What's wrong with being <Country of parental/your origin>-American?

[Newbie 0]

I don't get it - people seem to have issues with anyone not white not just calling themselves "American" and leaving it at that.

What's wrong with being Mexican-American, Chinese-American, Irish-American, African-American, Native American or Nepalese-American if you want to be? It's not like people are saying they aren't American, it's just they are showing some recognition and respect of where they originally came from. Who cares, they are still calling themselves Americans right?

Someone please educate me as to why this is wrong? I know America is traditionally seen as the big melting pot and it shouldn't matter where you have come from as you are all "American" now, but i don't see how putting ones country of ancestoral origin before "American" makes them any less patriotic does it?

What am i missing?

"Skydiving is a door"
Happythoughts

[lisamariewillbe 1]

Well if your born in america , you are american, if your born in africa you are africian... etc your race might be any race. Where you are born and what your race is are not related. Not many people from America have their roots attached here in this wonderful country, we are all mostly mixed heritages, but I was born in America I am a AMERICAN.

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[BIGUN 1,488]

Oh hell, why stop there,,, We could have gay-American, bi-American, Facist-American, Liberal American, Male American....

We could have a summation category too... "Hi, I'm John, the gay, skydiving, african-chinese on my Mom's side and Irish-Scottish on my Dad's side, liberal, Harley riding, less than 50% on the economic scale, free Michael Jackson, American and you are?

Your Sicilian, Veteran-American....

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[Newbie 0]

But i thought by prefixing "-American" you are prefixing it with a country, not a race.

African American just means the ancestoral lines are from Africa. Mexican American means the ancestoral lines are from Mexico etc

I thought the prefix was to recognise the ancestoral country of origin, not pertain to a race? What about people born elsewhere, who then settle in America? Should they stop being Peruvian or Australian for instance, and then just become American when they gain citizenship, even though they sound/act/culturally are not American at that stage?

"Skydiving is a door"
Happythoughts

[crozby 0]

I think non-prefixed Americans feel that prefixed Americans are stating they are better than them.

It's like they are saying "I'm more than just an ordinary American, I'm a British-American".

Whereas, I suspect that most of the people who prefix are just trying to make themselves seem a little bit more unique and special than they really are. Which is totally harmless and we all do it.

[lisamariewillbe 1]

If someone was born in britian, and then became a citizen here then yes it would be fine for them to be british american, they werent born here, they have duel citizinship. Refer to the post above where he goes on about naming everything you are then american... Im a straight white Polish, Cherokee, conservitive right wing nut job american. It just dont work. People want racisim out, then dont bring race into nationality. I have a black male friend born in England and he does not say he is African British, he wasnt born in Africa, never has even been there.

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[Newbie 0]

Interesting.

"Skydiving is a door"
Happythoughts

[gmanpilot 0]

Quote

But i thought by prefixing "-American" you are prefixing it with a country, not a race.

In practical terms, I think African American means you're a black American. Would a white immigrant from South Africa call himself an African American?

_________________________________________
-There's always free cheese in a mouse trap.

[dorbie 0]

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But i thought by prefixing "-American" you are prefixing it with a country, not a race.

In practical terms, I think African American means you're a black American. Would a white immigrant from South Africa call himself an African American?

Yup, and Irish American means your a drunkard. The actual prefix is a country but often identifies another characteristic.

[mr2mk1g 10]

Yeah but we're not so hung up about race or worshiping a flag. Your friend would just be "a black guy" from England/Britain/The UK or whatever term he chose to use without giving much of a damn about the matter.

Funniest thing I heard on here was someone trying to describe a black guy from the UK and comming up with the term: "African-American-Englishman".

[lawrocket 3]

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Would a white immigrant from South Africa call himself an African American?

Not if he knows what's good for him.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[lisamariewillbe 1]

tech Trevor was a true African American, that only black student at the school is a idiot if she believes he isnt. She is a black girl from America he is a white boy from Africa. This to me appears to be revearse racism. Somehow that never matters. I will not feel guilty because I was born white, or american, or female, or cute, I do not look down on others unless there ignorant, and I dont mean intelligence wise, hell Im not the brightest bulb around myself. If you were born in America, your AMERICAN if your born in Africa you are AFRICAN if you have duel citizenship then you can be AFRICIAN AMERICAN. Otherwise you are just as racist as you accuse others to be.

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[Skolls081102 0]

Years back I was in A & P school. We had to fill out a document with all the classes backround (White/Caucasian, Chinese, Mexican, African American, etc....) I noticed that the only category I fit in was white. SO I said screw this- if everyone else gets to claim where they're from, so can I. So I checked off other, and wrote in European American (I'm Italian, French, and German)(For the record, I was doing this to prove a point). The paper was returned to us the next day, because I wasn't allowed to put European American. I could only check the white box.
So if thats the case- ya know what- THIS IS AMERICA PEOPLE!!! Iam proud to be American.

