NationStates Jolt Archive

One thing that drives me insane is the hyphenated-Americans. Are there any Americans left anymore? Or are you all African-Americans, Spanish-Americans, Asian-Americans...and so on?

Come on its rediculous. Do you see the rest of the world being embarassed to call them what they are? Are there African-French, African-Brits, or Asian-Africans? No....its just plain stupid.

This all started with black people and how rediculous political correctness has gotten. You wonder why the nation is so divided. Its because we aren't one people anymore.

I am Canadian-American, have you got a problem with that?

I'm a non-American.

Well the only true american here is Salishe.

My back ground is Polish-American and Scottish-American! :p

I'm American-American, and darn proud of it.

Also, I disagree with the nation divided comment.

We aren't killing each other in the streets.

We just argue all the time! ;)

Also, I disagree with the nation divided comment.

We aren't killing each other in the streets.

We just argue all the time! ;)

Sure we are....Have you watched the news recently

I live in Southern California, and there is practically every single race here. I have only heard of African-American. And the African-Americans call themselves black. If a person is Asian, they'll say they're asian. If they're Hispanic, they'll say they're Hispanic.

So I don't see the problem here. Maybe it's what you read.
Me? I'm a full American. I don't have time to tell people I'm half Indian, half Colombian.

My ethnicity is Fish, so I'm Anglo-Fish.

Are there any Americans left anymore?

300+ million and growing. Nothing wrong with a little pride in heritage. Personally, though, I'm not an American ... I'm a Texan. Huge difference.

This all started with black people

No ... this all started with the American Revolution ... many immigrants called themselves "Irish American" or "Italian American" when black people were still property in this country.

You wonder why the nation is so divided.

No I don't.

Its because we aren't one people anymore.

So ... are you a Nazi or a Unitarian?

It grew in popularity with the rise in political correctness that was associated with calling people black. Black people may call themselves black now but thankfully there is a small decline in that particular segment of political correctness. But we still see it raging in most other areas.

Yes, I know. I never understood people's preoccupation with race.

Yes, I know. I never understood people's preoccupation with race.

Well it could be simply wanting to know where you are from originally.

Then again it could simply be immaturity.

There is always Senator J. Billington Bulworth's solution for race problems! ;)

Well the only true american here is Salishe.

My back ground is Polish-American and Scottish-American! :p

i dont believe i agree with that. after all before there were americans, there were people living on this continent in their own "nations". they werent americans, they were members of over 500 different nations. they became americans over time. i dont remember what tribe salishe is from but they may well have become "americans" after my ancestors did. even though they WAY predate any ashmore living on this continent

there is nothing wrong with being interested or proud of your ethnic background. i have never labelled myself anglo/lithunanian-american but i see no problem with anyone else claiming their heritage.

What about people like Colin Powell. is he an African-Jamaican-American? can you have two hyphens?

noooo there is a legal limit on the number of hyphens in the world. if HE gets to use 2 some poor kid somewhere has to go without

i dont believe i agree with that. after all before there were americans, there were people living on this continent in their own "nations". they werent americans, they were members of over 500 different nations. they became americans over time. i dont remember what tribe salishe is from but they may well have become "americans" after my ancestors did. even though they WAY predate any ashmore living on this continent

there is nothing wrong with being interested or proud of your ethnic background. i have never labelled myself anglo/lithunanian-american but i see no problem with anyone else claiming their heritage.


Oh I know. But the fact that they were living here long before the Europeans.....

Still it's a silly complaint. The Scottish side has lived here since Collodin. Does that make me Scottish? Hardly. Just an american with a Scottish heritage.

Now the Polish side has only been here 2 generations. People ask my background. I say I am a Pole.....

How is wanting to identify oneself as any nationality before American wrong? Your all still American. The spirit is still American.

