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I had a conversation with a guy yesterday who said he was going to start dating 'girls from his own roots' and said he was looking for a nice Italian girl-firend.
He was born here in the US as was his father. His grandfather came here as a boy. This guy describes himself as being Italian American despite never having been to Italy or speaking Italian...
I hear lots of people say / write that they are Irish American or Chinese American etc etc and I always assumed they were born in Ireland or China for example and moved here and took American citizenship or at the least their parents were from whichever country.
Am I correct and was the guy I was talking with just having an identity crisis ?
My grandparents were Irish and I have been to Ireland many times but I was born in England and am English. not Irish English.
Does anyone say they are '........... - American' but they were born here. Why do you feel you have to add the other country ?? Just curious...
I'm 50% English and a first-generation American on the maternal side. Paternally, I have ancestors from Scotland, Bavaria, Ireland and a Native American tribe. I'm just an American.
I had a conversation with a guy yesterday who said he was going to start dating 'girls from his own roots' and said he was looking for a nice Italian girl-firend.
He was born here in the US as was his father. His grandfather came here as a boy. This guy describes himself as being Italian American despite never having been to Italy or speaking Italian...
I hear lots of people say / write that they are Irish American or Chinese American etc etc and I always assumed they were born in Ireland or China for example and moved here and took American citizenship or at the least their parents were from whichever country.
Am I correct and was the guy I was talking with just having an identity crisis ?
My grandparents were Irish and I have been to Ireland many times but I was born in England and am English. not Irish English.
Does anyone say they are '........... - American' but they were born here. Why do you feel you have to add the other country ?? Just curious...
white people- one generation
Others- varies. This society does not let "ethnics" be American" without the hyphen.
The people I know tend to use the ethnic/nationality names to indicate a culture or ancestry rather than to claim a country of origin. It has become popular for those who consider themselves American but do not wish to ignore their ancestral past or family culture to use the combined Mexican-American, Irish American, Italian-American, etc. Many still just use their cultural ethnicity rather than the hypenated/combined label.
It is not that they do not consider themselves to be American, it is more correct that they consider everyone around them to consider them as American and the American part of the label is just assumed. In more recent years, it is becoming more apparent that it is not as common as it used to be that your neighbor of 20 years is a legal citizen, so the hypenated names are become more common.
I think that most people who do not have a strong cultural association with ethnic traditions are much less likely to use that ethnic label. I am descended from family with mainly Scottish Welsh and Dutch family surnames names. I do not have any specific ethnic traditions and usually identify myself as Texan as I see most of my cultural traits to be state specific rather than country or continentally originated. The Texas label has the added benefit that it is almost universally recognized as an "American" sub category.
I truly believe that your friend was looking for someone with specific traits that are family oriented, open and gregarious, and a little emotional and vocal. These are stereotypical traits commonly associated with Italian families. It is likely that he associates his own cultural tastes and habits with these stereotypical patterns and wants someone that shares his interests. Stereotypes are great ways to express patterns of behavior in a quick simple manner. Some folk object to sterotyping due to the strong potential of assigning negative aspects to a stereotype, but often positive characteristics are strongly associated as well.
I wasn't born in the US, moved here when I was three, and I consider myself quite American. About the only thing left is to go through naturalization in a couple years once I'm eligible.
Neither my mom or dad had particularly strong nationalistic pride of their respective countries, so I largely grew up around Americans of worldly backgrounds.
e: I think I'd technically be Chilean-Canadian-American, but that sounds silly. No. I'm American.
The people I know tend to use the ethnic/nationality names to indicate a culture or ancestry rather than to claim a country of origin. It has become popular for those who consider themselves American but do not wish to ignore their ancestral past or family culture to use the combined Mexican-American, Irish American, Italian-American, etc. Many still just use their cultural ethnicity rather than the hypenated/combined label.
It is not that they do not consider themselves to be American, it is more correct that they consider everyone around them to consider them as American and the American part of the label is just assumed. In more recent years, it is becoming more apparent that it is not as common as it used to be that your neighbor of 20 years is a legal citizen, so the hypenated names are become more common.
I think that most people who do not have a strong cultural association with ethnic traditions are much less likely to use that ethnic label. I am descended from family with mainly Scottish Welsh and Dutch family surnames names. I do not have any specific ethnic traditions and usually identify myself as Texan as I see most of my cultural traits to be state specific rather than country or continentally originated. The Texas label has the added benefit that it is almost universally recognized as an "American" sub category.
I truly believe that your friend was looking for someone with specific traits that are family oriented, open and gregarious, and a little emotional and vocal. These are stereotypical traits commonly associated with Italian families. It is likely that he associates his own cultural tastes and habits with these stereotypical patterns and wants someone that shares his interests. Stereotypes are great ways to express patterns of behavior in a quick simple manner. Some folk object to sterotyping due to the strong potential of assigning negative aspects to a stereotype, but often positive characteristics are strongly associated as well.
Thank you !
In this situation the guy would be well suited to an Italian girlfriend and I encouraged him to go to Italy and try to connect with family. I'm not sure he can cope with the potential MIL but thats another story
It just seemed odd that he would describe himself as Italian American. I've never noticed people in Asia when I lived there adding the nationality of both parents if they were different nationalities.
I don't know if it makes a difference what individuals think. This past election campaign by the Republican Party was trying to make a distinction between what they deemed to be "Real Americans" and whatever the alternate choice was. It was not based on a personal decision, but what their party determined to be "Real Americans"
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