Well up until about WWII-- the Germans constituted the largest sub group in US-- (this is only if you count Irish/ Welsh/Scots/English as "Great Brittan" and one group) Even if you don't they were 4th or so. (before civil war, and influx of Irish and Italians, they were second largest ethnic group)
But i think what Wsieber has to say it important too. The language of science (and technology) is currently English this was not always so-- for a long time it was latin, long past a time when latin was commonly spoken.(isaac newton wrote his papers in latin) But as the industrial revolution continued-- Germany became the leader in chemistry-- and all important "papers" and news was written in German. A Scots (memory fails on who?) discovered coal tar-- but the germans turned coal tar into aniline dyes-- and went on to lead the world in chemistry and physics for almost 100 years!
English has a hold now but with the spread of the internet-- it might not always be so.
