Chicago's weird obsession with ethnicity (Addison: organic, live, move)

[sheena12]

What's really strange are southerners who call them selves "American" in ancestry. Even people in the north who have families that they can trace back to the earliest settlers - know that "American" is not an ethnicity.

[Clark&Addison]

I think it is relatively common in Chicago and not at all racist or offensive.

For comparison, I've lived in Chicago all my life but almost all of my family on one of my parent's sides lives in the South. Growing up I knew which of my friends were Irish, Italian, Polish, etc (even if we were many generations removed). It was never anything serious or any kind of true genealogy, more times used to joke around, but it was something we were at least aware of.

All my cousins in the South don't really have a concept of this, and just see themselves as white or American, as do most of their friends.

I think it is a combination of a rural/urban thing, as well as Chicago and other big cities having much more pronounced immigrant communities than most Southern cities and rural areas. I don't think there is any "obsession" or anything negative about it, just a thing Chicagoan's are used to.

[Clark&Addison]

Originally Posted by personone

This is one of these posts on CD that makes you scratch your head and wonder if people live in the same reality.....I've lived in the city for 5 years and never once been asked about my ethnicity (I'm polish American). Never hear anyone else asking people what their ethnicity is either. I've lived downtown, Gold Coast/old town, and Lincoln Park, so maybe their are less natives there, but it's ridiculous to paint the whole city of Chicago with a broad stroke like that.

Come on, you've lived in the three most transplant-heavy areas of the city that account for maybe 5% of it's total area. He is generalizing, and the generalization can still stand without including your very small sample area.

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by sheena12

What's really strange are southerners who call them selves "American" in ancestry. Even people in the north who have families that they can trace back to the earliest settlers - know that "American" is not an ethnicity.

What? How is American not an ethnicity? English is. Scottish is. Why not American? This is quite ignorant.

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by Clark&Addison

I think it is relatively common in Chicago and not at all racist or offensive.

For comparison, I've lived in Chicago all my life but almost all of my family on one of my parent's sides lives in the South. Growing up I knew which of my friends were Irish, Italian, Polish, etc (even if we were many generations removed). It was never anything serious or any kind of true genealogy, more times used to joke around, but it was something we were at least aware of.

All my cousins in the South don't really have a concept of this, and just see themselves as white or American, as do most of their friends.

I think it is a combination of a rural/urban thing, as well as Chicago and other big cities having much more pronounced immigrant communities than most Southern cities and rural areas. I don't think there is any "obsession" or anything negative about it, just a thing Chicagoan's are used to.

What if some of us aren't Southerners and don't have a grasp on our "native" culture? Why do we need to even have one?

Here look at what I mean:

Random guy: so where are you from?
Me: Chicago originally
Rg: No I mean where are your people from?
Me: Boston and New England
Rg: ugh...I meant your nationality bro
Me: ugh...mix of Iberian cultures
Rg: wtf even is that
Me: Explains
Rg: huh. You look like you could be from xyz country
Me: well I am not *starting to get awkward as hell*
Rg: I had a friend who looked just like you and he was from xyz country
Me: *wonders to self why I should care but refrains* Cool story bro
Rg: Yeah man something about you. You just don't look like what I picture your people to be.
Me: *wonders why am I even breathing the same air as he is*

[Clark&Addison]

Originally Posted by EddieOlSkool

What if some of us aren't Southerners and don't have a grasp on our "native" culture? Why do we need to even have one?

Here look at what I mean:

Random guy: so where are you from?
Me: Chicago originally
Rg: No I mean where are your people from?
Me: Boston and New England
Rg: ugh...I meant your nationality bro
Me: ugh...mix of Iberian cultures
Rg: wtf even is that
Me: Explains
Rg: huh. You look like you could be from xyz country
Me: well I am not *starting to get awkward as hell*
Rg: I had a friend who looked just like you and he was from xyz country
Me: *wonders to self why I should care but refrains* Cool story bro
Rg: Yeah man something about you. You just don't look like what I picture your people to be.
Me: *wonders why am I even breathing the same air as he is*

Never encountered anything like that but I guess my conversation would just end at Irish. Isn't Iberia like Spain and Portugal?

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by Clark&Addison

Never encountered anything like that but I guess my conversation would just end at Irish. Isn't Iberia like Spain and Portugal?

It is. Thanks for knowing. It is a situation of being both because Galicia in the Northwest of Spain actually has ethnic Portuguese within. It could also be considered a cultural extension of Portugal in a way (or the other way around) and it's somewhat like the Ulster Scots who are Irish but aren't really except they are.

I have no problem with my ethnic background. My ancestors were badass seafaring people with a rich history. If you look at my posts here you will see I love discussing national origins of everything. That's not the issue. It's not that I am politically correct. The problem comes in when either the asking person goes about it like a dick ("no really what are you/where are your people from" without getting the hint I don't owe them a thorough answer) or when they keep trying to contradict me.

It's all in how you go about it. I think if you know the person well you can phrase it quite well without sounding like some racial police. If you don't know the person, then just drop it and realize if they want you to know, they will find a way for you to do so.

And again, I don't understand this whole thing about "you need to be proud of your ethnic group" nonsense. What if someone wants to be proud of their merits and not something they had no control over?

[Dport7674]

Originally Posted by sheena12

What's really strange are southerners who call them selves "American" in ancestry. Even people in the north who have families that they can trace back to the earliest settlers - know that "American" is not an ethnicity.

'Idk..American' is my answer when people ask me "what are you"?

One of my great-grandparents was Jewish from Germany. One was German. One was English I think.. My dad was some sort of half Scottish half English.

So what am I? If 'American' isn't an answer then neither is 'western European'

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by Dport7674

'Idk..American' is my answer when people ask me "what are you"?

One of my great-grandparents was Jewish from Germany. One was German. One was English I think.. My dad was some sort of half Scottish half English.

So what am I? If 'American' isn't an answer than neither is 'western European'

Then on top of that being Jewish could mean you have ancestry in the Levant so that makes it not only Western European but Levantine as well. Or...you're simply American because despite what people think, American culture does exist.

[Dport7674]

Originally Posted by EddieOlSkool

Then on top of that being Jewish could mean you have ancestry in the Levant so that makes it not only Western European but Levantine as well. Or...you're simply American because despite what people think, American culture does exist.

Agree.

The definition of ethnicity includes - belonging to a social group that has a common national or cultural tradition.

If that's the definition I choose, my answer could be along the lines of "I come from a long line of non religious Iowans. You?"