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And I want to point out that you were the one saying people shouldn't claim an ethnicity unless they can speak the language (yeah, that's only your rule and God only knows where you got it), and also claiming that Americans' interest in genealogy is "tiring." Those statements seem harsh to me. What's your problem?
You said this:
Quote:
Americans can become very tiring with the heritage thing, Not sure if Americans realise that outside the US most people just see them as Americans.
My point is that the vast, vast majority of Americans couldn't care less whether some stranger in some other country considers their interest in genealogy to be "tiring."
Also, just about every American I know knows full well, and embraces the fact, that they are first and foremost an American. Just wanted to clarify that for you.
To me, my heritage is as much a matter of interest as anything. I grew up with a German surname, and Aussies being Aussies, was often asked what sort of a name it was. So I could relate, if I was so inclined, that I had a half German grandfather whose wife was descended from convicts. That the only grandparent not born in Australia was Scottish but three grandparents were English descent.
When I married and took on DH's surname, I got even more questions about this surname, which for some reason people liked to guess was "South American"
But really, how could my grandkids, whose heritage is English Scottish German French Italian and in two cases Irish, think of themselves as anything but Australian.
Surely my experience is common for Americans as well.
I don't have a problem. I'm just making a point and that is that Americans who are interested in genealogy truly do not care one whit whether someone in some other country thinks they are foolish or whatever. It truly makes zero - ZERO - difference in their lives or in their interest in their ancestral history.
Rubish. Interest in genealogy is one thing. I have interest in genealogy. Ignorance is other thing. You can't distinguish nationalities from ethnicities. You should read about italian, german nations and what ethnicites these nationalities consist of. Italian=American.They are equivalents. You can't be both(except for specific cases like american mother, italian father) Sicilian=Texan. Subgroups of nations. Thats why when you live for generations in texas you can't be italian american, german american, scotish american or whatever else. You can however be texan american. It is simple logic.
Quote:
Originally Posted by KathrynAragon
Many Americans are of mixed ancestral history. I know I am, and I'm 100 percent northern European genetically. But I will say that doesn't mean that I don't feel 100 percent American. It's just a sub category. It doesn't interest other people? So what? I'm not trying to impress anyone.
Northern european countries are not subcategories of americans. They are independent nations. Subcategory of americans are cajuns, texans, yankees, southeners etc. European nations are outcome of different tribes mixing. Just like americans. How long does it take for americans to develop their own "ethnicity"? Are 400 hundred years not enough? People who put american ethnicity on census are the only ones who are right. The rest of them who live there for generations, lost all ties to their ancestors countries and call themselves of german, italian, irish, english ethnicity live in delusion especially that far majority of them are mixed anyway.
Last edited by WestPreussen; 10-14-2019 at 07:48 PM..
If you were not born in a Latin American country then you are not Latino, Latino means a person born in Latin America, it's a shortcut for Latin American. If your place of birth is California or Maryland then you are not from Latin America, You are from the USA.
Same goes for Hispanic, if your first language is not Spanish then you are not Hispanic. Its like saying that I am Anglophone but I cannot speak English.
The Latinos born in the US, thatSpeak both languages then they are Hispanic-Americans, But those who are supposedly Hispanic but cannot speak the language then you are not Hispanic you are just claiming to be.
just like Americans claim to be African, Irish, Italian, But in reality they're all just Americans.
Let's not forget that Hispanic is merely a Linguistic identifier, not a Cultural one, not an ethnic one, not a racial one.
Rubish. Interest in genealogy is one thing. I have interest in genealogy. Ignorance is other thing. You can't distinguish nationalities from ethnicities. You should read about italian, german nations and what ethnicites these nationalities consist of. Italian=American.They are equivalents. You can't be both(except for specific cases like american mother, italian father) Sicilian=Texan. Subgroups of nations. Thats why when you live for generations in texas you can't be italian american, german american, scotish american or whatever else. You can however be texan american. It is simple logic.
Northern european countries are not subcategories of americans. They are independent nations. Subcategory of americans are cajuns, texans, yankees, southeners etc. European nations are outcome of different tribes mixing. Just like americans. How long does it take for americans to develop their own "ethnicity"? Are 400 hundred years not enough? People who put american ethnicity on census are the only ones who are right. The rest of them who live there for generations, lost all ties to their ancestors countries and call themselves of german, italian, irish, english ethnicity live in delusion especially that far majority of them are mixed anyway.
