Hyphenated-Americans

CorvusCorax77

I think we do all identify as human first.

if that was true i dont think groups like the KKK would exist.

Haha. Ok. Good point. I was assuming a universe of discourse where we were talking about reasonable people deciding whether it is better to identify as "American" or "_____- American."

Good point. But aside from sociopathic racists, I think we all identify as human first!

PlanetoftheAtheists

WendyTerry420

I think if you live in America and are an American citizen then your just American. IMHO I think this country is divided way too much. It would be nice to just agree we are Americans.

:drinker:

CorvusCorax77

To quote a Native American judge I met once:

"You can't swing a dead cat in Oklahoma without hittin' an Indian!"

ETA: the irony relating to your profile pic was entirely unintentional!

PapaverSomniferum

My favorite is when someone is 1/16th Cherokee or something similar just so they can claim to be part of some minority group in order to be just that one shade hipper. Sorry man. You're white.

That's what I always think too....

Ah, the elusive Cherohonkees of the WhiteFoot tribe. We have quite a few of that ethnic minority in this region.

nicola1141

I think my favourite example of this is a blog I read once about an Irish guy who went to stay in the States. He mentioned how he said he was Irish, and a bunch of the Americans he was with said "ooh, me too! on which side?" and he was like no...I'm actually from Ireland.

Happens to my parents ALL THE TIME when they go to the States!

greenmm25

I think its stupid I'm considered plain old American by being White with a Colonial/Mayflower/Irish Catholic mix of a background.

Then non Europeans are having to classify themselves under terms to group them. I believe we need groups as all our cultures are very important but still, we are all Americans! Our ancestry should just be what it is but if you are an American citizen you are NOT Chinese or African or Russian ect ect you are AMERICAN with a specific background.

Makes me wonder if it will split our country up in the future? Or if it will all just go away and we can coexist happily!

^Agreed!

hookilau

I think its stupid I'm considered plain old American by being White with a Colonial/Mayflower/Irish Catholic mix of a background.

Then non Europeans are having to classify themselves under terms to group them. I believe we need groups as all our cultures are very important but still, we are all Americans! Our ancestry should just be what it is but if you are an American citizen you are NOT Chinese or African or Russian ect ect you are AMERICAN with a specific background.

Makes me wonder if it will split our country up in the future? Or if it will all just go away and we can coexist happily!

^Agreed!

The problem is we're all 'Americans' until someone blows up the twin towers and then all of a sudden all brown people are suspect. My mother was in the supermarket with my son & was cursed out on Sept 13th or so of that year because it was a bad time to be brown :huh:

In the 80's when there was that whole thing with the Shah of Iran and the hostages, I was chased by a boy home from school one day, 'screaming go back to Iran!' again, a bad time to be brown. :noway:

Before the Iran thing, I was a 'gook'...:grumble:

CorvusCorax77

Intentionally left blank.

CorvusCorax77

I think its stupid I'm considered plain old American by being White with a Colonial/Mayflower/Irish Catholic mix of a background.

Then non Europeans are having to classify themselves under terms to group them. I believe we need groups as all our cultures are very important but still, we are all Americans! Our ancestry should just be what it is but if you are an American citizen you are NOT Chinese or African or Russian ect ect you are AMERICAN with a specific background.

Makes me wonder if it will split our country up in the future? Or if it will all just go away and we can coexist happily!

^Agreed!

The problem is we're all 'Americans' until someone blows up the twin towers and then all of a sudden all brown people are suspect. My mother was in the supermarket with my son & was cursed out on Sept 13th or so of that year because it was a bad time to be brown :huh:

In the 80's when there was that whole thing with the Shah of Iran and the hostages, I was chased by a boy home from school one day, 'screaming go back to Iran!' again, a bad time to be brown. :noway:

Before the Iran thing, I was a 'gook'...:grumble:

I agree that we can't unsee race, nor do I want us to eliminate our differences (because I like diversity).... Racism is real. We have to deal with it, not by pretending race doesn't exist.

BeachIron

I think its stupid I'm considered plain old American by being White with a Colonial/Mayflower/Irish Catholic mix of a background.

Then non Europeans are having to classify themselves under terms to group them. I believe we need groups as all our cultures are very important but still, we are all Americans! Our ancestry should just be what it is but if you are an American citizen you are NOT Chinese or African or Russian ect ect you are AMERICAN with a specific background.

