在近代歐洲民族主義演進中,德國文化民族主義致力于守護和復興德意志民族文化共同體。這種努力在19世紀外溢為對美國數百萬德裔移民及其文化的關切和守護,形成了一股基于德意志文化共同體意識的跨國性文化民族主義。在19世紀后半期,一些旅美德國學者不僅從歷史、現實和文化層面為捍衛美國的德意志文化娓娓申辯,而且探討了德意志文化在美國的命運,思想認知經歷了從執著守護德意志文化的狹隘迷思乃至美國"日耳曼化"的狂想,到理性思考德意志文化融入美利堅文化的轉變。

In the evolution of modern European nationalism, German cultural nationalism was concerned about the revival and protection of the German national cultural community. This trend of thought developed into the concern and guardianship of millions of German immigrants and their culture in the United States in the 19 th century, forming a transnational cultural nationalism based on the consciousness of the German cultural community. In the second half of the 19 th century, some German scholars in the United States not only argued for the defense of German culture in the United States from the historical, realistic and cultural levels, but also explored the fate of German culture in the United States. Their ideological perception experienced a great reversal from guarding narrow cultural nationalist myths and even thoughts of a possible “Germanization” of America, to a more rational consideration of the integration of German culture into American culture.