Hyphenated-Americans
KelleyGirl74
Posts: 182 Member
in Chit-Chat
Good afternoon everyone,
I'm in school. Currently taking a composition class. Our class project is to write a research paper. I would love to get the opinions of as many of you as I can. Here is the topic:
Mixed racial and cultural groups are growing in the United States. Should each group expect to be treated as a separate entity, or should residents of the United States be considered Americans without the hyphen?
I'm American. The politically correct term for me would be "African-American". However, personally, I have never done my ancestry on my father's side to know exactly if we are "Black" or of "African" descent. But I do know that my mother is White and Cherokee. Thus, leading me to review my thoughts on this and say so, I'm White-Cherokee-African-American? That seems a bit much for my tastes.
I don't identify with either side of my heritage more than the other. I have a friend who, before we were friends and had only spoken on the phone, said she was really shocked when she saw me for the first time. She said by the way I speak, "proper", she would have never guessed I was "Black". And our on-going joke is "Really? I don't know what gave you the impression that I'm Black. I think it's my lovely tan."
Anyway, my first question is American the only hyphenated country? Do the British say "African-British" or "Indian-British" or the Africans say "American-African" or "British-African"? You follow me on this?
Secondly, what is your take? If you wish you can inbox me or post it here. Please tell me the country you are in and/or your nationality if you wish to share it.
Thanks for your input. Have a healthy day!
Namaste,
Nika
I'm in school. Currently taking a composition class. Our class project is to write a research paper. I would love to get the opinions of as many of you as I can. Here is the topic:
Mixed racial and cultural groups are growing in the United States. Should each group expect to be treated as a separate entity, or should residents of the United States be considered Americans without the hyphen?
I'm American. The politically correct term for me would be "African-American". However, personally, I have never done my ancestry on my father's side to know exactly if we are "Black" or of "African" descent. But I do know that my mother is White and Cherokee. Thus, leading me to review my thoughts on this and say so, I'm White-Cherokee-African-American? That seems a bit much for my tastes.
I don't identify with either side of my heritage more than the other. I have a friend who, before we were friends and had only spoken on the phone, said she was really shocked when she saw me for the first time. She said by the way I speak, "proper", she would have never guessed I was "Black". And our on-going joke is "Really? I don't know what gave you the impression that I'm Black. I think it's my lovely tan."
Anyway, my first question is American the only hyphenated country? Do the British say "African-British" or "Indian-British" or the Africans say "American-African" or "British-African"? You follow me on this?
Secondly, what is your take? If you wish you can inbox me or post it here. Please tell me the country you are in and/or your nationality if you wish to share it.
Thanks for your input. Have a healthy day!
Namaste,
Nika
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Replies
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I'm American!! I generally don't refer to myself as an Irish-Scottish-Cree-Dutch-American. That would take too long. Nor do I refer to my friends by their ethnicity. And honestly, most of the time, I don't know my friends ethnicity.0
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Since of lot of scientist believe people originated in Africa, I guess that would make all Americans, African-American...
I agree that no one should be hyphenated, unless they personally immigrated here from another country and then became citizens. Otherwise we would all be hyphenated...
just my 2 cents :drinker:0 -
As an American, I don't use hyphenated labels. Mostly because I feel like all Americans either born or naturalized are Americans. If I must describe descent I say "An American of Asian descent" or "Hispanic descent", etc. But unless a person has dual citizenship and I know it, I'm not going to use hyphenated names. I also feel that hyphenated names give people a way to segregate themselves or others from each other and instead of things being an American problem it's a particular groups problem... even though the problem may exist across all ethnic backgrounds.
