AlexTG wrote:Here's an interesting table of data from the 1996 census, wish I could get a more up to date version.
(keep in mind that a lot of the second generation are children)
(source)
I am a part of that 95.9% statistic. I have read before that in terms of Dutch emigrants
migrating to other parts of the world in past times, they have been recorded to be the fastest in letting go of their own language culture and adapting the new one of the land they emigrated to. Whether this is a sign of adaptability, lack of linguistic and clutural pride or both has been something some researchers have explored at times. The conclusion from my readings appears to be a mixture of both. Emigrants today from The Netherlands might approach their language differently as pride with the Dutch language at the time when Dutch people migrated to North America in early settlement days was rather low. Today the language is not so downtrodden with respect to other European languages (eg French/English were often seen as superior languages to Dutch back then). This could also explain that the Dutch weren't as 'pushy' to spread their language from what I can gather in former colonies than were the British and French for example.