October 2003 - Nr. 10
Bush to proclaim
German-American Day
TWIG - President George W. Bush will Monday celebrate the United States’ close and vital relationship with the people of Germany — as well as the hard work, dedication and innovation of German immigrants to America.
For two decades, the President of the United States has honoured the proud and important achievements that German-Americans have made to the United States, each year proclaiming October 6 as German-American Day.
According to the 2000 census, nearly one in six Americans claim German ancestry — more than any other ancestral heritage. And since 13 immigrant families left Germany to escape religious persecution and establish the first German settlement in Germantown, Pennsylvania back in 1683, more than 7 million Germans have created lives for themselves and their families in the United States, enriching its history and development.
"Guided by common values and ideals, Germany and the United States enjoy a lasting friendship that is deeply rooted in the hearts and minds of the people on both sides of the Atlantic," said Wolfgang Ischinger, German Ambassador to the United States. "Political relations between our two nations have traditionally been close, supportive and trusting. Over the years, our bilateral trade has grown steadily and our cultural exchange has become richer and ever more diverse."
Sending his best wishes to German-Americans across the country, Ischinger paid tribute to the manifold achievements that German immigrants have brought to almost every aspect of American life. "These are contributions we can all be proud of," he said.
From pre-eminent physicist Albert Einstein to composer Oscar Hammerstein, German-Americans have made outstanding contributions to American science and culture. German-American journalists like Joseph Pulitzer were pioneering campaigners for freedom of the press. And entrepreneurs like Levi Strauss, the creator of blue jeans, and Walter Percy Chrysler, the first president of the carmaker Chrysler, are just two of many notable German-American business leaders.
German-Americans continue to serve their communities and their country today, and as President Bush proclaimed on German-American Day in 2001, "they will continue their noble role in helping to ensure the vitality of our democracy."
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