But to be snarky, on the demographic questionaires if it says "caucasian" I will check other and put "European-American" as I am a European Mutt (but mostly Anglo-Saxon-Jute) born and raised in American (5th generation).0 -
I feel as if sometimes people care a little *too much* about your background. For example, I'm Hispanic, and I have people ask me where I'm from all of the time. When I tell them I'm *from* Florida, they follow up with "but where are you REALLY from?" :huh:
I know where my parents were born, but I do not identify with their heritage. Quite honestly, they do not much either, so it sort of annoys me sometimes that people want to try and pry information about a country that we don't really think much about.0 -
I'm American!! I generally don't refer to myself as an Irish-Scottish-Cree-Dutch-American. That would take too long. Nor do I refer to my friends by their ethnicity. And honestly, most of the time, I don't know my friends ethnicity.
This is my point exactly, I'm not "technically" African. Do I have Africans in my heritage??? Heck if I know, but I just might. I don't doubt it being born and raised in America.
Thanks for the response so far. Please please, keep it coming. I need to feedback.UK here. I don't think it's as common oved here. I'm Scottish. I do also refer to myself as British or a Scottish Brit, but yeah, just Scottish normally. Please don't refer to me as English, nothing against the English, my husband is English, but still, just don't, same as referring to the whole of the UK as England, it's annoying.
I met my first Scotty or Scott or Scottish, back around the holidays (Xmas). I pegged his accent coming in the door. He was really nice and I just made a ton of conversation with him because I love the accent.
Thank you for that clarification. I get confused with the splitting of countries and such. I have been known to do that with the UK and England. I usually throw, "I think", on there cause I'm not sure.
Nika0 -
Some people in the UK would define themselves as British Asian (generally of South Asian origin, not the Far East) but it's not really a "thing" for British people of other ethnicities. We don't really do the ethnic hyphenating thing you guys do in the US. People just tend to be British, and don't specifiy if they have ancestry from say Italy, or Germany. I've always found it strange to hear Americans say things like "I'm Irish" or "I'm Italian", when referring to their ancestry. To me, "I'm Italian" means that you come from Italy. I can understand why, looking at the different histories of the US and UK, but it's just always sounded weird to me.Anyway, my first question is American the only hyphenated country? Do the British say "African-British" or "Indian-British" or the Africans say "American-African" or "British-African"? You follow me on this?
Namaste,
Nika
The English-Scottish-Irish-Welsh vs British thing is a whole other issue and to do with national identity rather than ethinicity. It varies widely, but in my experience, English people are a little more likely to identify as "British" whereas people from Scotland etc are more likely to identify as "Scottish" etc.0 -
For example, I'm Hispanic, and I have people ask me where I'm from all of the time. When I tell them I'm *from* Florida, they follow up with "but where are you REALLY from?" :huh:
Wow REally??? People are just rude.0 -
This thread is reminding me of the TV show Greg the Bunny with the puppets and humans living/working side by side. In one episode the puppets referred to themselves as "fabricated Americans," which really cracked me up.
The whole notion of 5th and 6th generation Americans insisting on being called xxxx-Americans is really silly and needs to stop. I agree with the comment from the person who said "American of Irish descent" or whatever, if someone is THAT determined to learn your family tree. Part of America's problem today is the constant push to label and separate people through quotas and affirmative action programs that help no one and have the opposite effect of their good intentions.
OP, Bill Cosby had a great speech on this subject recently, if you want to look that up for your research.0 -
Well I'm white/caucasian. I'm American, born and raised in Missouri. If I had to hyphenate my heritage. I am Irish-Scotish-German-French-Cherokee-American. very long since I'm a mut, lol My best friend in high school nick named me as "an Irish-Nazzi" lmao! Yes, I think its stupid to try and do the politically correct thing, we are all American's no need to try and classify everyone!0
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The whole notion of 5th and 6th generation Americans insisting on being called xxxx-Americans is really silly and needs to stop. I agree with the comment from the person who said "American of Irish descent" or whatever, if someone is THAT determined to learn your family tree. Part of America's problem today is the constant push to label and separate people through quotas and affirmative action programs that help no one and have the opposite effect of their good intentions.
