NationStates Jolt Archive

I am curious, since Nationalism is the topic for my senior thesis for my B.A., what does everyone consider themselves?

Me, I'm from America, from New York, from Long Island. America is odd in this example.

When I am on Long Island, I'm from Elmont. When I'm in New York, I'm from Long Island. When I'm in the US I'm from New York. But while I am American, no if, ands, or butts, I consider myself New Yorkan over everything else. When someone from another country asks me where I'm from I say, "New York."

So curiosity killed the cat? What do you guys/girls consider yourselves? It'll be used in my thesis maybe. (35 pages on Chechen nationalism but my methodological section in the beginning needs evidence of nationalist ties).

American!

Would it not be one's nationality?
I consider myself English most of the time rather than British.

I always designate myself by the names of my two countries.

I'd pretty much react the same way as you, just replace New York with New Jersey. Although, if I was talking to a foreigner I'd probably just say America unless he asked for specifics.

im Northern Irish

not British, not Irish - Northern Irish

At this juncture in history, American through and through. :)

Would it not be one's nationality?
I consider myself English most of the time rather than British.

Technically yes. Therein the difficulty that is definition.

To define the word nation and therein it's derivatives is no easy task. We've studied some dozen people and none of them can give a sufficient definition. Glad to see someone raised that.

Heiligkeit: What are those out of curiosity?

GnOoLoCoPeLep: Jersey? You mean the future Colony of New York? LOL jk.

connecticut...or new england depending on where i am

im Northern Irish

not British, not Irish - Northern Irish

Alas. I think Hirgizstan will say the same as ye. I must wait to find out. It may help others in my class, one is doing Northern Ireland. If you consider yourself Northern Irish and not Irish then do you want a unified Ireland? No I don't want this to become flame city.

I consider myself, above any ties to any nation, a member of the human race.

I'm British. Not English, British. 25% English, 25% Welsh, 25% Northen Irish, 25% Scottish.

I consider myself, above any ties to any nation, a member of the human race.

Oh didn't except one of those though from your nation name it's understandable. I like that one.

as Lee Greenwood best said it: "I'M PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN/ WHERE AT LEAST I KNOW I'M FREE!"

As Neo-Anarchists, a member of the species above all else.

I guess I have a slight tendancy to call myself 'European', but this is a bond I'd break in an instant if Europe pissed me off. No loyalty, just a faint association.

I was born in America(Chicago)...My parents are both from Germany...I have a passport for both countries.

I consider myself, above any ties to any nation, a member of the human race.

Whoa, that's true. Well said.

But to satisfy the general public, I wouldn't know. I was born and bred in Sweden, lived here my entire life. Though, my parents are Serbian (with german and russian blood a few generations back)... but... Serbia hasn't done sh*t for me so I consider myself Swedish.

Alas. I think Hirgizstan will say the same as ye. I must wait to find out. It may help others in my class, one is doing Northern Ireland. If you consider yourself Northern Irish and not Irish then do you want a unified Ireland? No I don't want this to become flame city.
ok, i wont get into a discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of a united Ireland or remaining in the UK, but personally i think dual sovereignty is the best idea, with the people being British or Irish depending on who they felt most affinity with

not sure how, or if, it would work though

EDIT: And not calling yourself Irish or British stops arguments...but it confuses people in other countries

I consider myself English for the most part. I have Scottish heritage though (right back to Bannockburn). I'd call myself British but I prefer to separate myself from the Irish problem because, quite frankly, I've had enough of it.
Calling myself English includes Wales, by the way, because as far as I'm concerned it's merely England but with more consonants on their road signs and a slightly different variant of Countdown: "Can I have a consonant please, Myfanwy? And another one. And another one. And another. ..." :D

I'm not a nationalist, by the way. I'm a strong socialist. I don't believe in national boundaries - as far as I am concerned, they are an obstruction.

I'm Norwegian, a citizen (at least when I'm 18 in 5 months) of the Kingdom of Norway, and damn proud of it! :)

Europeans, from what I have seen, have a significant number of "faint associations." I'm glad you brought that up.