What's rubbish - that Americans DO NOT CARE if someone they've never met and will never have any important interaction with thinks their interest in their ancestry and genealogy is tiring? Because that was my response - you went off on some tangent but it wasn't in response to what I actually said.
As for your other "rubbish" (2 r's by the way) - it's just that. I have never personally met anyone who put any other ethnicity than "American" down on any sort of official census but I guess they exist. Meanwhile, my best friend's grandparents came thru Ellis Island and never even learned to speak English. That was about 100 years ago. IF she wants to say she's Italian American, more power to her. Both her parents were 100 percent Italian but maybe that doesn't matter to you since they were born in the US. Oh well, it mattered to them, and they raised their children, including my friend, to be proud of their Italian heritage as WELL AS being proud to be an American. Hey, get this - we can be proud of both aspects of our heritage.
By the way, I'm American. But I do have English, Scottish, and German ancestry with a dash of French thrown in for good measure. And these people self identified as ENGLISH, or SCOTTISH, or GERMAN or FRENCH. Last names match up too. So I'm good with it.
And I don't need to read up on the history of migrations in Europe - I read about it all the time. You're preaching to the choir. I don't give a rip about nationality - what I care about is ethnicity. And I do know the difference.
Why shouldn't a person be interested in where their ancestors came from? Aren't we all genetically connected?
I don't get it.
I SURE don't get the animosity. So what one way or the other? I can't for the life of me understand why it makes some people (not many from what I can tell, but a few) so belligerent.
I don't have a problem. I'm just making a point and that is that Americans who are interested in genealogy truly do not care one whit whether someone in some other country thinks they are foolish or whatever. It truly makes zero - ZERO - difference in their lives or in their interest in their ancestral history.
Many Americans are of mixed ancestral history. I know I am, and I'm 100 percent northern European genetically. But I will say that doesn't mean that I don't feel 100 percent American. It's just a sub category. It doesn't interest other people? So what? I'm not trying to impress anyone.
My ancestors came over in boats - with all sorts of interesting historical stuff behind their immigration to the US - one was a French Huguenot, several were from wealthy families but were "second sons" so they came to the New World to make their fortune. Several were of British ancestry and some were Tories or Loyalists during the Revolutionary War but others were members of the House of Burgesses and/or fought in the Revolutionary War on the American side. Some settled in the bayou country of Louisiana from France. Some settled in the Chesapeake Bay area from England and must have thought they had landed in paradise. A whole bunch of Scottish people came over and stuck together like glue and migrated from South Carolina's coast to the Appalachians to the Ozarks of Arkansas and basically never married anyone who wasn't Scottish.
You or others may find all that mundane but I can see the fingerprints they left in my life and in my children and I think it's fascinating.
Quote:
Originally Posted by KathrynAragon
What's rubbish - that Americans DO NOT CARE if someone they've never met and will never have any important interaction with thinks their interest in their ancestry and genealogy is tiring? Because that was my response - you went off on some tangent but it wasn't in response to what I actually said.
As for your other "rubbish" (2 r's by the way) - it's just that. I have never personally met anyone who put any other ethnicity than "American" down on any sort of official census but I guess they exist. Meanwhile, my best friend's grandparents came thru Ellis Island and never even learned to speak English. That was about 100 years ago. IF she wants to say she's Italian American, more power to her.
I actually had two r's and I edited my post because I thought that I had spelled it wrong lol .Why would americans care? They do not care to distinguish nationality from ethnicity so why would they care what anyone else think? If they like to delude themselves so be it. This is hardly a big deal anyway.
Your friend could even think that she is martian but that would not make it truth.
Well those people that you did not meet certainly exist according to cencus. Actually millions of them living in delusion lol I just wonder from where it came. There are lots of countries in "new world" founded on immigration and with exception of united states they all rather seem to have a healty approach to that matter.
Last edited by WestPreussen; 10-14-2019 at 08:43 PM..
Why shouldn't a person be interested in where their ancestors came from? Aren't we all genetically connected?
I don't get it.
There is nothing wrong with it. I like genealogy myself. But it seem like there is thin line between having an interest in something and being delusional about something. If I found out that my greatgrandparents immigrated from Norway to Germany in the late XIX century that would not make me norwegian German. I would still be just German. Just like the day before this discovery I was just German because that would be the culture I was brought up with. And that is the only thing that matters.
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