Canada has the same usage of hyphenated nationalities. I'm Polish Canadian, first generation.

its funny how people label themselves

my cousin considers himself italian-american because he has an italian last name

but the truth is his mother is anglo (decended from benjamin franklin) and his fathers mother was polish-american

so hes about 1/4 italian-american.

it makes sense to him.

is the black forest referring to the battle of Culloden, by any chance?

why black forest then? what has that got to do with Scotland or Poland?

it is so funny and silly how people in America sometimes define themselves as this or that. first and foremost, they are americans, for they mostly don't know much about what it would really mean to be of the nationality they descend from.

otherwise i could go running around saying i am a subject of the Austro-Hungarian empire, because that is the last historical entity with which i can identify, yet my great-grandparents were the last in my family to born as its citizens

I am an American-American.

is the black forest referring to the battle of Culloden, by any chance?

why black forest then? what has that got to do with Scotland or Poland?

it is so funny and silly how people in America sometimes define themselves as this or that. first and foremost, they are americans, for they mostly don't know much about what it would really mean to be of the nationality they descend from.

otherwise i could go running around saying i am a subject of the Austro-Hungarian empire, because that is the last historical entity with which i can identify, yet my great-grandparents were the last in my family to born as its citizens


It's called little sleep due to a 3 year old. Never mind the fact that my spelling is rather horrible.

As to the BF handle? Well that was because when I got the "What do you want to call your nation" I blanked and pulled it out of my butt! Couldn't even spell that one right either! ;) I could make up a lie and say it was a pun on Nathanial Bedford.....

Finally, I know much more then you think. My family came over here after the battle(well ran is the proper word ;) ). I still have relatives over there.

What about people like Colin Powell. is he an African-Jamaican-American? can you have two hyphens?

Well I'm an Irish-Jewish-Caddo-Texan-American .... can I have four?

:D

i mean absolutely no offence, dear Cullodonian. sorry, silly pun there.

black forest is rather amusing. too bad, i tried to change my name, and it seems to be impossible.

ever been to the black forest? it's alright, full of weird Germans though, who speak with a stupid accent. it gets too warm for my taste, too.

Something to consider for the hyphenated nationalities.

People forget the US is a melting pot for the world. I can probably bet that we have somebody that has migrated from just about every nation on the planet here.

How many nations can claim that?

One thing that drives me insane is the hyphenated-Americans. Are there any Americans left anymore? Or are you all African-Americans, Spanish-Americans, Asian-Americans...and so on?

Come on its rediculous. Do you see the rest of the world being embarassed to call them what they are? Are there African-French, African-Brits, or Asian-Africans? No....its just plain stupid.

This all started with black people and how rediculous political correctness has gotten. You wonder why the nation is so divided. Its because we aren't one people anymore.

This did not start with African-Americans; such an assertion shows a great deal of ignorance and bigotry.

I am part Sicilian-American and part Puerto Rican (which is already an American citizen, though many don't seem to recognize it). I have been for nearly four decades. My family has been here since 1908 -- yes, I know, not "real Americans" to some. Simply because I choose to recognize that I have a TRUE American background, an IMMIGRANT background -- (mine is Italian and Hispanic roots with some true Spanish and Maltese tossed in) makes me no less an American than anyone else. (And please, Canadians and Mexicans, I don't mean to slight you -- I am speaking simply of being a citizen of the United States, not of the Americas as a whole.)

Theodore Roosevelt, in 1915, made a speech about not having hyphenated Americans, but if you read it carefully, you will see that he makes a big distinction between the person who is proud of their heritage but firstly an American, rather than one who lives here but refers to some other place as "their country." I am in the former rather than latter category.

I am sorry that you are so ashamed of your ancestors that you need attack anyone who is proud to say where they came from on the journey to being a citizen of the United States of America.

i mean absolutely no offence, dear Cullodonian. sorry, silly pun there.

black forest is rather amusing. too bad, i tried to change my name, and it seems to be impossible.

ever been to the black forest? it's alright, full of weird Germans though, who speak with a stupid accent. it gets too warm for my taste, too.

None taken old boy!

As to Germany? Not yet. On my list of todos! I have Wunderlust! I love visting foreign lands. Done ok so far. Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Israel, India, Singapore, Sweden, Mexico, all Provinces of Canada, and finally all 50 states.

