Wisconsin

SITUATED IN THE northern portion of the Midwestern United States, Wisconsin is widely known as the Dairy State in recognition of its prodigious production of cheese and other dairy products. It is also the site of numerous important scientific, industrial, and cultural contributions throughout its development into a modern and multi—faceted state. Wisconsin is also renowned within the stem cell field as a hub for new research and innovation, centered primarily at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Wisconsin was incorporated as the 30th state of the United States of America on May 29, 1848. Wisconsin's capital was eventually established in Madison, although its largest city is Milwaukee. In its early history, Wisconsin was populated primarily by immigrants from New York State, who brought the large—scale dairy farming methods that helped shape the agriculture of Wisconsin. Throughout the second half of the nineteenth century, Wisconsin became an increasingly diverse state, incorporating successive waves of immigrants from Europe, particularly from Germany and the Scandinavian nations. Because of the heavy influence of German culture and heritage in Wisconsin, the state is sometimes dubbed the most German—American state in the Union. This is reflected in many of the cultural traditions of the state, such as Oktoberfest. Wisconsin also contains large populations [Page 627]of people descended from Norwegian and Scandinavian roots, as well as many Asian ethnic groups, including the Hmong. Following the Vietnam War, several cities in Wisconsin were selected as resettlement sites for Hmong refugees displaced by the conflict.

The state of Wisconsin is recognized for its high—quality cheeses and dairy production. The state is also proud of its National Football League championship team, the Green Bay Packers; the Milwaukee Brewers, a Major League Baseball team; and the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association.