[balletomane]

From what I understand Russian Mennonites are more liberal in the US (they live mainly in Nebraska and Kansas) than those living in Canada (they have roots mainly in Manitoba).
This goes back to their early migrations from Prussia to Russia in the late 1700's and early 1800's, the Chortitza Colony was settled in 1789 and the Molotschna Colony in 1804. It was said that the Molotschna Colony was a better educated class and more receptive to outsiders. The Molotschna Colony moved primarily to the United States and the Chortitza Colony mainly to Canada.
Although Mennonites are viewed mainly as a religious group, there is an argument as to whether "Ethnic Mennonites" exist since the origin of various Mennonite groups are different. The Pennsylvania German Mennonites (they live mainly in Pennsylvania, with smaller populations in neighbouring states as well as Ontario) are of South German/Swiss heritage whereas Russian Mennonites are of North German/Dutch heritage. Plautdietsch, the language of the Russian Mennonites, is losing speakers annually in Canada and the United States although continues to be the main language of Mennonites in Mexico, Paraguay, Bolivia and other Latin American nations that have small populations. Mennonites in these Latin American countries represent the most conservative groups that came from Canada in the 1920's, and are mainly descendants of the Chortitza Colony.