I am slated for a Japan, China, Korea, India run for work. They have also mentioned an England, Germany, and France run as well. But no news on it so far! :(

please, no talk of shame and pride!
we happen to be born in certain places, we happen to be born to certain people. why should pride or shame be involved in such mere coincidences? nationalism and patriotism, to a lesser extent, are viral diseases which have caused so much harm and misery, especially on the European continent in the past, and currently especially in Africa. it helps absolutely no one when one nations proclaims itselft to be the greatest on earth. it is small-minded and paranoid.

sorry about this, but i have to go along with Dr Samuel Johnson "Patriotism is the last resort of a coward".

None taken old boy!

As to Germany? Not yet. On my list of todos! I have Wunderlust! I love visting foreign lands. Done ok so far. Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Israel, India, Singapore, Sweden, Mexico, all Provinces of Canada, and finally all 50 states.

I am slated for a Japan, China, Korea, India run for work. They have also mentioned an England, Germany, and France run as well. But no news on it so far! :(

wunderlust is a great word. as you might have devined, i am german and i currently reside in this country, but not for much longer. i am restless, and i am looking forward to studying in Britain so much. Germany is so German, full of Germans. funny people. but come and see for yourself, parts of it are picturesque, and Berlin is one of Europe's coolest cities

I never quite noticed when America switched from the melting pot to celebrating diversity. Nor what's better about a nation of self-labelings.

What I don't understand is why people are afraid of adjectives ....

I mean ... suppose your kid says, "Oooh! Look at that brown dog!"

Would you say, "It's just a dog, honey, don't label it! Labelling is wrong!"

Pfft.

I say to generalize is to dehumanize. Yeah, I'm an American, but I'm a hell of a lot more than just that. "American" doesn't define me ... I'd need about ten thousand hyphens to even come close.

please, no talk of shame and pride!
we happen to be born in certain places, we happen to be born to certain people. why should pride or shame be involved in such mere coincidences? nationalism and patriotism, to a lesser extent, are viral diseases which have caused so much harm and misery, especially on the European continent in the past, and currently especially in Africa. it helps absolutely no one when one nations proclaims itselft to be the greatest on earth. it is small-minded and paranoid.

sorry about this, but i have to go along with Dr Samuel Johnson "Patriotism is the last resort of a coward".

If you're addressing this to me, then rein in, bucko, I never said the US was the best place on earth, or that anywhere else was, for that matter.

Yes, who we're born to is a complete chance -- but better to be grateful for one's heritage and know why and how one came to be where one is than walk through life with no sense of context and self.

My heritage is as much a part of me as my accomplishments and failures. Ignoring it would ignore why I view the world as I do -- right or wrong. Denying it would be denying who I am.

I see nothing wrong with cherishing traditions, music, culture and food of both one's past and one's present and future.

One thing that drives me insane is the hyphenated-Americans. Are there any Americans left anymore? Or are you all African-Americans, Spanish-Americans, Asian-Americans...and so on?

Come on its rediculous. Do you see the rest of the world being embarassed to call them what they are? Are there African-French, African-Brits, or Asian-Africans? No....its just plain stupid.

This all started with black people and how rediculous political correctness has gotten. You wonder why the nation is so divided. Its because we aren't one people anymore.


Hey dude, I am Southern-American, and I am proud. Kidding aside, I am quite certain that such members of ethnic and national groups appreciate and would like to be respected for being a part of said group, and that they have no problem with being called African-American, Spanish-American, etc. I resist your attempts at assimilation.

One thing that drives me insane is the hyphenated-Americans. Are there any Americans left anymore? Or are you all African-Americans, Spanish-Americans, Asian-Americans...and so on?

Come on its rediculous. Do you see the rest of the world being embarassed to call them what they are? Are there African-French, African-Brits, or Asian-Africans? No....its just plain stupid.

This all started with black people and how rediculous political correctness has gotten. You wonder why the nation is so divided. Its because we aren't one people anymore.

I think it is more a pain in the neck than anything else. It is beyond me why anyone would waste their time using "Asian-American", etc. I am just American.