The use of wheat grain in addition to barley is a centuries old practice in Europe that has only recently begun to spread in North America. Long before the rest of the world knew what it was missing and before the wheat styles gained popularity in America, German and Belgian drinkers had almost grown tired of wheat ales.
Today, wheat ales are popular again in Germany and almost everywhere else. They are a rapidly growing segment of the craft beer market. American brewers have developed their own wheat beer style (American Wheat).
American Wheat Beers are cousins to the German Wheat styles and often have similar recipes, but they can also contain much more hop bitterness while containing much less yeast induced fruitiness and spicy-ness.