Ethnic Layers

The United States is often called a “melting pot” due to its history of immigrant cultures that have profoundly shaped this country. West Michigan and the City of Grand Rapids are no exception to this. Although often perceived as an overwhelmingly Dutch region, Grand Rapids is home to a "far more diverse set of immigrants than commonly understood. In present day these include the Polish, Lithuanians, Bosnians, Vietnamese, Mexicans, and other groups from around the world," (1).

Inspired by “German Traces of NYC” and “Ethnic Layers of Detroit”, two digital humanities projects that bring their cities’ rich (and often hidden) cultural histories to life through multimedia storytelling, this research project explores the impact that German immigrants had on shaping the history, culture and economic development of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

By partnering with community members and ‘telling the story’ of significant landmarks that are representative of the Grand Rapids German community between 1840-1918, this research reveals the importance of German cultural artifacts of the past and present (festivals, associations, architecture, commerce, and community events), and their contribution to the rich multicultural fabric of our city.

To learn about some of the important aspects that German immigrants have impacted our city, either scroll up and click on one of the tabs such as Churches, Business, or Culture, or click on a button below.

For information on sources and research, visit the Information and Sources tab.