[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 21164]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                 CONGRATULATIONS ON GERMAN-AMERICAN DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. J. DENNIS HASTERT

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 9, 1999

  Mr. HASTERT. Mr. Speaker, German-American Day will be celebrated on 
October 6, 1999 with festivities all over the nation.
  German-American Day honors all Americans of German descent and their 
contributions to the life and culture of the United States and October 
6, 1999 once again calls attention to this vital ethnic group and its 
continuing work and efforts in support of the democratic principles of 
this country and its commitment to the improvement of the quality of 
life in the United States.
  The first German immigrants arrived at Penn's landing in Philadelphia 
in 1683. They had been invited to come to the New World by the William 
Penn, and arrived under the leadership of Daniel Pastorius, to settle 
in Germantown in Pennsylvania. They proved indeed to be valuable assets 
to their new homeland. The achievements of German immigrants are 
legion. Famous names like Carl Schurz, Baron von Steuben, Levy Strauss, 
John Jacob Astor, Peter Zenger, and more recently Albert Einstein and 
Henry Kissinger are testimony of Germany-American industriousness, 
loyalty and contributions.
  Congratulations to all Americans of German descent on this important 
day.

                          ____________________