Word Usage – Differences Between ‘In Which Way’ vs ‘In What Way’

First, when you say:

German-American

it means your *ethnic" background is German (meaning your ancestors at some time were from Germany), but you were born in America. Or you were born in Germany but now permanantly residing in America.
This should apply to any nation specific usage.

As for:

African-American

this is more general. It could be like "European-American".

Such a person (or their ancestors) would be (or would be perceived to be) from that region of the world. I think we all know the general criteria used, but that is another discussion.

I would probably use 'would' in a sentence like that if I was discussing something that might or might not happen:

If she goes, it seems as though she would be so far separated from us.

On the other hand, I would be more likely to use the author's construction if it was something that was definitely going to happen, and I was talking about what I thought the result would be:

When she goes, it seems as though she will be so far separated from us.

The use of 'will' indicates that the event is certain to happen, while the weaker 'it seems as though' indicate that the results of that event are subjective and/or uncertain.

It's also worth noting that 'will' does not have to imply a strong certainty. It indicates that the speaker/author has no reason to signal uncertainty, but it's a default option as much as a positive signal. If a positive indication of certainty is needed, most people will add an extra modifier such as 'will definitely' or 'will obviously'.