This. Plenty of times I have been asked "What am I'... I always answer human or American. Nothing else really matters.0 -
I'm American. My ancestors were mostly German and Scottish, but other than appreciating sauerkraut and a good dark beer, I don't relate to my heritage much. I've never referred to myself as a Caucasian-American.
My boyfriend is from Mexico and is a naturalized U.S. citizen. He identifies strongly with home cultural, so if you were to ask him, he'd say he's Mexican, but he'd also say he's an American citizen.
His daughter, however, was born in the states, so she's American. Her race maybe half Hispanic and half Caucasian, but we don't identify her by a hyphen. She's American. She's Hispanic.
So...no hyphens all the way around for my little family, except when it comes to last names! lol!0 -
Since of lot of scientist believe people originated in Africa, I guess that would make all Americans, African-American...
I agree that no one should be hyphenated, unless they personally immigrated here from another country and then became citizens. Otherwise we would all be hyphenated...
just my 2 cents :drinker:
I completely agree with this. My father and my grandmother both immigrated from Germany, so yes, they were considered Germans (and technically, my grandmother was 100% Hungarian, while my father was 50/50 German and Hungarian) who lived in America.
If my family were to hyphenate ourselves, I'd be a German-Hungarian-Polish-Lithuanian-American, my husband would be an Italian-Norwegian-American, and our daughter would be an Italian-Norwegian-German-Hungarian-Polish-Lithuanian-American.
Instead, we are all Americans.0 -
I've always found it strange to hear Americans say things like "I'm Irish" or "I'm Italian", when referring to their ancestry. To me, "I'm Italian" means that you come from Italy. I can understand why, looking at the different histories of the US and UK, but it's just always sounded weird to me.
The English-Scottish-Irish-Welsh vs British thing is a whole other issue and to do with national identity rather than ethinicity. It varies widely, but in my experience, English people are a little more likely to identify as "British" whereas people from Scotland etc are more likely to identify as "Scottish" etc.
That's how I see it, too. We're *all* a wide mix of this, that and the other, but I think nationality should be one word - ie, where we're from....not where our parents or grandparents come from. Nationality is just that, the nation we 'belong' to, not our bloodline/heritage. That's a different thing altogether.
I'm English btw, aka British - but only one or the other at a time 0 -
I feel as if sometimes people care a little *too much* about your background. For example, I'm Hispanic, and I have people ask me where I'm from all of the time. When I tell them I'm *from* Florida, they follow up with "but where are you REALLY from?" :huh:
I know where my parents were born, but I do not identify with their heritage. Quite honestly, they do not much either, so it sort of annoys me sometimes that people want to try and pry information about a country that we don't really think much about.
I get the same thing... my response is from California... they always go no like where is your dad from.. He's from Texas, they get frustrated seriously where does your family come from. Than I go my father's family is from Texas when Texas became part of the USA... that makes me 7th generation American born. :smokin:0 -
My daughter is half Mexican. She is considered Mexican-American. However, she was born in America...raised in America. She is American.
Her father is very proud of his background, and we like to encourage her to be proud of who she is as well. So, we teach her that she is mexican-american.
For her, On paperwork where you put "ethnicity" it will always be "Caucasion" and then check the "hispanic origin" box LOL.0 -
I think it is for individuals to decide what they wish to be called. Depending on the context I might refer to myself as Indian, American or Indian-American. When I am in India, for example, I refer to myself as American. If I am discussing some context in which my ethnicity or heritage comes into play, I call myself Indian-American. If I were in some other country (other than India) I will call myself American.
White/European culture is still dominant in the United States, so it is understandable that European-Americans don't feel a need to identify as such - it's the default. For the time being, "American" means "white" to many people.
If I am discussing what it's like to be raised in an immigrant family, and I refer to myself as Indian-American, are you, with a straight face, going to tell me that I can't call myself Indian-American? My Polish friends would also refer to themselves as Polish in the same context.0 -
I'm American. If I were to hyphenate it, it would be German-Irish-English-American. Or I could call myself a White American or a Caucasian American. My dad is of only German descent and his genealogy has been traced back to Germany (I get all of my "muttness" from my mom), but I have never heard him and will never hear him refer to himself as a "German-American".
