Page 19 - War Brides

In the eyes of the

Americans

You can imagine lots of Americans agreed with
Eleonor Roosevelt when it came to German war
brides. But in newspapers and magazines, the image
of the happy German bride travelling to the
promised land, to find the ‘American Dream’ arose. It
fitted perfectly into the American strategy to present
a positive image of the USA. The brides were used as
role models for the successful cooperation between
America and West Germany. The relationships were
generally presented as love stories with a happy
ending: marriage and family life in the ‘Land of the
Free’. This new lives were claimed to be a better
alternative to Germany. The brides had to become
‘new Americans’: stylish, modern and loyal to their
husbands and their new country, willing to adapt to
their new surroundings. But integrating in a country
where some people still see you as a threat, is not
that easy.

The statue of liberty represents the American Dream, 2017
Free stock photo, Pixabay