Why don't We Call White People English American or Irish or German....? (government, FBI)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I prefer to call people by their name. The last time I used a racial identifier was when I worked in law enforcement and that is only because it's a descriptor that enables you to quickly identify a person, i.e. "suspect is a white male wearing a baseball cap", and there was no ambiguity, the FBI decides which racial identifiers you will use.
When I go visit a friend I have never even considered saying "I am going to visit my (asian, black, latino, white) friend" When I speak to someone on the phone who I don't know, I don't ask them what race they are.
I'm interested in knowing when and under what circumstances people use racial descriptors in everyday conversation?
Too much emphasis on heritage and culture and not enough on being American.
Or to be politically correct, a U.S. Citizen.
Um, the US is a land of immigrants, and always has been. And considering that birthrates in the US are now nearly as low as almost every other Western nation, it will continue to be a land of immigrants. It ain't changing any time soon.
As for heritage, one need only look at a map of the United States or of any state or county to see ample evidence of its strong English, Scottish, Spanish, French, and Native American heritage. They are reflected in place names all over the country (ever heard of New York? Los Angeles? New Jersey? New Orleans? New Mexico? Michigan? Iowa? Hawaii? I could go on, but I"m sure you get it). These cultural influences are so evident in many aspects of life in the US that they are kind of invisible. No one really thinks about it.
So to suggest that "American" is a single-layered culture is, um, interesting.
Last edited by newdixiegirl; 08-04-2015 at 08:22 PM..
So to suggest that "American" is a single-layered culture is, um, interesting.
Look up the book American Nations by Woodard. He discusses the historical foundations and persistent ideological differences of eleven distinct nations that make up the U.S., Canada, and northern Mexico. Fascinating stuff. I think you'll get a lot out of it.
You're confusing race with ethnicity and nationality. They are three different things. White is simply what race you are. Nothing wrong with using the terms white-American, black-American, etc. but hyphenating your nationality is ridiculous. If you are only a citizen of this country then you are just an American. Your ancestors nationality has nothing to do with your citizenship in this country.
No, I'm not confusing race with ethnicity and nationality. That's precisely my point. I don't appreciate constantly being put into a box (or having to check off a box) labeled "white," because I - because ALL of us- are so much more than a particular race or color. Reducing people to the color of their skin, is overly - simplistic. Two-dimensional.
Look up the book American Nations by Woodard. He discusses the historical foundations and persistent ideological differences of eleven distinct nations that make up the U.S., Canada, and northern Mexico. Fascinating stuff. I think you'll get a lot out of it.
Thanks for the recommendation. It does sound interesting. I'll look into that this week.
I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around why this is so upsetting to you, NDG. White is simply a physical descriptor for the sake of expediency. It takes a lot of time to lay out one's ancestry, and most people could not care less. Even my own mother's eyes glaze over when I start talking family history, ancestry DNA projects, and the like. The casual observer just wants an efficient way to categorize you. Save the details for those who find it interesting. My dad and I talk each other's ears off about it, but neither of us would even dream of unloading the specifics on unsuspecting victims. Only fellow genealogists care about that kind of stuff, and all the while, they're just grilling you for leads. Ask me how I know!
I'm glad the book piqued your interest. Based on what you've written here, I really do think it's right up your alley.
I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around why this is so upsetting to you, NDG. White is simply a physical descriptor for the sake of expediency. It takes a lot of time to lay out one's ancestry, and most people could not care less. Even my own mother's eyes glaze over when I start talking family history, ancestry DNA projects, and the like. The casual observer just wants an efficient way to categorize you. Save the details for those who find it interesting. My dad and I talk each other's ears off about it, but neither of us would even dream of unloading the specifics on unsuspecting victims. Only fellow genealogists care about that kind of stuff, and all the while, they're just grilling you for leads. Ask me how I know!
I wouldn't say it's "upsetting" to me. "Annoying" would be a better word for how I feel about it. And, since it's the topic of this thread (which I didn't start), and that we're now 24 pages into it, clearly I'm not the only one who has opinions about it.
I wouldn't say it's "upsetting" to me. "Annoying" would be a better word for how I feel about it. And, since it's the topic of this thread (which I didn't start), and that we're now 24 pages into it, clearly I'm not the only one who has opinions about it.
I'm interested in knowing when and under what circumstances people use racial descriptors in everyday conversation?
Most people don't. But the government forces us to use skin color. The government is the most divisive organization in the world. We would all be better off if the government eliminated all references to skin color and race.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