I know people like to remember their heritage, etc., but I think there are other ways to do that. (My family and I, for example, LOVE to get together German food).
Why can't we all just be proud to be American and still keep our heritage and traditions?0 -
I'm Black. Simple as that. How I see it anyhow.
American obviously. No hyphens.0 -
I am American. Born here. If I moved from another country it might make sense, but otherwise, you're an American. Hyphens work for EO reasons though.0
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I'm American. If I were to hyphenate it, it would be German-Irish-English-American. Or I could call myself a White American or a Caucasian American. My dad is of only German descent and his genealogy has been traced back to Germany (I get all of my "muttness" from my mom), but I have never heard him and will never hear him refer to himself as a "German-American".
I know people like to remember their heritage, etc., but I think there are other ways to do that. (My family and I, for example, LOVE to get together German food).
Why can't we all just be proud to be American and still keep our heritage and traditions?
I am proud to be American, and also identify as Indian-American in some contexts. The two aren't mutually exclusive.0 -
I think, hyphenate if it matters.
People hyphenate ethnicities when they're new to a place (between 1 & 3 generations, usually). Or, if their ethnicity has an important place in the larger culture -- because of contributions to the larger culture, discrimination (often both at the same time). Or, if they live in a place where there are a lot of ethnicities (usually, hyphenation is only even a possibility because that is true). Hyphenating always marks you off from the dominant culture.
You stop hyphenating when the part that's marked off really doesn't matter any more, when your life is not affected by being in that category. LIke, being Gerrman-Scottish-American vs American. Makes no difference, doesn't matter.
In the US, the "African" part of "African-American" usually matters, a lot.
But, if it doesn't matter to you, go with American, if that's where your heart & mind are.0 -
I'm American!! I generally don't refer to myself as an Irish-Scottish-Cree-Dutch-American. That would take too long. Nor do I refer to my friends by their ethnicity. And honestly, most of the time, I don't know my friends ethnicity.
This is my point exactly, I'm not "technically" African. Do I have Africans in my heritage??? Heck if I know, but I just might. I don't doubt it being born and raised in America.
Thanks for the response so far. Please please, keep it coming. I need to feedback.UK here. I don't think it's as common oved here. I'm Scottish. I do also refer to myself as British or a Scottish Brit, but yeah, just Scottish normally. Please don't refer to me as English, nothing against the English, my husband is English, but still, just don't, same as referring to the whole of the UK as England, it's annoying.
I met my first Scotty or Scott or Scottish, back around the holidays (Xmas). I pegged his accent coming in the door. He was really nice and I just made a ton of conversation with him because I love the accent.
Thank you for that clarification. I get confused with the splitting of countries and such. I have been known to do that with the UK and England. I usually throw, "I think", on there cause I'm not sure.
Nika
Sorry but I don't quite get the part where you say you don't know if your heritage is African... obviously your ancestors were from Africa some point. If you are Black, you must have African ancestry, no?
Canada is like the US, some people will hyphenate, some will not, and I know plenty of "Italians" and "Greeks" etc who've never left Canada lol.
As for me, my father's grandparents came from the Ukraine (allegedly, likely to have some Swedish and Polish in there too) and my mom is either French-Canadian or Quebecoise, depending which term you want to use. I would never say Quebecker though, I hate that word! In Quebec these labels don't mean much, what matters here more than race, is what language you speak. Most people are either Francophone or Anglophone. I'm considered an Anglo, which is weird considering I have French ancestry and zero English lol.
I could say I'm Ukrainian-French-Canadian, but I don't. I'm either Quebecoise or Canadian, depending on the context. And a ginger. I mostly identify as a ginger who can tan. That's me!0 -
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!0 -
Since of lot of scientist believe people originated in Africa, I guess that would make all Americans, African-American...
