“The Amish value being a separate people, but having a distinctive identity doesn’t make you withdrawn. It gives you a clear place from which to engage,” Nolt wrote in an email.

Much of the tourism industry that’s sprung up around Amish areas says more about Americans’ own identity than Amish values, writes Susan L. Trollinger, a professor of English and a scholar of rhetoric ...

The Amish value self- denial and humility, based in Romans 12:3: that each man should “not think of himself more highly than he ought to think,” leading them to try to avoid appearing “proud.” ...

Naomi Swartzentruber escaped her Amish community at age 17 after rebelling against the lifestyle's restrictive values throughout her teen years. Two years later, she started dancing in strip clubs ...

That's not to say they don't spend any money on fun. Many Amish enjoy going on hunting trips, for example, Wesner said. But for the most part, they spend their money on value-oriented purchases.

Horst said the Amish in Lancaster County are adapting, and many who run businesses now have websites. “They realize they need it to stay in business,” he said.

(The Conversation) — Much of the tourism industry that’s sprung up around Amish areas says more about Americans’ own identity than Amish values, a scholar writes.