Living In Switzerland - Swiss Heritage in America, with Beth Zurbuchen and Diccon Bewes

The Swiss abroad make up around 10% of the total Swiss population. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of people have Swiss roots without being citizens. All over the world, Swiss traditions and customs are being kept alive by individuals, families, and organisations like the Swiss Center or North America.

Topics Covered
• Why many Swiss people emigrated to America in the late 1800s and early 1900s
• Cheesemaking in Switzerland and New Glarus
• Visiting Switzerland for the first time as a Swiss American
• Swiss heritage in America

Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:13 About our guest
03:58 Why did Swiss settlers come to Wisconsin?
07:44 Visiting from the US to Switzerland
09:40 The expat Swiss
11:05 What is this ’Swiss thing’?
13:40 Switzerland’s international reputation
14:51 Understanding Swiss heritage
18:03 Sängerfest

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Who We’re Talking To
Beth Zurbuchen is the president of the Swiss Center of North America, an organisation that works to preserve, celebrate, and communicate about Swiss cultural heritage in North America. Her grandfather emigrated from the Emmental in the 1920s, and various family members originate from Canton Bern, Graubunden, and Thurgau.

Diccon Bewes grew up in Britain but moved to Switzerland in 2005. His first book, Swiss Watching, became an international bestseller and he is now writing his ninth Swiss title. He lives in Bern with his partner (and a cupboard full of chocolate).

About the Episode
Although Switzerland is a prosperous country now, it wasn’t always wealthy. In the past, many Swiss people emigrated because they couldn’t support their families in Switzerland.
• 1700-1914:
The Americas attracted almost 500,000 Swiss economic migrants. They formed small settlements, like New Glarus in Wisconsin mentioned in this episode, and continued to live their traditions. This is one of the reasons why Wisconsin is so well-known for its cheese.
• The 1950s onwards:
As the world became increasingly globalised, travel and settlement abroad became even easier. However, Switzerland also became a much more prosperous country. Modern Swiss people are no longer economic migrants. Instead, they might move abroad for love, job opportunities, or in search of an adventure.
• The situation today:
Currently, around 84,000 Swiss people live in the United States. Many more Americans have some Swiss heritage. Like Beth, they are often interested in their roots, so they contact organisations like the Swiss Center of North America. Some may also be eligible for Swiss citizenship.

Resources
Beth Zurbuchen -   / bethzurbuchen  
The Swiss Center of North America - https://theswisscenter.org/home
New Glarus, Wisconsin - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Gla...
Gaining Swiss citizenship - The legal changes that came into force in 2018 - https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/politics...
Wisconsin Cheese - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiscons...
The World Championship Cheese Contest - https://worldchampioncheese.org/results/
Sängerfest - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%A4...
Turner Hall of Monroe - https://www.turnerhallofmonroe.org/