Poll: Would you live in Pennsylvania if it weren't for family roots? (Philadelphia: places to live, price)

[pman]

Originally Posted by JettaPA

You never heard of PA Dutch?

aren't they just germans?

[JettaPA]

Originally Posted by pman

aren't they just germans?

yes, the german settlers to pa got termed "PA Dutch". i'm just surprised someone living in PA has never heard of the term. I'm of PA Dutch heritage myself.

[Ohiogirl81]

I'm merely amused that someone would paint the entire state with the same "PA Dutch heritage" brush. If you were to tell someone of "just German" ancestry who lives in Erie about their "PA Dutch heritage", they'd probably look at you like you'd sprouted walleye from your ears.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81

I'm merely amused that someone would paint the entire state with the same "PA Dutch heritage" brush. If you were to tell someone of "just German" ancestry who lives in Erie about their "PA Dutch heritage", they'd probably look at you like you'd sprouted walleye from your ears.

It's a bogus statement for sure. There are a fair number of people of PA Dutch descent (and who identify as such) in the Lehigh Valley and the Harrisburg-York-Lancaster corridor, but the overwhelming majority of the Germans who settled in the other parts of the state, whether during colonial times or throughout the various waves of Central European immigration, were Lutherans and Catholics--not the Anabaptists of PA Dutch progeny whose culture and customs were entirely different.

[pman]

I do find it hard to believe that someone has never heard the term PA dutch though

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by pman

I do find it hard to believe that someone has never heard the term PA dutch though

Agreed, though if you're a transplant who's stayed pretty close to either Philly or Pittsburgh, I could see it happening.

[Truth11]

Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81

I'm merely amused that someone would paint the entire state with the same "PA Dutch heritage" brush. If you were to tell someone of "just German" ancestry who lives in Erie about their "PA Dutch heritage", they'd probably look at you like you'd sprouted walleye from your ears.

They look at everyone different from them like they have a 3rd head,which was my point.

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by HeavenWood

the overwhelming majority of the Germans who settled in the other parts of the state, whether during colonial times or throughout the various waves of Central European immigration, were Lutherans and Catholics--not the Anabaptists of PA Dutch progeny whose culture and customs were entirely different.

Precisely.

Originally Posted by Truth11

They look at everyone different from them like they have a 3rd head,which was my point.

I don't know what your point was, but you missed mine.

[bolillo_loco]

Originally Posted by pman

I do find it hard to believe that someone has never heard the term PA dutch though

If ya ain't Dutch, ya ain't much...

Originally Posted by HeavenWood

It's a bogus statement for sure. There are a fair number of people of PA Dutch descent (and who identify as such) in the Lehigh Valley and the Harrisburg-York-Lancaster corridor, but the overwhelming majority of the Germans who settled in the other parts of the state, whether during colonial times or throughout the various waves of Central European immigration, were Lutherans and Catholics--not the Anabaptists of PA Dutch progeny whose culture and customs were entirely different.

Let's not forget about diversity... The surnames of my family going back several generations into the early 1800s on both sides of my family are all German names. However, we're Catholic and Lutheran. Despite this fact, on my father's side, his five oldest brothers and sisters had to learn English when they went to school because they only spoke Pennsylvania Dutch in the home. It seems as though many men in my family married Dunkard, Mennonite, and Amish women, yet somehow all the kids were baptized Catholic or Lutheran. People who weren't married to a plain girl still spoke Pennsylvania Dutch.

I've no clue why. Perhaps the language was rather prolific circa 1800 - 1940 in Lebanon County that even non-Amish/Mennonite spoke it as well. It's quite possible because I speak, read, and write passable Spanish because Lebanon's overrun with Hispanics, so I assimilated into their culture.

As for the original topic, Pennsylvania's an ok state. Since it has counties that fall in and along the Appalachians, I like it. I'd rather live in northern New Hampshire though.

[Truth11]

Originally Posted by bolillo_loco

Pennsylvania's an ok state. Since it has counties that fall in and along the Appalachians, I like it. I'd rather live in northern New Hampshire though.

And Appalachian they are