What I find funny about Americans and I find myself doing it too. People ask you what you are, you say Irish, Italian, or some other combination. Hell I have, on many occassions just said Irish, though I am Irish, German, Italian, and Scottish. I have a majority of Irish in my ancestry and have Irish skin ;). But alas, New York is my home.

I'm an American Pole. My mommy is Polish and i've lived there for a short amount of time. But i consider myslef mainly an American, with Polish influence and background.

ok, i wont get into a discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of a united Ireland or remaining in the UK, but personally i think dual sovereignty is the best idea, with the people being British or Irish depending on who they felt most affinity with

not sure how, or if, it would work though

EDIT: And not calling yourself Irish or British stops arguments...but it confuses people in other countries

Interesting indeed. You are right. When they scream for "Ireland" all you say is, "Well I'm Northern Irish. I don't feel a bond with you." Most interesting indeed!

This is going well and civilized. I like it!

But to satisfy the general public, I wouldn't know. I was born and bred in Sweden, lived here my entire life. Though, my parents are Serbian (with german and russian blood a few generations back)... but... Serbia hasn't done sh*t for me so I consider myself Swedish.
Ah, I shall satisfy the general public as well. In terms of ancestry, I'm mostly Irish and French, with a tiny bit of Finnish. I don't feel any specific allegiance to any of these countries though, nor to the US where I was born and raised.

I never identify myself with a country. If pressed then Manchester, unless I am talking to another Mancunian in which case I say where abouts I live.

I am an Earthican, than an American, then a city-dweller. That's about it for me.

At the top-most teir I am Scottish,
next I am Brittish,
then European.

Mine is similar, but slightly different. I'm from Yorkville, a small town that is, more or less, a suburb of Chicago (it's far enough away to be iffy). If I'm in the suburbs, I tell people the name of my town. If I'm elsewhere in Illinois, I introduce myself as from the "south suburbs," and if whoever I'm speaking to is also from the area I might then specify the town. However, I consider myself an American before I'd consider myself a Yorkvill-ian, an Illinois-ian, or a south-suburbanite. I might identify as a Midwesterner before American, but usually not. Maybe if I were from Chicago proper rather than a tiny suburb, then I might identify with the city more, but as it stands, my little home town is not especially impressive on a global scale.

Interesting indeed. You are right. When they scream for "Ireland" all you say is, "Well I'm Northern Irish. I don't feel a bond with you." Most interesting indeed!

This is going well and civilized. I like it!
well, i wouldnt mind particularly if Northern Ireland went either way - they both have advantages and disadvantages - but ive always felt more "loyal" to Northern Ireland than to either of the countries that might have a claim on it, i think its something about the Northern Irish being able to really take the piss out of themselves, and an almost unique "national" character and a pretty unique sense of humour

although, i will always support the Republic over England in football. And the Irish rugby team which is made up from both parts of the island...one of the few completely successful joins of..stuff

Ah, I shall satisfy the general public as well. In terms of ancestry, I'm mostly Irish and French, with a tiny bit of Finnish. I don't feel any specific allegiance to any of these countries though, nor to the US where I was born and raised.

Let me correct my post, Serbia has indeed done something for me. They have threatened to draft me as soon as I turn 18 in case of a second Kosovo war, which is predicted to happen pretty much when I turn 18 in about a year.

Now that's something...

First and foremost, I am an ambassador for Christ. That allegience trumps all others. Among my more temporal affiliations, I do strongly love my own country, the United States of America. I also will identify myself as an Ohioan (Ohio being the state where I was born and grew up) or a Hoosier (Indiana being the state where I live now), depending on the situation and how the label suits my needs.

Let me correct my post, Serbia has indeed done something for me. They have threatened to draft me as soon as I turn 18 in case of a second Kosovo war, which is predicted to happen pretty much when I turn 18 in about a year.

Now that's something...
Sounds like loads of fun...
How do they draft you if you live in Sweden?

Sounds like loads of fun...
How do they draft you if you live in Sweden?

I got both swedish and serbian citizenship. I would gladly rid myself of the latter, but I need it. Gah!

Sounds like loads of fun...
How do they draft you if you live in Sweden?

