Moving to a Different Region or Area

[Siebenbürgerin]

What stance should be adopted if someone moves from a region to another? If an American from the North (Yankee) moves to live in the South (Dixie)? If a German from Schleswig-Holstein moves to Bavaria? It's better to keep the ancestral (native) culture alive, or to adapt to the culture of the region? What should the children be raised as?

I'm curious about this from a personal point of view also. Because if I move to Germany or to Austria, there is no Transylvanian Saxon state there, and personally I've a preference to keep my culture alive. However, I've been advised by some peoples that it's not a good idea, and it's better to adapt and raise my children according to the culture of the region I'll move to. Not to teach them the version of German spoken by my ancestors in Transylvania, but the one in Germany and the specific region. What's your view anyhow?

[Bärin]

Germans who come to Berlin must become Berliners. What's the point to keep Swabian, Bavarian or S-H heritage alive in another region? Who are they going to speak in regional terms with? If you want to be Swabian, stay in Swabia! Besides the children will have an identity crisis if they're not raised to fit in. They'll be viewed as foreigners. It seems ridiculous for me for a Southerner to wave the Confederate flag up North.

[Wulfram]

It doesn't really matter here in America, where most people don’t know enough of their own cultural origins to pass them onto their children anyway.
My parents always told me to be proud of my ancestors, but never went into the details of just why I should.

A move from the north to the south usually means a move from one big city to another, and cities contain almost no trace of culture that can still be found in various pockets around the countryside. Cities are the same everywhere here.
Most people do not care one way or the other. America is America to them. Going into the details of it's culture will only distract them from watching American Idol.

[Siebenbürgerin]

Bärin, I'm seeing what you mean and believe me the thought of leaving this region doesn't come easy to me. However most of my ethnic group left already, and so I've to choose between a German country and to remain here in very small numbers, almost no peoples my age around. I want my children to grow in a Germanic environment, and here it's dying out.

[Aptrgangr]

What stance should be adopted if someone moves from a region to another? If an American from the North (Yankee) moves to live in the South (Dixie)? If a German from Schleswig-Holstein moves to Bavaria? It's better to keep the ancestral (native) culture alive, or to adapt to the culture of the region? What should the children be raised as?

I'm curious about this from a personal point of view also. Because if I move to Germany or to Austria, there is no Transylvanian Saxon state there, and personally I've a preference to keep my culture alive. However, I've been advised by some peoples that it's not a good idea, and it's better to adapt and raise my children according to the culture of the region I'll move to. Not to teach them the version of German spoken by my ancestors in Transylvania, but the one in Germany and the specific region. What's your view anyhow?

I am an "expatriate", if I would marry one of those gorgeous Hessian women and start a family with her here, then the children will become Hessians, no doubts about that. Children need a stable and reliable cultural environment in which they can grow up. The German ethnicity and culture is under pressure, in any region. Kindergartens and schools (not to mention media) hardly provide any knowledge about the own heritage anymore. For culturally aware parents, fighting this trend is challenging enough. (Unfortunately many parents do not care anymore anyway - hence the myriads of wiggers and punks in our streets...)
This, however, does not mean one should deny the own heritage; teaching the own dialect, tales of the homeland, the cuisine etc. still is possible and should be done, so the roots are not cut.

[Nachtengel]

It's important for the children not to have an identity crisis or a dual identity. That's why they should be raised monoculturally, even if that means cutting the roots from one side. We don't want 1/4 Bavarians, 1/4 Hessians, 1/4/ Swabians and 1/4 Saxons, like there are Americans of mixed ethnicities in the USA, who in reality belong to none.

[Matrix]

You should do your best to fit in the region you reside in, in my opinion, even if your heritage is from another. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

[Seidhmadhr]

If you chose to move somewhere else which has a basically culturally homogeneous community, than you have a certain obligation to them to maintain that. They didn't ask you to come, and they would probably like to keep their own local identity. So, while there is nothing wrong with teaching your children some things about their heritage, it should always come second to being a part of the local culture.

Todesengel's comments about ending up 1/4 of this and a 1/4 of that, and ending up with no sense of cultural identity at all are very true. As an American who is 1/4 of this, 1/4 of that, nearly 1/4 of another, 1/16 of such and such, I can tell you there is a painful sense of identity crisis involved in that. I dearly wish none of my ancestors had emigrated.

[Ward]

If you chose to move somewhere else which has a basically culturally homogeneous community, than you have a certain obligation to them to maintain that. They didn't ask you to come, and they would probably like to keep their own local identity. So, while there is nothing wrong with teaching your children some things about their heritage, it should always come second to being a part of the local culture.

Todesengel's comments about ending up 1/4 of this and a 1/4 of that, and ending up with no sense of cultural identity at all are very true. As an American who is 1/4 of this, 1/4 of that, nearly 1/4 of another, 1/16 of such and such, I can tell you there is a painful sense of identity crisis involved in that. I dearly wish none of my ancestors had emigrated.

Buck up, man. At least (according to your profile) you're of purely northwestern European blood. There's nothing to be ashamed of.


One thing this site will do is help to reinforce your sense of identity as an American. If you're around long enough, you'll see what I mean.

[Grey]

In my opinion, it's no one's duty to change their cultural identity merely because of their surroundings. If you're an Englishman living in Germany, you ought to retain your identity as an Englishman while accepting the fact that you are an alien in the region. You shouldn't deny your identity (which would be an insult to your ancestors), but you should also learn to adapt to your location, rather than expecting it to adapt to you. I see three types of immigrants here: those who try too hard to be American at the expense of their own culture (Asians), those who retain their own culture to the point of not even learning the language of their new country (Mexicans), and those who try to take control of the nation/region which has provided them with a home (Muslims).

Think of it as being a guest at someone's house. You can respect the host and their family without trying to be like them. Retain your own language at home, but speak theirs when talking to them. And don't ever imitate the Muslims and barge into someone's house and implement your own rules.

I'll paraphrase one poster from Stirpes: Don't think living in a stable warrants you the right to call yourself a horse.