German-Americans weren't exactly "Americanized Germans". I think you neglect to account for how important the Germans have been to the forming of the American character.
There are German-American communities in Texas where the 3rd generation still speaks with a German accent and call their grandparents Opa and Oma. In the first part of the 20th century, many Germans in Texas still refused to take part in the Census and sent their kids to German-speaking schools.