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They are not African because they have never even had African citizenship. You can only be African, Russian, Italian etc etc if you were a) born there b) raised there and/or c) had citizenship for more of your life there than somewher else. I am not "of Russian descent," I am Russian American. Black Americans are Americans, not African Americans. Real African Americans are Africans who immigrated from Africa. I am Russian American. Americans just like to claim nationalities that they are not.
It's like being "Latino." A person can have an Hispanic surname even though he doesn't speak Spanish or has never been outside the U.S. but is still called an Hispanic. Most Anglos may have ancestry from European countries so, for example, some call themselves "Italian-Americans" even if one of their parents has different ancestry but their last name is Italian origin. African-American is basically another name for the black race which originates in Africa. Asian-Americans may come from many different Asian countries including India so they are separated on the U.S. census as being "Asian" even though they may be 3rd generation Americans.
This whole thing becomes more and more confusing when people inter-marry racially. President Obama is half white yet is considered a Black American.
Russian ancestry does not equal Russian. Is this ancestry or real Russian?
I don't know. We do go by ancestry some in this country though and some cultures stick with the traditions of their ancestors. I think many of the "Old Believers" in this country were born here, but I think they largely still speak Russian and maintain Russian traditions.
Still I did wonder if many of the ones in the Dakotas are "German Russians" or "Volga Germans" rather than Russian-Russians. Considering the Dakotas don't seem to have any place that's highly Eastern Orthodox maybe it's not much for Russian traditions.
So I might still lean toward Southwest Alaska and the NYC area. I guess the Russian Orthodox "Orthodox Church of America", granted they have many non-Russian members, is centered in Long Island.
Now if you want "born in Russia" I guess it's "Peaceful Valley, Washington." I mentioned it before, but I have more info this time.
Now if you want "born in Russia" I guess it's "Peaceful Valley, Washington." I mentioned it before, but I have more info this time.
....Not to be confused with the "Peaceful Valley" neighborhood in Spokane. The Peaceful Valley with the Russians is in Whatcom County near Bellingham, and not in Pierce County as the C-D listing states.
You do not need to be from Russia to be Russian. Some generations of Russian families have been established there longer than others. If you move to Russia and establish yourself there and you stay there, you start a family there, and die there then you are Russian. Your family from now on in time will be expanding, being born and raised and living in Russia. They will grow up in Russia, in Russian culture, in Russian schools, with Russian friends and join the Russian military. But you must leave the American style behind no more "my country does it this way." Your loyalty must be to Russia.
You do not need to be from Russia to be Russian. Some generations of Russian families have been established there longer than others. If you move to Russia and establish yourself there and you stay there, you start a family there, and die there then you are Russian. Your family from now on in time will be expanding, being born and raised and living in Russia. They will grow up in Russia, in Russian culture, in Russian schools, with Russian friends and join the Russian military. But you must leave the American style behind no more "my country does it this way." Your loyalty must be to Russia.
Anyway here is a Brighton Beach video
I see that you are getting nationality and ethnicity mixed up, as well as forgeting the aspect of assimilation. There is a difference between nationality and ethnicity/ancestry of origin. Much of thios is socio-historical as well. For instance, the ancestry of origin of Black/African Americans or those that identify as such is 80% African and 71% West African between present day Senegal down the coast to northern Angola. This doesn't even get into the socio-historical aspect which was established during the Colonial period and continues into the present.
I also know there is a huge contingent in NE Philly and into Bucks - they actually advertise for one of the Bucks County (Council Rock) areas and school districts in Russia discussing how many many Russians already liver there and the community
I see that you are getting nationality and ethnicity mixed up, as well as forgeting the aspect of assimilation. There is a difference between nationality and ethnicity/ancestry of origin. Much of thios is socio-historical as well. For instance, the ancestry of origin of Black/African Americans or those that identify as such is 80% African and 71% West African between present day Senegal down the coast to northern Angola. This doesn't even get into the socio-historical aspect which was established during the Colonial period and continues into the present.
What I am saying is that if a black man was born and raised in the U.S., he can not be African American because he is not African. His ancestors were. He did not experience it but if he moved to Africa he could then be African if he stayed there and pledged loyalty to that country.
Like me. I was born and raised as young in the former Soviet Union. We moved to New York when I was a young kid in the 90s. So I am Russian American because I experienced the reality of it. Why should someone who had Russian ancestors 100 years ago be Russian American when most of them have never even set foot in Russia? They are American until they move and stay in Russia and are loyal to Russia, and it is not just Americans with Russian ancestry... it could be an American of Irish ancestry, English, Italian.. because ancestry does not tie you to a country, you were just born to parents and you grew up and live in a place. You are not automatically Russian because your ancestors were. If that is the case then many born and raised Californians are really New Yorkers. Americans sit and call themselves "Italian, Irish, German, Polish, Russian, and Scottish" because Americans unadmittingly consider themselves cultural misfits.
For RussianIvanov
I disagree with your statement that Americans unadmittedly call themselves cultural misfits.After all Americans have their own culture as well. Many Americans simply know they are descendents of more than one nationality of origin so they state the nationality that they can comfortably affirm as most true or the most recent or the most dominant known country immigrated from in their family tree.
My mother is German and has lived in both countries. She would be considered a first-generation German-American. I am her daughter so I am considered a second generation German-American when it comes to describing heritage. Of course I describe my citizenship as being American which we all are unless you are visiting here on a visa.I don't go around saying I'm a German-American citizen. My mom also describes herself as an American citizen although she is a former German citizen.There are also people who may have dual citizenship.
Loyalty to your home country has nothing to do with how you may describe your heritage. Many people don't hate their former country, they , for various reasons, had to relocate d/t marriage,jobs, or maybe presence of war,natural disaster, whatever.They may have very little ties left with their former country, but still describe their heritage as being of that country.
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