That's something I'm wondering too. In Norway, the only people to draft you is the Norwegian military, and even there they don't do it untill you're 19...

i currently live in america, however, i hold my race more strongly than country. so i'd say i'm a quarter polish chipawaen scottish and welsh. but like neo-anarchist, except in a much greater form, all life is equal, so just to say i'm a live form that descended from the first archaea in some boiling mud pit somewhere satisfies me. heheheh

i currently live in america, however, i hold my race more strongly than country. so i'd say i'm a quarter polish chipawaen scottish and welsh. but like neo-anarchist, except in a much greater form, all life is equal, so just to say i'm a live form that descended from the first archaea in some boiling mud pit somewhere satisfies me. heheheh

LOOK! AN ALIEN! :mp5:

That's something I'm wondering too. In Norway, the only people to draft you is the Norwegian military, and even there they don't do it untill you're 19...

Ah yes, normally the Swedish and Serbian authorities wouldn't mind bug you about the military service until you are 19, but if, as they predict, another war errupts down there then they lower the age limit to 18 (unless it's been changed or if they are just screwing around with me).

But my mum is going to fix something so that only the country that I currently reside in can, ever, draft me. Wohoo! ;) So, I'm really not .that worried, but still..

LOOK! AN ALIEN! :mp5:
LOL

But seriously though. I guess that I could say that first, I'm from Bergen (speaking to people from other areas close by). Then, from the western parts of Norway (talking to people from the other parts of the country). Then Norwegian (speaking to foreigners like you guys. No offence).

Ah yes, normally the Swedish and Serbian authorities wouldn't mind bug you about the military service until you are 19, but if, as they predict, another war errupts down there then they lower the age limit to 18 (unless it's been changed or if they are just screwing around with me).

But my mum is going to fix something so that only the country that I currently reside in can, ever, draft me. Wohoo! ;) So, I'm really not .that worried, but still..

You know, you could just refuse. Say that they have no right to do that, being that you are in Sweden and entering the Swedish military (which is inferior to the Norwegian BTW ;) )..

What I find funny about Americans and I find myself doing it too. People ask you what you are, you say Irish, Italian, or some other combination. Hell I have, on many occassions just said Irish, though I am Irish, German, Italian, and Scottish. I have a majority of Irish in my ancestry and have Irish skin ;). But alas, New York is my home.

I do the same, actually, but it's a bit difficult, as I have ancestors of a host of ethnic groups throughout cental and eastern Europe, and it's hard to track down the actual ethnicity of some since they all emigrated before the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire... For the most part, I either call my self a Polish-German-Czech-Croatian-American, or just an Eastern European mut, both of which cover most bases. I do identify most strongly with my Polish background, since it does represent a plurality of my ancestors, not a majority. Plus, I have a Polish surname, and hear waaay too many Polak-jokes because of it.

I consider myself a Southern American.

You know, you could just refuse. Say that they have no right to do that, being that you are in Sweden and entering the Swedish military (which is inferior to the Norwegian BTW ;) )..

Hey man, I still consider myself swedish man. No talk about inferiority here! :D You know what, I'm an one man army (think Rambo+Arnold+Jean-Claude+whoever else I can think of x10). That's why the swedes are disbanding everything, 'cause as soon as I join the armed forces they won't need anything else ;) . So.. the competition between nations for my services is tough.. ;) </joke>

1. American

2. Badger (University of Wisconsin undergrad ed.)

3. Wisconsinite (though I now live in Tennessee... perhaps I'm a Wisconessean or a Tennesconsinite. hehe)

4. Native of the Island City of Minocqua, WI .. home to about 250 lakes

Hey man, I still consider myself swedish man. No talk about inferiority here! :D You know what, I'm an one man army (think Rambo+Arnold+Jean-Claude+whoever else I can think of x10). That's why the swedes are disbanding everything, 'cause as soon as I join the armed forces they won't need anything else ;) . So.. the competition between nations for my services is tough.. ;) </joke>

You ever played Silent Heroes?

Earthean? That sounds phonetically odd but still gets the point across.

