The spelling of my family name was changed also. My family came here before WWI and through the course of two wars with Germany, even speaking German was forbidden. Although two generations later and being raised with a great deal of pride in my ethnic heritage , speaking German was still not encouraged. My grandfather used to say you're an American, it's best to leave the old ways behind. He was subject to a bit of predjudice, including a "witch hunt" type investigation during the war years.
Rick