Thursday, April 02, 2009

In Rural Wisconsin, German Reigned For Decades

People who insist that all past immigrants immediately learned English should study their history. This town is a perfect example, it was settled by English and Irish, then German immigrants arrived in the mid 1800s. These immigrants kept their language for generations. - - Donna Poisl

by Jennifer Ludden, NPR

All Things Considered, April 1, 2009 · In the contentious debate over immigration, critics often assert that immigrants and their children aren't learning English as quickly as previous waves of newcomers did. But did European migrants of yore really assimilate quickly?

You might be surprised if you explore that question in the tiny town of Hustisford, Wis., an hour west of Milwaukee. There, local members of the town's historical society can give you a tour of the well-appointed, two-story white frame house of the town's founder, an Irishman from New York named John Hustis.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.

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