How long until you're an American?

Lowejackson said:
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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It's because America is a nation of immigrants. Also, we are a very young, independent country. An overwhelming majority of Americans are not "indigenous". Those who are "indigenous", trace their roots to those who came from Europe (like on the Mayflower) in the 17th century. However, most of us trace our roots to other countries whose families came here within the last 150 years or so.



For example, I am a second generation American. My grandfather of my father's side was born in Russia. On my mother's side, my great grandparents were from Russia and Austria. I would say many American Autopians reading this now have grandparents or great grandparents or even parents that came from other countries.



When I visited Ellis Isand (Statue of Liberty) to see the route my family came through, I watched a documentary there and something like 60% of the country's immigrants between 1885 - 1925 came through Ellis Island. If anyone is ever in NY City, check it out - very cool place. MILLIONS of Europeans came through there not to mention many through San Francisco and parts of Texas like Galveston.
 
Spilchy said:
...An overwhelming majority of Americans are not "indigenous". Those who are "indigenous", trace their roots to those who came from Europe (like on the Mayflower) in the 17th century. ...
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I'll agree with first half. I have a Sioux friend who would disagree with the second. :D



MongooseGA said:
...On school testing, where they ask for your ethnicity (African-American, Caucasian, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, Other) I check "other". ....
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I have another friend (blue eyes, blonde hair) who got fed up with those forms and started writing in that she was a Lunar-American.





PC.
 
There are some recent studies that show even those that are currently labeled "Native Americans" are immigrants of an older nature, from Europe(east of the Rockies) or Asia(west of). This would mean that noone is indigenious to this country.
 
A great man said:



There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism. The one absolutely certain way of bringing this nation to ruin, of preventing all possibility of its continuing to be a nation of all, would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities.
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-Teddy Roosevelt
 
What a topic! This has always bothered me, how it's okay to call me white but I can't call you black. So then people started saying Caucasian and African-American, all these terms why can't you just be American if you were born and live here? Why do we even have to distinguish between race in America? Seriously what's the difference between "black" and "white" other than the amount of pigment in our skin? I could open up a WHOLE new can of worms by talking about why "African-Americans" are discriminated against and the way people think (or don't) about them and about where they are in society and why...but i'll exercise restraint. I am by no means racist at all. I'm just trying to understand where races and people are where they are in life and society. Why can't we all be equal?



My Dad was born in Germany and moved here before he hit his teens. Of course his accent is gone, but he considers himself American. That's it. Sure, he was BORN in Germany and lived there a while, but now he is American, he lives here, he speaks English like an American, everything like an American. Of course we're proud of our heritage, especially when we visit my grandmother (who has a heavy German accent). I just don't see why there is so much discrimination. If everyone ignored the way people looked imagine how different the world would be?
 
People b*tch about being discriminated against, but they bring it upon themselves. It wouldn't be a big deal if people would stop seperating themselves from the rest of the country with retarded titles.



BTW- Christopher Columbus gets his own holiday because the idiot took a wrong turn at Africa and ended up on the other side of the world. W T F?
 
Originally posted by NewOwner FL



My grandfather came over from Hungary, so that would make me a Hungarian-American?
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I am Hungarian :D







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.
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Except of course for the INDIANS :down
 
tdekany said:
Except of course for the INDIANS :down [/B]
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Are you saying the Indians don't share common values or the pursuit of happiness?



Which Indians? The Native American Christopher Retardus named, or people from India?
 
MongooseGA said:
Are you saying the Indians don't share common values or the pursuit of happiness?



Which Indians? The Native American Christopher Retardus named, or people from India?
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Native Americans. This is their country as far as I am concerned
 
MongooseGA said:
Are you saying the Indians don't share common values or the pursuit of happiness?



Which Indians? The Native American Christopher Retardus named, or people from India?
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What I mean is that Natives are not considered equal.
 
tdekany said:
Native Americans. This is their country as far as I am concerned
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:werd: Did you know women got the right to vote before people 'Native Americans'? I don't think it was until the 1960's when they got the right.
 
Yeah, it's really stupid that Christopher Columbus gets recognized for what he did (and started for future generations of Americans) to the native people. Of course, the Native People came from Asia way way way back in history, but still, the Native Americans were here before Christopher Columbus, so it was there land. Now look where we are, and how Native Americans were confined to certain lands within the country they inhabited first back in history.
 
Fascinating thread. When people have asked me "What am I?" I always say "American". My family has been in this country for well over 100 years. After that many years, it's time to lose the old country, don't you think? ;)



My daughter once asked me if she was "Irish" and I said "No, you are American. If you went to Ireland that's what they would call you...An American".



I'm proud to be an American. :xyxthumbs :cool:
 
my parents came to brazil after ww2. i was born in brazil. my parents are of ukrainian nationality. i became an American citizen in 1967. served in the U.S. ARMY in 72-76 and consider myself an American.no ands ifs or buts about it!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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