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I've been living in DC for some time. One of the things that strikes me about this place is that, for all its diversity, there are no European-Americans living here.
What I mean is that in cities like New York, Chicago, Philly, Boston, Jersey area, and so on, you are bound to run into Polish-Americans, Russian/Jewish-Americans, Italian Americans of course, maybe some Eastern Europeans and Greeks.
All of these people are immigrants who became American citizens, who have been living in the country for quite some time, their status is stable and they're raising families here.
But in DC, people like that just don't seem to exist. Oh, we have Europeans, of course, but they are non-American -- their status here is temporary (either work- or school-related), they don't speak much English, and know little about American culture; they are more like tourists who go back to their country after a few months here. They are certainly not affiliated with America nor do they have any desire to be. These Europeans are visibly foreign due to the way they dress, speak, and behave, which isn't surprising since they arrived just recently.
On the other hand, we do have some stable, Americanized immigrants here, but they are not European. There is a large contingent of Asian, Latino, and African immigrants who fit this category. For example, I run into lots of American-born people of Indian, Asian, Latino, or Pakistani ancestry. They're American citizens and they speak with an American accent.
But one piece of the puzzle seems to be missing here in DC, and that is the Euro-Americans so prevalent in the Northeast. I happen to be a member of this group and it seems I have no one to talk to here. The Europeans in DC are not my culture since they're not American.
Its not secret that DC lacks the type of European immigrant enclaves that other East coast cities have. This city was built for government jobs and not the type of low end blue collar jobs that would have attracted European immigrants back in the day. I don't think its the end of the world. Just enjoy the city!
That's because those particular ethnic groups didn't settle in DC like they did in other cities. DC had government and professional jobs that required more experience (and a mastery of English), whereas many of the immigrant groups you're talking about were looking more for factory-type jobs. Even still, if you go up to NY or Philly you're more likely to meet people who are 2nd or 3rd generation American-born rather than FOBs. Those same people are here, but since they don't all live in one consolidated area it can be harder to "tell". I know plenty of Italian/Irish/Jewish/Ukrainian people from the cities you're talking about who live in DC (including myself).
I don't know what group you're looking for, but I know that there's Jewish, Polish, and Ukrainian communities up near Rockville and Silver Spring. Alexandria always has Scottish and Irish festivals, so I'd assume that you'd find some of those down there.
Nearly all of the caucasians in this town are of European descent. A small percentage of the caucasian population are from other areas covered by this term (Asia, North Africa), but most are European caucasian.
But one piece of the puzzle seems to be missing here in DC, and that is the Euro-Americans so prevalent in the Northeast. I happen to be a member of this group and it seems I have no one to talk to here. The Europeans in DC are not my culture since they're not American.
I find not too many people from other developed countries care to live in DC.
Nearly all of the caucasians in this town are of European descent. A small percentage of the caucasian population are from other areas covered by this term (Asia, North Africa), but most are European caucasian.
I think they mean as in actually from Europe - first generation.
Their observation is also quite accurate as a majority of immigrants in the DC area, are from India or Northern Latin America.
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The Europeans in DC are not my culture since they're not American.
