I am part Dutch. I decided to write my paper on Dutch Americans to learn more about this part of my heritage.

I will discuss how first Dutch Immigrants came to America and briefly discuss immigration following the first settlement. I will discuss our culture and stereotypes Dutch immigrants have faced in America. Finally, I will discuss my own personal ideas about the future of the Dutch American culture in the United States of America. The Dutch are originally from the Netherlands. Following the exploration of the American East Coast by Henry Hudson on behalf of the Dutch East India Company in 1609, Dutch settlement in the Americas started in 1613. From then on a number of villages, including New Amsterdam on the East Coast, which would become the future world metropolis of New York City, were established by Dutch immigrants (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_American). The early colonies did not attract many single females or families. The majority of immigrants were single males. Every account of New Amsterdam (New York City) refers to its rough and raucous social characterthe products of an astonishing mixture of people, languages, and behavior which severely tested polite standards of social order (http://www.everyculture.com). Dutch immigrations significantly decreased after the British rule dominated the area. The next notable wave of Dutch immigration occurred in the early ninth century. During the early nineteenth century, large numbers of Dutch farmers, forced by high taxes and low wages, started immigrating to America (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_American). They mainly settled in Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa. The newcomers (80 percent) came largely from rural areas and resettled in rural America where extended families were frequently reconstituted. Siblings, parents, and even grandparents regularly joined the first settlers, contributing to the family-oriented character of that ethnic subculture (http://www.everyculture.com). During this period women were primarily housewives who supported their male counterpart.

Since the Revolutionary war, Dutch Americans quickly assimilated themselves into mainstream American culture. Dutch Americans are not considered mean and do not have any notable stereotypes. They are correctly perceived as valuing property, inclined to small business ventures, and culturally conservative with enduring loyalties to their churches, colleges, and other institutions. The perception that they are exceptionally clannish is also accurate, but that characteristic is demonstrated primarily among Reformed Protestants. Other ethnic stereotypesfinancial penury, a proclivity for liquor and tobacco, and a general humorlessnessreflect individual rather than group features (http://www.everyculture.com). Today many Americans have popularized the term Going Dutch. In the Netherlands, it was not unusual to pay separately when going out as a group (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Going_Dutch). Going Dutch is a term that indicates that each person participating in a group activity pays for himself or herself, rather than any one person paying for anyone else, particularly in a restaurant bill (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Going_Dutch). According to the 2006 United States Census, more than 5 million Americans claim total or partial Dutch heritage. Today the majority of the Dutch Americans live in Michigan, California, Montana, Minnesota, New York, Wisconsin, Idaho, Utah, Iowa, Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania America (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_American). My mother grew up in West Michigan. My only exposure to Dutch culture occurred when I attended the Tulip Time Festival in Holland, Michigan. Holland was founded by Dutch Americans, and is in an area that has a large percentage of citizens of Dutch American heritage (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holland,_Michigan). This festival is held annually and takes place in early May. Tulip planting and the festival began in 1930 when 250,000 tulips were planted for the event (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holland,_Michigan). Besides attending the Tulip Time Festival, I am ashamed to say that I do not identify with my Dutch heritage. I culturally identify with United States mainstream culture. I believe that the Dutch culture is

alive, but feel that Dutch Americans should work harder to identify with our heritage. We should pride ourselves on belonging to a strong culture and celebrate it. Racism and prejudice affects some groups more than others. I do not believe that Dutch Americans face as much cruelty as other groups have encounter in the United States today. I do think that we need to make people of all cultures realize how hurtful stereotypes, racism, and prejudice are. Differences are what make the United States of America unique. I believe that we need to start embracing differences and stop avoiding them.

References

Wikipedia. (2011).Dutch American. Retrieved November 16, 2011, at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_American

Countries and Their Culture. (2011). Dutch American. Retrieved November 16, 2011, at: http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Du-Ha/Dutch-Americans.html

Wikipedia. (2011). Going Dutch. Retrieved November 16, 2011, at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Going_Dutch

Wikipedia. (2011).Holland, MI. Retrieved November 16, 2011, at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holland,_Michigan