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The Amish Community: A Cultural Immersion
This past weekend I had the pleasure of meeting and interacting with the Amish community residing in Middlefield, Ohio. I was ushered through the township by Eugene Yoder, a close family friend and a respected elder in the community. In an effort to assimilate more easily into their culture, Eugene spoke with me about their traditions, values, and what to expect during my weekend visit. To demonstrate their joy at my arrival, Eugene’s wife Rachel and other wives in the community gathered on Saturday to prepare a feast in my honor. As part of my immersion, the ladies asked that I join them, promising they would teach me how to make bread and pies. I spent the afternoon chatting with the women and even managed to make a loaf of bread that tasted incredible! Later that afternoon I joined the ladies in their weekly sewing circle, and on Sunday, the Yoders for the feast we prepared.
The knowledge I entered the community with ultimately allowed me to appreciate each situation for its uniqueness and exceptionality. I studied the culture carefully while traveling to Ohio, reading various books by professors who have studied Amish culture. Upon my arrival, Eugene and I sat and talked for an hour concerning their specific beliefs and values. He informed me that their community is the third largest in the United States and is distinguished as an Old Order Amish sect. They strictly adhere to their Ordnung, a set of unwritten rules that regulate daily life and specify to what extent they may have communication with the outside world. This sect, for example, allows the use of electricity for farming and woodworking purposes, a tenet that each community decides whether or not to allow. They primarily speak a form of High German called Pennsylvania Dutch in addition to the English they speak when outside the community. I also learned that there is a period of time in adolescence, rumspringa, when the teenagers are allowed to leave the community to better aid them in making their decision to be baptized into the community as an adult. Eugene’s wife, Rachel, sewed a white dress and bonnet for me to wear while in the community—white, signifying that I was not yet baptized into the community. Rachel informed me that the white bonnet is what separates the Amish from the Mennonites and is the easiest way to distinguish between the two. Mennonites don black bonnets as a way of signifying they have left the community. I was instructed to remove all of my jewelry as they do not believe in owning any personal adornments. Dressed in the traditional way, I was ready to become a temporary member of their community! The knowledge and dress Eugene and Rachel provided me afforded me the luxury of feeling relaxed and open-minded in such an unknown situation.
My complete lack of knowledge about the Amish was the motivation that drove me to step into their shoes for the weekend. The first time I visited Ohio I was thrilled to meet the Amish people. It was not until I mistook an Amish for a Hasidic Jew that I realized I needed to learn more about this culture and what they stand for. Throughout this course we have learned about the importance of cultural awareness and the impact it can make on every situation we encounter.
There were many interesting situations I encountered during my visit. The most significant was helping the ladies in the community prepare our Sunday meal. I was extremely nervous to join them, fearing that I might say something to offend them. Because they have very few personal encounters with outsiders, I felt a certain responsibility to act as a positive representative of our culture and what we believe in. The ladies, to my surprise, were welcoming in a way that overwhelmed me! I had spent some time with my fiancé’s grandmother who is Mennonite, so I had some familiarity in baking bread and pies. The moment I entered the room I was handed a bowl and spoon, their way of letting me know they accepted me. As we cooked, the ladies shared stories about what it is like to be a minority population in the United States. It was at this point that I realized how judgmental my own culture could be. While I often associate prejudice with African Americans, I realized that afternoon that all ethnic groups experience some form of exclusion from activities simply because of who they are. To hear the frustration they felt while being stared at in public drove home the point that we have discussed so many times in class: intercultural competence is essential! It was then I finally realized that the diversity present across cultures does not make people better or worse, it makes them different. The contrast between cultures is what makes this country a unique one and is a factor we must learn to appreciate, not fear or ridicule. On Sunday afternoon I was fortunate to sit and have lunch with many of the families in the community. They shared with me what they thought about my culture and the way I live my life day to day. What surprised me was the absence of judgment about my beliefs; instead, they were eager to learn why I have chosen to live my life the way I have. They instantly saw the value in my experiences and laughed at many of the stories I shared with them about my family and life at college. Because they showed interest in what I had to say, I immediately felt a sense of acceptance.
The skills I gained in two short days will stay with me for the rest of my life. I was so fearful of their acceptance of me, a fear not unlike what other cultures feel daily while in the United States. However, they came to me with open arms, eager to teach me about their culture and hear about my experiences living in the outside world. For the first time in my life I was the minority, and what an interesting situation that was! It was unsettling at times, but I kept an open mind about their beliefs and values and made the effort to understand why they live the way they do. I learned how to make bread and pies without the use of electricity. I sewed my first quilt square by hand and did not ruin it. I stepped outside my comfort zone in an effort to increase my cultural awareness, and I did so quite successfully. The lessons I learned this weekend will surely have a positive impact on the way I experience other cultures in the future.