How long until you're an American?

M

MongooseGA

New member
We're discussing this in the BF.C OT section now. It's a subject I've always felt strongly about, and have never understood everyone else' reasoning.



People use the Blank-American too often. German-American, African-American, etc. Why? At what point does someone just give up on considering themselves something they aren't?



It's cool to express your *heritage*. It's great! But, if you were Born in America, or born in Africa, or born in Germany, then you're American, African, or German, respectively.



America is too sensitive to be blunt in talking about race. I never understood why. After attending public high school for a year, I think I see. People get offended way too easily. If I call someone black, I'm called a racist, and I'm called ignorant for not taking their heritage into account before labeling them.



Why can't I call someone else white? Why can't I call them black? They're not derragatory terms. (BTW, I never understood why certain terms are offensive to different races, but I don't need to get into that). They may not be as politcally correct as other terms, but they're way more *correct* than a hiphonated title.



My Grandmother came here from Germany during WWII with my Grandfather, a [now] retired American soldier. She didn't speak a word of English. My Dad was born in America. I don't call myself German-American. I consider myself American with a German background. Why can't anyone else do the same?



IMO, the only circumstance where a hiphonated term (Blank-American) would make sense is if someone had dual citizenship.



I don't believe this to be to controversial for Autopia, so let's not let it get out of hand. Please, discuss this. I'd like to know what other people think.
 
I totally agree with that. I'm 50% polish, but I don't consider myself Polish-American. I was born here, so I'm an American.



IMO if you were born in another country, let's say Poland, and now live in America, then you should consider yourself a Polish-American.
 
White95Max said:
I totally agree with that. I'm 50% polish, but I don't consider myself Polish-American. I was born here, so I'm an American.



IMO if you were born in another country, let's say Poland, and now live in America, then you should consider yourself a Polish-American.
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I agree ... first gen should probably call themselves XYZ-American. I consider myself an Anglo-American but I hope my kids just consider themselves American, with an English born dad :lol



Same thing applies to me, I was born in England but my family are Irish and Dutch, I always considered myself English until I made my home here in SC. Now I'm just a redneck with a funny accent! :lol
 
These two arab guys come here and in teh quest to become truly american they make a bet. One year later we will meet and see who has become more american, the winner gets $1000.



A year later they meet, the first guy says I just came from Mickey D's and I have a few brews in the car, wanna catch the Yankee game?



The second guy says, Screw you towel head.
 
I agree completely; this bizarre paranoia that most seemingly "normal" people have is ridiculous! The scope of Western Political Correctness just gets more sickening every day.



My son will be one year-old on April 25th, and as his mother is Japanese, HE is in fact a true Japanese-American.
 
FalconGuy said:
These two arab guys come here and in teh quest to become truly american they make a bet. One year later we will meet and see who has become more american, the winner gets $1000.



A year later they meet, the first guy says I just came from Mickey D's and I have a few brews in the car, wanna catch the Yankee game?



The second guy says, Screw you towel head.
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:chuckle: That's a funny joke, but I guess you'll be accused of racism and religious intolerance because of it by some people.:furious:
 
percynjpn said:
:chuckle: That's a funny joke, but I guess you'll be accused of racism and religious intolerance because of it by some people.:furious:
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Not by me:D :D Thats a good one:xyxthumbs
 
percynjpn said:
I agree completely; this bizarre paranoia that most seemingly "normal" people have is ridiculous! The scope of Western Political Correctness just gets more sickening every day.



My son will be one year-old on April 25th, and as his mother is Japanese, HE is in fact a true Japanese-American.
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How can he be Japanese-American, though? I see you're in Japan. Was your son born in Japan or the States? If the States, then he'd be American with Japanese descent, and vice versa if born in Japan.



Mike, I never would have placed you with an English accent :lol:



FalconGuy, the FCC might be reading the forums. They're gonna getcha! :p Funny joke.



Kind of a funny story. I'm in gym class a few weeks ago, and I'm talking with a friend of mine who's parents are from Korea. We were talking about stereotype for different races' intelligence. I said I had never met a stupid Asian person. He said, "well, you haven't met my cousin then", and he chuckled. Before I go on, I'll say that I'm [white person] almost a minority in my school. I replied to my buddy by saying something to the tune of: "Every race has their stupid people. White people, Asian people, Black people, Hispanic people, etc..." Not 4 seconds after I said this, every black kid in the locker room was calling me a racist and threatening me because I called black people stupid :rolleyes
 
percynjpn said:
:chuckle: That's a funny joke, but I guess you'll be accused of racism and religious intolerance because of it by some people.:furious:
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You think? Especially if you're an Arab Autopian and reading that thread :rolleyes:



I've got some hysetrical Japanese jokes! But some people will accuse me of racial intolerance.



