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My 23andme DNA test showed that I am 100 percent European, and 98.6 percent of that is Northern European (and most of that is English/Irish). I don't apologize for being a BBC and UK afficionado - I've been fascinated with the writing, the art, the history, film, TV, etc from that corner of the world since I discovered CS Lewis at age 5. I'm an unabashed Anglophile. Not only that, but several branches of my family immigrated to the New World from Northumberland, Yorkshire, Scotland, etc. and when I visited that region, I felt like I was home in a sense.
But that doesn't negate or lessen my love and appreciation for the land of my birth and my home - the United States in general, and Texas specifically.
It's very possible to love and appreciate both cultures - and not even WANT them to be "the same." I like what's DIFFERENT about both of them.
I don't think you even paused and realized the actual magnitude of the figures and facts you're quoting. 300 years isn't short. It's not 50 years! There are countries whose independence are just 30-50 years old and have a stronger national identity that doesn't look back. Ask me more and I'll tell you.
In the time since the USA gained its independence, she has surpassed and superseded all European countries. How's that for "short history" or "youth"?
My ancestors immigrated just 100 years ago and already I don't know anybody in my ancestral country. Perhaps my grandfather did, but I don't.
The reason I scoff at American europhilia is because first, it's so common, second, it's so deep, third, it's so laughable because as seen from some other posts here, they have no idea how good they have it compared to them, they put those countries on a pedestal, countries which economists and social scientists have themselves condemned as "finished" (Europe isn't called the sunset continent for nothing) and spoke pessimistically of, and if those European countries are so great why is it that it's the USA that first saved their ass and then second rebuilt their countries? If they are so great why did so many of their people escaped by the tens of millions out and aspire to come here and why is it that it's still happening, Europeans aspiring to marry Americans and dreaming to move to the USA?! Oh yes it is happening and it is the case. Don't even deny it.
And finally, often though not always, it's the same group of white Americans with europhilia who question the loyalty of other immigrant groups like Asian Americans and Jewish Americans. The irony is totally shameless.
My mother and I visited the village in Alsace that my grandfather's family emigrated from in the 1870s. It was a profound experience for both of us, particularly when a cousin drove us out to their (still standing) farmhouse and vineyards. I'll never forget it.
If you want to dismiss that as Europhilia and scoff at it, be my guest. I suspect that you dismiss and scoff at a great many things.
I travel to European countries a lot - especially to the United Kingdom, France, Italy and the Netherlands - and I am Europhile when it comes to a lot of cultural things (read: NOT political things). Sometimes, I wonder what it would be like if the United States had many states and regions with a stronger European influence - something at the level of the province of Quebec in Canada.
Do you think that this would be a welcome improvement for the United States? By the way, I appreciate that American culture is strong and unique. So, I'm not arguing about that at all... just greater European influence to make things a little more colorful and elegant, I suppose.
Just look at Charleston, S.C. you'll find it. An old English colony with the cultural, looks and the smell of Europe.
Yes traveling abroad does make me love my country more. and it's not that we're rude, we're just sharing our opinions... people all over the world say horrible things about America, i don't see why we're the bad guys just for liking our culture.
Yes, occasionally rude people say horrible things about the USA. I usually defend the USA, but then I guess I'm very lucky to have lived in both countries. I guess that puts me in a position to be able to do that.
Traveling only makes me miss my country of birth more, it does not make me a hypocrite.
Kindest regards to you....now give it a rest please.
When it comes to education, life expectancy, obesity, childhood health, infant mortality, adult literacy, high school graduation rates, democratic rating, corruption rating, putting Darwin on the currency, IQ, spousal abuse rates, murder rates, gun crime, teen pregnancy, pollution, cancer rates, hours worked a week, maternity leave, thug culture, generational possible income achievement, general quality of life and happiness, urban planning, history and culture and distinct lack of people named BillyBob who think God hates the gays...yes.
No, we already have a lot of European influence and I don't think we need anymore since it can be very exclusionary to other groups. I would say I would like to see less reliant on cars, but that's not something that is exclusive to "europe" and not every country is like Denmark. I do wish the US had a much stronger African and Latino influence since those make up the largest minority groups and their influence is shunned as being weird and un-American.
Quote:
Originally Posted by polo89
Yep, Yep, Yep. There always seemed to be a phobia of immigrants not learning English or fully assimilating once they arrive in America. This lead to immigrants themselves having a phobia of not being able to integrate. So integration and not being seen as "too" ethnic seemed to be a priority among many immigrants. I think the pressure may be on the most for Middle-Easterners out of all the ethnic groups, especially in this post-9/11 America.
As for the Hispanic community will fully assimilate one day. Right now, only certain groups of Hispanics are fully assimilated, and those assimilated groups of Hispanics have even been given various titles, like Chicanos, Tejanos, and Nuyoricans.
Going back to the whole convo on Ethnic Whites, one thing seems clear. Even though they were disgriminated against by American Protestant Anglos, once they fully assimilated and became somewhat trusted and or accepted as "Just White" they all joined the club in discrimination against Blacks. It seems getting away from being looked at as "ethnic white" and membership as "Just White like us" was dependent upon your gradual move up in the ethnic latter, away from Blacks. Irish in Boston got discrimnated against, than turned around and did it to Blacks, So did the Italians in NYC. Now I hear it's happening with Mexican-American gangs in California(but it's probably exagerrated by the media).
BUT, if you're Black AND a foreigner? You get it from all cylinders. You get it from Whites, and jealous Black Americans. But sometimes if you're a Black foreigner, who is somewhat docile, and you have somewhat of an education(think intelligent Nigerians/West Africans) than you might get more respect from Whites, than a Black American would. Whites may think of you as "The other Blacks", and not the Ghetto African-Americans. This may lead to the disapproval and general discrimination against African-Americans, at the hands of African immigrants. African immigrants may sometimes distance themselves from the general African-American community, so they can get approval from White-Americans.
Yeah it's pretty sad the way whiteness has worked historically and even in the present to Other various groups. Overall, I'm not sure Latinos will assimilate into whiteness since this country is becoming increasingly Latino with higher amounts of asians and black Africans/Caribbeans immigrating immigrating here. In the next 30 years, this country will be majority minority so there could be a cultural balance shift.
If America became more like Europe, what would Europeans have to look forward to when visting America? To us, everything here is pedestrian, and English is a language that's been butchered, chopped up and denigrated by a huge mass of buffoons from one coast to the next. To them, everything here is exciting, and English is a language of sophistication, modernity, elegance and even love.
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