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An Interesting American Group

Consider the Amish.

This religious sect settled on farms around my hometown, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, beginning in the early 19th century. They emigrated from Switzerland, attracted to southeastern Pennsylvania because of the rich farmland and tradition of religious freedom. They now number a quarter of a million and live in many states.

The Amish are very distinctive in their plain 19th century clothes. They are resistant to many modern technologies, such as electricity, zippers, and vaccines. They have their own language and excommunicate those who marry outside the community.

Interactions between the Amish and the English, as they call everyone else, are limited. They sell their farm products in the downtown Central Market. In the countryside, it is common to see their horse-drawn buggies, trailed by a long line of cars.

The Amish are not friendly to outsiders. They do not serve in the military or collect Social Security.

Despite all this, the Amish have been largely accepted by the larger community, their quirks accommodated or ignored. Amazingly, they are even a tourist attraction. 

The recent presidential election revealed that there are starkly different visions of an ideal America: the melting pot that leads to assimilation; multi-culturalism that celebrates diversity; the separatist vision that excludes people judged to be outsiders. These visions don't seem compatible with each other.

And yet, consider the Amish -- stubbornly unassimilated after nearly 200 years. Despite repudiating modern society in many ways, they have found a place here and are even grudgingly respected. Perhaps what's true is that anything is possible in America.

I'm Deborah Booth, and that's my perspective.

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