Kultur 1

While reading this I came across something that surprised me, the part of the article talking about non German towns celebrating Oktoberfest. Sadly enough the town in question, Oak Park, is right next to where my family lives and I have been to these celebrations not knowing that the German-American population in the area is so small. That being said it is pretty clear the German influence in the Midwest in terms of the culture and especially the major Chicago/Wisconsin emphasis on brats and beer. While this influence is representative of German culture as well it tends to get swallowed up in the larger polish population in the area and thus the melding of cultures into a European American center. Even now the beer and brats culture if the city and area is becoming less and less of a European thing and more of a "Chicago thing". Perhaps identifying the city and region as a very German/European ethnic population. I've never understood the Milwaukee as the most German city in America, I've never been able to see the similarities but maybe its the beer and brat/cheese culture of the state itself and Milwaukee being the center of that state. I'll have to ask some of my friends stationed in Germany if they have any idea why.