I agree that no one should be hyphenated, unless they personally immigrated here from another country and then became citizens. Otherwise we would all be hyphenated...
just my 2 cents :drinker:
Agreed.0 -
I'm American. I don't get the whole hyphen thing. I was born here. I am an American citizen... so I am an American.
I have a rich heritage of other cultures, but I wasn't born there and I don't pay taxes there so I am not going hyphen them in with my American background. The United States is such a huge melting pot of different cultures anyways I think it is just assumed anyways you have somewhere in your history an ancestor or two (at least) that migrated here.0 -
I do not understand the whole blah-blah-blah-American.
Seriously, it is stupid.
I am British.
My parents where Irish/Bohemian and French-Jewish/Austrian
Which would make me Irish-Bohemian-French-Jewish-Austrian-British, although as I was born on a .mil base on the Island of Crete, perhaps I should add Greek in there too ?
Hi, I'm Em, I am Irish-Bohemian-French-Jewish-Austrian-Greek-British.
My passport says British, I am British. I am British.
My BFF is American, but her parents are Japanese and Jamaican. Her great-great-grandfather was an American slave owner too, so I guess she is 1/16th or 1/32nd white ?
She refers to herself as 'American' as she was born her. Her facial features are kind of Japanese - she looks very much like her mother, but she has golden skin and a decent 'fro'. She really is rather stunning looking. Smart too....
The more of a melting pot we become, the less the divisions and the colors of our skin will make any sense.
Referring to someone as 'African American' is exactly the same as pointing out that there skin is not white. I see it as racist and unnecessary..0 -
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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.0 -
I really dislike the term American for several reasons, the first being that the continent is North America. I understand that it's compiled of Canada, The United States of America and Mexico but it seems simple-minded to have even started calling citizens of the United States, Americans in the first place. Technically, anyone from Canada or Mexico are also Americans because they do indeed live in North America. I suppose you could apply that to South America as well.
The second reason it really "grinds my gears" is that you have two distinctions with two different meanings. "I'm American." = "I come from America, I have American citizenship." But I'm Caucasian too! "I'm African-American." = "I'm black and I live in America, have American citizenship." Or maybe just black! Without extensive genetic testing, this hardly seems like a method to just keep tabs on how many of a certain race populates the country. It feels like an obvious racial issue to me and I don't think that black people should have to identify as African-American anymore than I think white people should have to identify as Caucasian-American.
Ethnicity: If you are an immigrant to the United States and have been granted citizenship, you're an American. I don't think that you should be able to hyphenate but only because it's potentially detrimental to yourself. It only makes it more difficult to integrate into the community and state if you are walking around calling yourself "X-American." There are no rules that say you have to give up your cultural beliefs, religion, heritage just because your passport changes. I feel like the United States are just now starting to really embrace being culturally diverse and until it's fully opened its arms, you put yourself at risk if you *must* identify with your country of origin as well. Is it fair? Nope. Will it ever change? Hopefully.
My own personal experience: I was born and raised in the United States. I am now a permanent resident of Norway and intend to renounce my citizenship at the end of the year. I won't be an American-Norwegian, I'll be a Norwegian.
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I think in certain specific circumstances hyphenation or an equivalent may be required. If you want to say your parents are from Mexico for example, Mexican-American is a fairly reasonable way to do that.
However as a general principle I find it a little weird. It seems so exclusionary. If you want to end discrimination, labeling citizens by racial group and reminding people of the label every few sentences seems like an odd decision.
I realize that's a bit of a schism. Some people want to proudly display their heritage or whatever. In the past everyone being assimilated into a homogenous whole was seen as the ultimate goal more commonly.
I don't think you need to be absolutist. People can have their traditions. But I'm really not sure the whole paradigm where we talk about what 'Latino Voters' think and so-forth is remotely healthy. It's a very stereotypical view, quite cynical, and rather "Us and them"
Side note. Most of my recent ancestors were British. People would laugh at me if I went around insisting that I be referred to as an British-American. I have no idea if this means anything...0
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