Although FalconGuy's joke was funny :p



Dividing yourself along ethnic lines to separate yourself from the greater American society, in the future, will lead to bad things. To be such an ethnically diverse country and still be so strong and mighty is a testament to how great the United States is and how powerful our message is - a message grounded in the freedoms provided by our Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence and Constitution. Our Founding Fathers were right on the money :xyxthumbs No wonder folks go through amazing and dangerous lengths to flee persection and economic insecurity to come to our country. Their success stories could fill a million football stadiums - my family included; fleeing the evils of Anti-Semitism, Communism and economic nothingness that permeated Russian society in the late 1910's.



I still maintain my ethnic identity - today I will be celebrating Passover; but I will never use it to separate myself or alienate myself from my fellow Americans. My identity is something I am very proud of. It's what makes me an American.



It's a wonderful thing to celebrate your ethnicity. I just don't like seeing it used to as a means to divide you from the rest of society.
 
Spilchy said:
Dividing yourself along ethnic lines to separate yourself from the greater American society, in the future, will lead to bad things. To be such an ethnically diverse country and still be so strong and mighty is a testament to how great the United States is and how powerful our message is - a message grounded in the freedoms provided by our Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence and Constitution. Our Founding Fathers were right on the money :xyxthumbs No wonder folks go through amazing and dangerous lengths to flee persection and economic insecurity to come to our country. Their success stories could fill a million football stadiums - my family included; fleeing the evils of Anti-Semitism, Communism and economic nothingness that permeated Russian society in the late 1910's.



I still maintain my ethnic identity - today I will be celebrating Passover; but I will never use it to separate myself or alienate myself from my fellow Americans. My identity is something I am very proud of. It's what makes me an American.



It's a wonderful thing to celebrate your ethnicity. I just don't like seeing it used to as a means to divide you from the rest of society.
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Now that was well said. :xyxthumbs
 
I think these labels are insane as well. It seems everyone who calls themselves by these names strives to be a true American, so why be labeled as anything other than that?



Joe

Autopian-American
 
MongooseGA said:
How can he be Japanese-American, though? I see you're in Japan. Was your son born in Japan or the States? If the States, then he'd be American with Japanese descent, and vice versa if born in Japan.
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Actually, children born in Japan with one (or both) parents who are not Japanese are NOT "Japanese"; they are simply "foreign residents". You're basing your assumption on the U.S. system. In fact, tens of thousands of ethnic Koreans (and others) who have lived here for generations are also "foreign residents"; the fact that they and their parents were born here is irrelevant. Being a real "Japanese" is based purely on racial lines - very different than in the U.S.



By "true Japanese-American", I meant that that's what I think such a "title" should mean; in this case having both a Japanese and an American parent. My mother's parents were born in Italy and my father's immigrated from Scotland, but I'm not a "Scottish-Italian-American"; as both my parents are American, so am I. That's the way I look on it, anyway.
 
percynjpn said:
Actually, children born in Japan with one (or both) parents who are not Japanese are NOT "Japanese"; they are simply "foreign residents". You're basing your assumption on the U.S. system. In fact, tens of thousands of ethnic Koreans (and others) who have lived here for generations are also "foreign residents"; the fact that they and their parents were born here is irrelevant. Being a real "Japanese" is based purely on racial lines - very different than in the U.S.



By "true Japanese-American", I meant that that's what I think such a "title" should mean; in this case having both a Japanese and an American parent. My mother's parents were born in Italy and my father's immigrated from Scotland, but I'm not a "Scottish-Italian-American"; as both my parents are American, so am I. That's the way I look on it, anyway.
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I think I understand what you're saying. So in Japan, the ethnicity would favor the parents' and not the child's birthplace?
 
Well, not exactly. A child born in Japan whose parents are of Korean (or any other "non-Japanese" ancestry) are not Japanese citizens. This is true even though that child's parents (and grandparents, great grandparents, etc.) were BORN here. And that even includes the hundreds of thousands of Korean and Chinese who were forced to come to Japan and become virtual slave laborers during WWII.
 
To add to Spilchy...



When this country was founded, the idea was to take the best from everyone and add it to the mix, making a nation full of folks who shared in common values and a pursuit of happiness without losing their own identity.



The labels that the politically correct crowd is handing out says to me that I must call myself a "(insert heritage here) American" because just plain American is not good enough.



My grandfather came over from Hungary, so that would make me a Hungarian-American? I prefer "hungry" American as I am now having a Big Mac attack!



There are no "African Americans, German Americans, Spanish Americans, Hungarian Americans, etc" in a fox hole and there shouldn't be any in the shopping malls or schools either.
 
I have yet to visit Caucasia, but I hear it's nice this time of year.



On school testing, where they ask for your ethnicity (African-American, Caucasian, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, Other) I check "other". I've never met a Caucasian. Sure as hell aren't any in my ancestral lineage.
 
This does seem to be peculiar to America. I have yet to hear anyone in the UK refer to themselves as American - English or German - English
 
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