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American is a nationality.. I celebrate 4th of July and have an American flag at my house...but I also go to Oktoberfest every year and try to stay in touch with my roots.
We are a nation of immigrants. The constitution and history holds us together. The backrounds and cultures make us unique. If everyone just said tomarrow that they were American and didn't want anything to do with their ancestory. ST Patricks day would be gone, Cinco De Mayo, Mardi Gras, ethnic foods, Oktoberfests, dialects..We would lose alot.
I would guess that if youre a mut that you would put what stands out the most or is most predominant or what interests you the most. Like if you're 1/8 English, 1/8 French, 2/8 Scothc-Irish and 1/2 Irish you go with Irish.
My parents immigrated from Italy. I was born and raised here but spent most of my summers in Italy.
And honestly? I'm American. I consider myself human, beyond the cultural affectations I was raised in. It no longer has meaning to me to call myself "Italian", especially being a tall, thin blond woman-- obviously we're probably German or Germanic. We're from Milan.
It's scary and I suppose "meaningless" to allow yourself to not identify with an intangible concept like race or nationality. You slip into meaninglessness and some people have trouble losing that identity.
Ancestry is so mixed nowadays, who can even tell?
No one is saying you aren't an American. Everyone born here is an American. But you're ancestry is not American. That's just a matter of fact.
For someone in my situation, who is of mixed ancestry, I list the one that I've identified with the most which is African.
Now, those who don't identify with only one of their ancestries pretty much have the luxury of choosing whichever one they want.
No one is saying you aren't an American. Everyone born here is an American. But you're ancestry is not American. That's just a matter of fact.
For someone in my situation, who is of mixed ancestry, I list the one that I've identified with the most which is African.
Now, those who don't identify with only one of their ancestries pretty much have the luxury of choosing whichever one they want.
I guess what I am asking is that at what point does it become so diluted it is barely there? When do you only identify with America? I am fourth generation american on my Dad's side, my great-grandma was English but I have met her all of twice, my parents divorced when I was little. My Mom's side has been here since about 1680. Nobody in my family identifies with anything but American. Heck, my mom thinks that my husband who has only been in this country for 7 years (Irish) should quit identifying as Irish (not that I agree) and identify as American. Where does it end?
I guess what I am asking is that at what point does it become so diluted it is barely there? When do you only identify with America? I am fourth generation american on my Dad's side, my great-grandma was English but I have met her all of twice, my parents divorced when I was little. My Mom's side has been here since about 1680. Nobody in my family identifies with anything but American. Heck, my mom thinks that my husband who has only been in this country for 7 years (Irish) should quit identifying as Irish (not that I agree) and identify as American. Where does it end?
It seems to me that it's your nationality that you're concerned about, which is totally open to whatever you consider yourself.
But ancestry is purely biological and cannot be changed. Just because your husband does not feel or act Irish, that does not stop him from being a descendant of the Irish. If that's where his roots are, there's no way of changing that. That is his ancestry regardless of how long his family has been here.
The point I'm trying to make is that your ancestry does not dictate who you are, it's only about where your people are from.
Your husband is American with Irish roots. You are American with English roots.
It seems to me that it's your nationality that you're concerned about, which is totally open to whatever you consider yourself.
But ancestry is purely biological and cannot be changed. Just because your husband does not feel or act Irish, that does not stop him from being a descendant of the Irish. If that's where his roots are, there's no way of changing that. That is his ancestry regardless of how long his family has been here.
The point I'm trying to make is that your ancestry does not dictate who you are, it's only about where your people are from.
Your husband is American with Irish roots. You are American with English roots.
No, My husband is Irish, period lol He's not a citizen yet.
I think it's ignorant to register yourself as American. You just cancel out your family history.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Newarkbomb
Well mine has been here since 1901 and i consider myself American. but i don't Ignore the fact that my heritage is originally Italian.
I am one of people you say is "ignorant" for calling myself American. Not all of us have ancestry that we can sum up with one foreign nationality.
Some of my ancestors were French Huguenots who came to South Carolina in the late 1600's. Some of them were English who emigrated between 1680 and 1750. Some of them were Germans, who arrived between 1730-1765. Some are Welsh and Swiss immigrants from the 1730's-1740's. A large portion of them were Scots who came down from Pennsylvania and Virginia after the Revolutionary War.
I know that my last name originated in Normandy. If I go by the origin of the names in my extended family, I probably have a lot of French and Scottish blood. Regardless, even if I knew where every single European ancestor hailed from, the U.S. Census doesn't offer that level of detail. I'm not going to check "English," I'm not going to check "German," I'm not going to check "French", et cetera.
So if you were me, what ancestry would you choose? I don't see a "White southern mutt" option.
I am one of people you say is "ignorant" for calling myself American. Not all of us have ancestry that we can sum up with one foreign nationality.
Some of my ancestors were French Huguenots who came to South Carolina in the late 1600's. Some of them were English who emigrated between 1680 and 1750. Some of them were Germans, who arrived between 1730-1765. Some are Welsh and Swiss immigrants from the 1730's-1740's. A large portion of them were Scots who came down from Pennsylvania and Virginia after the Revolutionary War.
I know that my last name originated in Normandy. If I go by the origin of the names in my extended family, I probably have a lot of French and Scottish blood. Regardless, even if I knew where every single European ancestor hailed from, the U.S. Census doesn't offer that level of detail. I'm not going to check "English," I'm not going to check "German," I'm not going to check "French", et cetera.
So if you were me, what ancestry would you choose? I don't see a "White southern mutt" option.
Well while I wouldn't go so far as to call anyone ignorant as Newarkbomb did, he does have a point. Simply because your ancestry is not American. I see you listed French, Scottish, English, and German. You mean to tell me that there isn't even one of those you identify with the most?
If "European" isn't an option and you really have no idea what other country your family is from then marking "American" would be appropriate.
People who choose American just because they want to are skewing the results.
Even still, if you are white, black, asian, etc. and you have no known native blood than your ancestry is not American.
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