17 Feb
2002
17 Feb
'02
8:46 a.m.
On Saturday, February 16, 2002, Sellam Ismail, wrote:
Where else do they speak Dutch besides some rural parts
of Pennsylvania
where they generally shun technology? :)
As noted, the heritage is German, not Dutch.
To say that the Pennsylvania Dutch shun technology, though, is wholly
inaccurate. The Pennsylvania Dutch have no more reason to shun
technology than any other rural community. You're thinking of the Amish,
Mennonite, and Dunkard churches, all of which, in Pennsylvania, are of
Pennsylvania Dutch heritage, and which, to different degrees, reject
materialism, connection with the 'outside' world, and consequently,
computers. Their objections to technology are religious and moral. It
has nothing to do with location nor language.
The close social ties in Amish communities, though, have made it possible
for them to sustain use of the dialect much longer than their more wordly
neighbors, making them easy to idenitfy as "Pennsylvania Dutch". I would
estimate that most of the non-Plain Pennsylvania Germans are Lutheran or
Methodist.
On Saturday, February 16, 2002, Carlos Murillo, wrote:
Seems like a case of one person saying
"deutsche" and
another hearing "dutch".
Pretty much. Mainly, though, it was a case of the Germans saying
"deutsche" and the _English_ hearing "Dutch". :)
Many Pennsylvania 'Deutsche' sailed from Dutch ports, which didn't help
clarify matters, either.
On Saturday, February 16, 2002, ceby2(a)csc.com, wrote:
Please allow me to second this emotion. I'm
originally from York, PA --
about as Pennsylvania Dutch as anyplace. While I intensely disliked it
growing up -- 'technological backwater' would be wrong. Backwater would be
right. Don't think of it as picturesque farms with no electric. Think of it
as aging trailer parks with abuntdant rent-to-own electronics, and plaques
above the toilets reading 'If you sprinkle when you tinkle, be sweetie --
wipe the seatie'. It the sort of place where the peeling paint from
bent-over farm-girl lawn ornaments blend nicely with the recycled tire
flowerbeds and crab grass.
I don't know about taste, but the Pennsylvania Dutch are as technologically
adept as poor white trash anywhere in America.
Colin Eby
(escapee living on the Massachussets coast)
That many of the more adademic and scornful youth move away, shun their
culture, and embrace anglicization does exacerbate matters.
You must have lived much closer to the city than I do, though. In most
of York County, trailer parks are few and far between, while the ever-
encroaching suburbs pose a much greater threat to Pennsylvania Dutch
farming culture.
York County, though, is becoming very industrialized and culturally
"American". Today, one could probably get a much better grasp on
Pennsylvania culture by looking at Northampton or Berks counties. The
"picturesque farms" you can find in any region with Pennsylvania Dutch
heritage - they were farmers, after all. For the "no electric" bit,
you're best off looking in Lancaster County, but there are Amish
throughout the region.
Tom Owad
Applefritter
www.applefritter.com