Westward. Encounters with Swiss American Women
The cultural chain is a chain of women that connects the past with the future (Mohawk)
People – Women, Men, and Children – Migrate.
They have always gone out into the world – from Switzerland as well. And almost as many from abroad have settled in Switzerland, be it for a short or a long period of time. It has always been a country of emigration as well as immigration. Reasons for migrating are manifold; they may be personal or may be rooted in economic, social, political, or ideological circumstances.
In the 20th century when Switzerland itself became increasingly a country of immigration, Swiss women and men went abroad nevertheless and, following a long tradition, also to the United States of America.
A few women representing many have been given a voice in this book: Did they leave forever? Alone? Was it for their one true love? In search of adventure or seeking an escape? Some felt they were foreigners throughout their lives in the New World, others felt at home. Many were successful, others submitted to an unexpected fate; some found their happiness while others are still looking. They stayed in old age in the new homeland or returned to the Swiss one.