|
|
|
|
|
|
Resources |
|
|
|
Wisconsin's Belgians
| Article
# : |
14875 |
|
|
Section : |
CULTURE
|
| Issue
Date : |
10 / 1988 |
5,789 Words |
| Author
: |
William G. Laatsch
William G. Laatsch is professor of geography at the University
of Wisconsin--Green Bay. |
Sussex, Kiel, Polonia, Oostberg, Wales, Berlin, Brussels--these place-names bring to mind a European gazetteer, not a Wisconsin road map. But small, mainly rural villages with these names are indeed located in Wisconsin's "ethnic islands." In these parts of the state, the number of descendants of the English, Germans, Poles, Belgians, and other European groups is especially high, and their traditions are strong.
Ethnic islands and their associated cultural landscapes are important features of Wisconsin's settlement fabric. No other state has gathered such a diversity of European urban or rural groups. One such island, settled by Walloon-speaking Belgians, can be found in the northeastern Door Peninsula, composed of Door County and portions of Brown and Kewaunee countries. This "thumb" of the mitt-shaped state just into Lake Michigan, and is better known for its rocks, woods, water, galleries, restaurants, and fishing than for its ethnic landscapes. Nevertheless, the disciplined eye will detect differences in the landscape and the sharp ear will hear the distinctive speech.
The Belgian cultural region is bounded by those of other ethnic groups. The sharpest line is to the southeast in Kewaunee County, where a well-defined Bohemain-Czechoslovakian community is located. To the east and north the ethnic mix is more varied, with Germans predominating. A Norwegian and a more distinct German community form a northeastern boundary. In terms of language traditions still audible today, these Teutonic and Slavic groups provide a sharp contrast to the English of the Romano-French Walloons.
A variety of material and nonmaterial elements can
... (2000 of 34581 Characters)
Read Full Article
|
|
