William Hernberg’S Argument on the Protestant

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William Hernberg’s argument on the Protestant, Catholic-Jew described there assimilation into America in the 19th and early 20th century. He begins by assessing the average immigrant that came to America. The immigrant was expected that he or she would eventually give up their language, nationality, and way of life. That they would adapt the “American” way of life in all aspects. However, they would keep their religion because that is how they would identify themselves in America.
He then starts to assess the generational differences in America of the immigrant. The first generation, were undergoing change and started to escape the foreignness of their parents. They were not only being assimilated at home, but in the neighborhoods and at schools. Language, culture, values, and outlook on life all underwent drastic change.   Although, the first generation prospered in America on a sociological standpoint, however the second generation struggled.   The second generation man became part of the ethnic group in which he found himself. Assimilation in the second generation was speeded. First to go was the language, which again marked their foreignness, and then the culture as well. Many of the second generation just wanted escape. Their religion was also affected. They developed an relation to the faith of their fathers. However, the ties with the old religion were never entirely broken.   They also prospered economically and socially In America. The third generation was affected by the halt of immigration into America in the 1920s. As the third generation matured, the old customs of their old customs grew unfamiliar to their lives. The activities of their ethnic group became less relevant to their new American life.   Marcus Hensen describes it in these terms: “What the son wishes to forget, the grandson wishes to remember.” He then describes them as American born, their language is English, and their material wealth is average of everyone. Their...