American wizarding cultures are, according to many, roughly divided into two primary groups: Old Colonials and New Colonials.
Old Colonials[]
The Old Colonial division includes Ozarkers, Highlanders, Palatines, Salem Traditionalists, and Plymouth Traditionalists, as well as other wizarding families descended from the European wizards who first settled in the New World.
New Colonials[]
Wizards who embrace a more modern attitude, or who trace their lineage to more recent immigrants to the New World, but are still part of mainstream Confederation culture, consider themselves to be simply "Colonials" (while Old Colonials sometimes call them "New Colonials").
Other groups[]
Other Cultures, including Radicalists and the New World Druidic Order, don't fit neatly into either category. Some follow non-standard cultural and magical practices. Other groups are transplanted from other countries, and exist in small pockets throughout the country; the Majokai, for instance, are a Japanese wizarding culture residing in California, with a deep animosity toward certain Chinese wizarding cultures.
Additionally, so-called Wandless wizards have given up magic altogether to live among Muggles.
Cultures[]
Some groups have been officially designated as Cultures according to Confederation law. These groups are exempt from certain laws that apply to the rest of the Confederation, under Cultural Practice Exemptions. The significance of being an officially-recognized Culture or not has not been made clear. There is an intersection between "Cultures" and the Old Colonial/New Colonial divide. For example, Ozarkers and Majokai are considered Cultures, while the Chinese-American wizarding community and Palatines are not. Yet Ozarkers and Palatines are both Old Colonial cultures, while Majokai and Chinese-American wizards are not.