The Roots of Amish Popularity in Contemporary U.S.A.

America has witnessed a great number of sectariian groups since the first Puritas settled in New England. But few of the groups have survived as long as the Amish. (1) For example, Oneida, founded as a Utopian community in 1848, had disintegrated by 1881. (2) Standing in sharp contrast to Oneida, Amish society has existed for three centuries. Yet it is still vigorous and its momentum of growth has been truly impressive. In 1890, there were only 22 Amish church disricts In North America, and the estimated Amish populatlon was 3,700. (3) At present, more than 750 church districts, with an estimated population of 130,000, are scattered in at least 20 Amican states ao Ontario, Canada. (4) In comparison, the Shakers' population dwindled from about 4,000 in 1845 to less than a dozen in 1989. (5)It is also important to notice that the Amish overshadow all other existing sectarian groups in contemporary U.S.A. as far as reputation and fame are concerned. For instance, Hutterite society often encounters hostility and suspicion from mainstream society because of its communitarian way of life and constant need to purchase large tracts of land for expanding old colonies and establishing new ones. (6) In contrast, the Amish enjoy a large harmonious relationship with mainstream society. What seems most interesting is that mainstream society voluntarily promotes the good image of the Amish people, and the popularity of Amish culture has been constantly on the rise. (7)The reasons for the success of the Amish are manifold, but the unique relationship between mainstream society and Amish society is of particular interest. For the Amish, their lifestyle is not meant to be admired or praised. But in the eyes of the American public, the Amish way of life is so distinct that it becomes irresistibly fascinating and fashionably old-fashioned.This study aims to explore how and why the larger society comes to form a positive image of the Amish and explain why the Amish are so popular in the eyes of mainstream Americans. I seek to understand why the Amish people, who insist on separating themselves from the outside world, have actually accommodated themselves well to our modern time and unintentionally served many needs of mainstream society. This study is intended to contribute to a better understanding of the complexity of the majority-minority relations in the United States. Also, I wish to argue that the success of Amish society has a great deal to do with the highly positive attitude of mainstream Americans towards the Amish.THE RISING POPULARITY OF THE AMISHOn March 22, 1989, President Bush, along with Attorney General Dick Thornburgh and William Bennett, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, flew to Lancaster County, the heart of the Pennsylvania Dutch Country, for a special mission. While in Lancaster, President Bush delivered an anti-drug speech in a local school, and also met with 13 Amish and Mennonite leaders. (8) It is interesting to notice that accompanying the news story was a photo of President Bush walking past a hitched horse and buggy. President Bush's visit was highly symbolic, for it was made soon after Washington, D.C. had been dubbed the nation's "murder capital." To combat the drug-related violence, the city council had voted to impose a curfew on children under 18. (9)Lancaster is neither drug-free nor crime-free. Yet, for President Bush and the American public, it is an "oasis" that represents some highly-regarded values and strengths of rural America. It is no exaggeration to say that the Amish have been awarded a "favored status" in recent decades. Nonetheless, this special status is by no means the intention of the Amish people; rather, it is a cultural construction of the larger society.Around the turn of this century, the Amish were not regarded as very different. At that time, the Amish drove buggies,which are now one of their distinctive symbols, but so did Mennonites, Lutherans and many others. …