - Schlachtfest (Pig Roast)
the old Kurrentschrift. Upon re- found they live about an hour away your event
(Featuring a specially brewed Octoberfest beer by view, we deciphered many sur- from Terry!
Hofbräuhaus Buffalo; Music 2 to 6 p.m. by The Polka names, and dates. The primary For genealogists, stories of great
Boys; Park opens at noon; food available at 1 p.m.; surname was Koberstein, but there timing like this keeps us making or business
were also maiden names. connections and pursuing our hob-
Admission: $6 per person)
About the same time, I was pre- by. in the
� Saturday, October 7 - Taste of Bier & Brats (Sample paring to travel to an International
German Genealogy Conference in
some of the finest brews from participating WNY
Indiana. A website preview of reg-
Brewers and taste some delicious traditional Brats) See istered attendees showed the name
Spring Garden website for details. Tickets will be of Terry Koberstein!
available on www.Eventbrite.com) At the conference I kept an eye
out for a name tag with his name. January - February Call
� Sunday, December 3 - Jährliche Weihnachtsmesse – While a few of us were talking to a March - April Michelle
Annual German Christmas Concert Traditional Christmas presenter before one of the sessions May - June
began, I saw the name tag right next or Steve
Carols by the German-American Musicians (10:30 a.m.), July - August
to me! I explained the books we
Mass (11 a.m.) and reception (noon) catered by Gerhardt September - October 716-831-8013
had, that had been initially turned
Braun at St. Louis Church, 780 Main St. away. Would he like the genealog- November - December