German Influence

Culture has a large influence on America’s economy. Movies, foods, customs, and celebrations, to name a few, are all part of our culture. However, immigrants have had great effects on our culture as well. Specifically, Germans have had a great impact on the economy of today.

One main influence from Germany is food and beer. They brought some American favorites such as Sauerkraut and Bratwurst, which have been added to the American idea of a hot dog. Beer has been influenced largely by German customs. Ale and Lager beers have German influences, and exists in many of our American beers today. Speaking of beer, we now have our own American Version of the German festival called “Oktoberfest”. The US just celebrated this in the beginning of October. This festival celebrates German customs with food, music, and of course, beer.

Two large industries that have also been influence by Germany is the auto and movie industry. German cars found here in America are known to by high-end vehicles. Some examples of German cars are Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Opel, Porsche, Smart, and Volkswagen. They are usually expensive, and the wealthy have made them a great influence on the economy. The movie industry has also been affected by German customs. There are two German directors who have produced popular movies such as “Independence Day” and “Air Force One”. The movie industry largely affects the economy due to the high amounts of revenue that it produces. Even celebrities in the movie industry have German heritage. For example, Leonardo DiCaprio has German decent, and he has been in over a dozen movies.

Some icons have had German decent as well. The icon of a Barbie Doll was originally coined from a German comic character, which was made into a blonde doll. When Mattel saw the doll, they took over the rights for it and created what Americans now know as Barbie. Another American icon is the Christmas tree. German influence brought that into America. Some Germans would put up a Christmas tree and decorate it with ornaments such as candles, angels, and nuts. This tradition is now widely popular in the US and has a large effect on the economy during the Holiday season.