AMISH PEOPLE
ABD'nin Ohio ve Pensilvanya ağırlıklı orta batı eyaletlerinde yaygın olan tutucu bir Hristiyan mezhebi olan Amişler, 18. ve 19. yüzyılda Almanya, Fransa ve İsviçre'den gelen göçmenler tarafından kuruldu. Tolga Adanalı, ABD'de kaldığı dönemde bu insaların yaşadığı bölgelerde çeşitli çalışmalarda bulundu. Dış dünyaya oldukça kapalı bir toplum olan Amişler, cep telefonu, elektrik, motorlu araçlar gibi teknolojileri kullanmayor. Endüstri dönemi öncesi bir hayatı tercih eden aileler. çocuklarını da aynı şekilde büyütüyor ve kendi aralarında evlilikler yapıyor. ABD'de nüfusları en hızlı büyüyen topluluklardan olan Amişler'in bugünkü tahmini sayısı 300 bin civarında. Fotoğraflar, daha çok Pensilvanya eyaletindeki Lancaster kırsalında ve köylerde çekildi.
AMİŞLER
The Amish have been in America for a long time. The first ones arrived in the early 18th century to escape religious persecution in Europe and to find land to farm. The sect arose from a late-17th century schism in the Anabaptist church by followers of Jakob Amman, a Swiss minister who believed that adherents should "conform to the teachings of Christ and His apostles" and "forsake the world" in their daily lives. The word "Amish" derives from his name. With farming at the center of their lives and their population rapidly expanding due to large families, the Amish, anxious not be influenced by modern ways, are always seeking out new land away from urban areas. After initially settling in Ohio, they are now found in 30 states as well as Canada. Ohio has the largest Amish population, followed by Pennsylvania and Indiana. The Amish are one of the fastest-growing population groups in America. According to the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabeth town College in Lancaster, Pa., their population has risen from about five thousand in 1920 to almost 300 thousand today. And much of that growth has occurred in the last three decades. The center estimates there were just 84 thousand Amish in 1984, meaning the population has more than tripled during that time. The population explosion is due to a belief in large families, seen as a blessing from God. The large number of children also provide labor for their farming enterprises.