And if you need to preface America with somethin else, go back there and enjoy being whatever you are. This is the country that is suppposed to be the melting pot- but we promote racism by tagging everyone with their heritage. Make everyone American. Thats it- plain American.

The sole intention, is learning to fly.Condition grounded, but determined to try.Can't keep my eyes from the circling skies.Tongue tied and twisted, just an Earth bound misfit.

[mr2mk1g 10]

I always check "other".

[Ron 10]

Quote

I thought the prefix was to recognise the ancestoral country of origin, not pertain to a race? What about people born elsewhere, who then settle in America? Should they stop being Peruvian or Australian for instance, and then just become American when they gain citizenship, even though they sound/act/culturally are not American at that stage?

I have a friend from Peru....He became a US citizen three years ago.

He calls himself "American" and dam proud of it.

It seems that most that call themselves (blank)-American are really not from that country...Now maybe the FAMILY is from that country, but they are not.

If you were born in the US, or swore in as a Citizen...You are AMERICAN.

I am not Irish/English/Italian/America Indian-American.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[lisamariewillbe 1]

off topic but I always want to write in YES when the ? is Sex?

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[GTAVercetti 0]

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I don't get it - people seem to have issues with anyone not white not just calling themselves "American" and leaving it at that.

What's wrong with being Mexican-American, Chinese-American, Irish-American, African-American, Native American or Nepalese-American if you want to be? It's not like people are saying they aren't American, it's just they are showing some recognition and respect of where they originally came from. Who cares, they are still calling themselves Americans right?

Someone please educate me as to why this is wrong? I know America is traditionally seen as the big melting pot and it shouldn't matter where you have come from as you are all "American" now, but i don't see how putting ones country of ancestoral origin before "American" makes them any less patriotic does it?

What am i missing?

My general problem with it is that SOME people (not all, but some) who use these terms give off the air that they are MORE than American. Countless times I have run into someone who defines themself differently because they are "Irish-American" or "Italian-American".

To me, it is just another way to separate and divide people. All it does is serve to point out that you (the generel you) and I are different.

Why yes, my license number is a palindrome. Thank you for noticing.

[rehmwa 2]

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To me, it is just another way to separate and divide people. All it does is serve to point out that you (the generel you) and I are different.

And to apply for free money from the government and to feel like a victim and in some cases to try and make yourself feel superior to others.

it's nuts, but people can call themselves whatever they want

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[mr2mk1g 10]

Of course the flip side of everyone being different from one another is the old Soviet Russian way that EVERYONE is a "comrade" with no other distinctions allowed. Differences are good. Balance is better.

[GTAVercetti 0]

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Of course the flip side of everyone being different from one another is the old Soviet Russian way that EVERYONE is a "comrade" with no other distinctions allowed. Differences are good. Balance is better.

Absolutely.

Differences ARE good. But we can celebrate those differences without labels. When you label someone a certain way, it just makes it harder for them to change, for good or bad.

How many times have we seen that when one person who is identified as part of a heritage group and given that label be held to the beliefs of that ENTIRE group?

Why yes, my license number is a palindrome. Thank you for noticing.

[TomAiello 26]

What about the (most) folks who would have to be german-italian-filipino-native american-americans or some other multi-hypenated variation?

Trying to pigeonhole people as having only one ethnic grouping is pretty silly in this day and age.

-- Tom Aiello

Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[DrewEckhardt 0]

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I don't get it - people seem to have issues with anyone not white not just calling themselves "American" and leaving it at that.

I'm jealous of those guys with their big minorities having "equal opportunity" programs, their own check box on forms, and only a single hyphen in their -Americanism.

We Danish-English-German-Irish-Americans don't get any special treatment in the workplace, when getting government contracts, or applying for college. We unrecognized minorities can't write in our ethinicity on forms. Even describing our heritage is a mouthful.

[rehmwa 2]

You are right, I'm insisting on a box to check

German-Swedish-Danish-Irish-Scottish-French-etc.-pre&post Revolutionary War-American

Bring on the big hairy government checks!

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[billvon 3,120]

>When you label someone a certain way, it just makes it harder for
>them to change, for good or bad.

Agreed. But we're not really talking about that. We're talking about people taking names for _themselves_, I think.

Personally, I have no problem with people defining themselves however they want. African-american, jewish-american, skydiver-american, two-eggs-and-a-piece-of-bacon-american, middle american, southern american, whatever. Let em have their names.

[Lindsey 0]

Didn't this whole trend of ???-American start several years ago with an intent to not offend blacks by calling them "Blacks," or "Negroes," or whatever. Seemed like all of the classifications were offensive in some way, and using African-American was more PC. Of course I think that "blacks" was once a pc way to not say "negro" which was a pc way to not say "colored" or something like that. Whatever....

I'm sure my post is also offensive to some. Not intended to be....

linz