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In reply to the discussion: You know I am afraid... [View all]GeoWilliam750
(2,525 posts)During WWI, one of my immigrant German family was gunned down in the street even though he had been here for fifty years, and was a citizen.
from Wikipedia:
"The Justice Department attempted to prepare a list of all German aliens, counting approximately 480,000 of them, more than 4,000 of whom were imprisoned in 1917-18. The allegations included spying for Germany, or endorsing the German war effort.[19] Thousands were forced to buy war bonds to show their loyalty.[20] The Red Cross barred individuals with German last names from joining in fear of sabotage. One person was killed by a mob; in Collinsville, Illinois, German-born Robert Prager was dragged from jail as a suspected spy and lynched."
More at the links
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-German_sentiment
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internment_of_German_Americans
Hatred and paranoia are doggedly persistent afflictions. They are highly infectious, and stubbornly resistant to remedies.