The fact is the Scottish, English, Irish, Welsh, French Canadians, Germans, Prussians, Bavarians, Rhinelanders, Swedes, Finns, Danes, Norwegians, Italians (and all of the other Europeans not mentioned) were all white people - which made a huge difference in how they interacted with each other.
While they may have spoke different tongues and had somewhat different traditions, they all pretty much looked the same and most had a common religious heritage (Christian) and many enjoyed a common political and social tradition. To suggest that Europeans at the turn of the century "were just as different from each other as the Somalis, Hispanics, and Hmong are from today's Yankees" is simply oblivious to history. Jim Bernstein Fulton Laura Waterman wrote: > Just a couple of reminders about 1910: > > Women did not have the right to vote. > Racial segregation was in place. Ethnic segregation > (Jews, other Eastern and Southern Europeans) was in place. > American Indians were not citizens and thus could not vote. > Immigration laws prevented Africans, Asians, (including South > Asia and the Middle East), Mexicans, Central and South Americans > from immigrating whereas Western Europeans were welcome. > 19th Century Minnesota handbills printed to recruit > immigrants were in German. So you are arguing that the Minnesota of the early 1900s was not as diverse as we are now? I think that many people fail to realize that the Scottish, English, Irish, Welsh, French Canadians, Germans, Prussians, Bavarians, Rhinelanders, Swedes, Finns, Dakota, Ojibwa, Yankees, Danes, Norwegians, Italians, etc. who resided in Minnesota at the turn of the century were just as different from each other as the Somalis, Hispanics, and Hmong are from today's "Yankees." People fail to see that what makes us blind to these facts is that our ancestors and their progeny are Americans, that their differences have been overwhelmed by their similarities and that this is a very good thing. REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