Makes me wonder if it will split our country up in the future? Or if it will all just go away and we can coexist happily!

^Agreed!

The problem is we're all 'Americans' until someone blows up the twin towers and then all of a sudden all brown people are suspect. My mother was in the supermarket with my son & was cursed out on Sept 13th or so of that year because it was a bad time to be brown :huh:

In the 80's when there was that whole thing with the Shah of Iran and the hostages, I was chased by a boy home from school one day, 'screaming go back to Iran!' again, a bad time to be brown. :noway:

Before the Iran thing, I was a 'gook'...:grumble:

There are asshats in every country and culture. It's no more fair to blame every white person for the racist idiots that happen to be white than it is to blame every Muslim for the xenophobic asshats that blow themselves up. I think that once we accept that asshats are asshats, the rest of us can move on.

bunny1006

ok, well i don't think hyphenating is stupid.

if your white, your prob not getting discriminated against very much, and in the eyes of almost everyone, which part of europe your from doesn't matter.

but america is very racist, race matters. your race and heritage is a huge part of your identity. i think it's very understandable that many visible minorities would want to hyphenate.

And presumably labelling people of Caribbean descent who can go back many generations of ancestors who've never been anywhere near Africa as "African-Americans" because they're black and consequently might be African so we'll just make that assumption is a valid solution against racism?

I don't understand your point. I didn't say it was a "solution" to racism, I said since racism is so pervasive, a person of visible minority may understandably make their heritage part of their ancestry, since they are gonna be judged by it every day anyway. Not that much of a stretch lol.

Also, still not getting why people are making a distinction between being Black and having African ancestors. Do people not realize that all Black people have African ancestors?

So we are all racists, and there is no solution, so let's maintain racial prejudices in our language? Is that really what you are trying to say?

I'm not encouraging people to hyphenate, I'm just saying its totally understandable why some people would WANT to, it was a reply to those saying "hyphenating is stupid, I don't get it".

Also, look at all the white people (assuming by their profile pictures) going o and on about how it "doesn't matter" etc. This attitude of "I'm white, racism doesn't affect me, so why should I care? I'm gonna pretend racism doesn't exist, and that makes me a good, non-racist person" is what is troubling. On the one hand, yes it great that we want to live in a racism-free world, that is what we want. But denying the racism exists, that heritage and the labels just don't matter, is reallly insulting to those for whom their identity IS a part of their daily life, those who are systematically discrimminated because of it, those who are attacked because of it, those who feel excluded because of it. It doesn't address the issue, it just allows racism to go on without anyone taking notice of it.

^^^^^^This! It is utterly amazing to me the blatant disregard for the import of cultural background to others. It is self-centered to think that the only experience that counts is your own. My experience as a Black (or African-American, I'm not particular about the terms....just not colored, negro or n-word) person MATTERS to me AND it is different from that of other groups. Don't discount it!!!!

DallastheGemini

Also, look at all the white people (assuming by their profile pictures) going o and on about how it "doesn't matter" etc. This attitude of "I'm white, racism doesn't affect me, so why should I care? I'm gonna pretend racism doesn't exist, and that makes me a good, non-racist person" is what is troubling.

Not all "white" people have that mentality. I don't even know any "white" people who think that way. I know that racism exists. I've seen it affect my friends and I have also experienced it. In all reality, I don't think I'll see the death of racism in my life time. I can only hope that people will eventually grow up and realize that although we are all different on the outside, we are all the same on the inside.

bunny1006

Also, look at all the white people (assuming by their profile pictures) going o and on about how it "doesn't matter" etc. This attitude of "I'm white, racism doesn't affect me, so why should I care? I'm gonna pretend racism doesn't exist, and that makes me a good, non-racist person" is what is troubling.

Not all "white" people have that mentality. I don't even know any "white" people who think that way. I know that racism exists. I've seen it affect my friends and I have also experienced it. In all reality, I don't think I'll see the death of racism in my life time. I can only hope that people will eventually grow up and realize that although we are all different on the outside, we are all the same on the inside.

I'm sure that not all white people think this way (I know some who don't), but why is it soooooo important to be perceived as the same? Different is NOT bad. Its just different. In the words of Rodney King, "can't we all just get along" even as we acknowledge and celebrate our differences.