Okay, look. It’s true that Germans from Russia haven’t been in the United States since 1776 and weren’t here for the American Revolution.
Over 150 years ago when our ancestors arrived in the U.S., they became a part of the immigrant population that helped make the country what it is. They became citizens first by choice and subsequent generations by birth. They have been a part of U.S. history for more than half of the country’s existence.
In the declarations of intent to become U.S. citizens, our ancestors signed and swore to support the Constitution and “renounced all allegiance and fidelity to every foreign prince [a monarch of a small state], potentate [a monarch or ruler, especially an autocrat, one who has absolute power], state, or sovereignty [a supreme power or authority]” of which they were at the time a citizen or subject. Many included “particularly to the Czar of Russia” or “Nicolas II, Emperor of all the Russias.”
A favorite ask in genealogy circles is this: “What question would you like to ask your ancestors if you could?” My question to my ancestors who were the subjects of the the German principalities of the Holy Roman Empire; the kingdoms of France, Prussia and Hungary; and the emperor of Russia is this: “How did you know when it was time to leave?”
After the freedoms the German colonists had in the Russian Empire were revoked, they had two choices that would determine the fates of their families: stay or leave. They had no vote that would affect anything outside of their villages and volosts. Their voices did not matter.
But today, yours does, thanks entirely to the choices your ancestors made.
We’re all proud of our Russian German ancestors and grateful for the chances they took when they did. Now it’s time to make them proud of us and decide the fates of our families. Don’t let them down.
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