I once read something that described the United States as a place where languages go to die (except English, of course).  Recently I came across an excerpt that shows that it has always been this way, even before the US was a country!

"Peter Kahn, a student of the Swedish biologist Karl Linneas, visited the English colonies in 1750.  He entered some observations into his journal on May 7.

In the morning we continued our journey from near Maurice River down to Cape May.  We had a Swedish guide along who was probably born of Swedish parents, and was married to a Swedish woman but who could not, himself, speak Swedish.  There are many such here of both sexes; for since English is the principal language in the land all people gradually get to speak that, and they become ashamed to talk in their own tongue, because they fear they may not in such a case be real English.  Consequently many Swedish women are married to English men, and although they can speak Swedish very well it is impossible to make them do so, and when they are spoken to in Swedish they always answer in English.  The same condition obtains among the men; so that it is easy to see that the Swedish language is doomed to extinction in America; and in fifty or sixty years' time there will not be many left who can understand Swedish, and still less of those who can converse in it."

And where did I find that extremely sad quote?  At my library I discovered a fascinating series of books called The American Family Albums.  This quote came from The Scandinavian-American Family Album.  There are several versions: Mexican, German, Irish, Cuban, African, Jewish, and possibly some others.  These books are chock full of old photographs, excerpts from journals and letters, and information about the old country, why the people emigrated to America, the effects they had on America, their customs and traditions, etc.  Check and see if your library has them!