You ever played Silent Heroes?

Ok, not to get off-topic here but, No, I havn't played it. I know what it is though, ;) . My current comp is from sometime BC, but I got a newer one coming in in about a week or so, :D

First a Portuguese, then a European, then a citizen of the world :D

I am an Earthican, than an American, then a city-dweller. That's about it for me.

It's Terrien, not Earthican :) Other thatn that, I'm about the same. Though I do hold a strong intrest in England due to my Mom still being a British Subject.

My Mom's an Alien! ;)

All labels are bad. They give people a free shot to judge you.

Canuck
followed by albertain

okay, okay

using my ancestors

I am a:

Norman/Saxon/Celt

I consider myself human, inhabitant of the planet Earth.

The small town were I grew up Maasbree (in Limburg ,Holland). Even though I live in Eindhoven now.

Nationality? American

Heritage? Predominantly Scot/Irish.

If I'm on line and chatting with others around the world, and say "I'm from Vermont", most people have no clue where that is in the US, but once I say up near Canada they understand.

It's a shame that the knowledge of the world's geography (sometimes including your own $%$#$ country) is as bad as it is.

I think that what one nation that one feels one belongs too is not that simple. After all it is really just what you see yourself as being and others perceive you to be.

I am American in the sense that is what it says on my passport. However, I don't really feel American.

The past few years I have lived in Wales, and I feel more attachment to Wales than I do America. I feel that I fit in there better in Wales and don't have as many close friends in the States as I do in Wales but I don't know that I am Welsh. To me the US is just were my family lives and I know a few people. Outside of my family, I know more Greek people that I talk to or email than Americans and I have never been to Greece.

I don't feel British but I think that is because in general the Welsh in general don't feel to attached to the British state. Now I am in France and as far as people that I associate with I feel the most comfortable amongst the British people here and people sometime introduce me as Welsh.

I have a lot of friends from all around Europe as well so I have some sense of feeling European and would say that I feel that more European than British but I don't know that I would say more than Welsh.

However, my feeling of attachment might change as I here long and my French improves. I think that, unless that you really strongly attached to a nation, nationality is something very fluid.

Flemish. This ATM card sized ID says Belgium though. Fancy digital plastic. If the govt. in the UK would try something like this, why, it'd be received as Hitler's victory or something. The way I feel it, people have gotten used to too much government interference here. I'm mostly neutral towards this card though.

Belgium is only 175 years old.
For me, a people must have a history and common culture to be considered as a people. In most cases nation building is an internal development, mostly from base to top. Not top to base (imposed by an authoritarian centralist government), and not by external factors. Let me explain. Belgium was probably created between two walzes on a conference in Vienna in the first half of the 19th century.

In my book, a recent, made up country that is not based on one single ,more or less distinct, people with a common history and culture, doesn't have enough identity.(yet, and may never have in case the country splits up).

If the different peoples/regions/nations/states are too small in population, they'll be forced to cooperate with other peoples/regions/nations/states. A federation, confederacy, whatever. Again, this should be a natural, mostly base to top development.

Flemings and Walloons are just too different for me, with the most important factor being language. They speak French. They're more socialist, less densely populated, they are more oriented towards France, with whom they share a language and much of their culture.

However, because I, as a Fleming, speak Dutch doesn't neccesarily mean I have more sympathy for the Netherlands than for France or Germany.

I am a quite moderate, pragmatic nationalist. Most of the separatist movements we have here can't be seperated from conservative far-right wing xenophobe supporters, many of whom collaborated with the nazis during WW II. Can't have much sympathy for that.



Lastly, if I were in the neighbouring countries, I would say Flanders if someone asked me where I was from. Further abroad I'd say Belgium, and ever further away, Europe. That's mostly because I wouldn't be sure if the people there would even have heard from this region or this country.


My conclusions:

nationalism could be seen as collective egoism, in some cases more exclusive than others (wish there was a more neutral term for egoism).

If you decide how nationalistic you want to be, you must take into account:
-that you have to be able to distinguish a common background, culture, history, etc
-how far you want to distinguish or generalise.
-how much sense it makes to identify yourself as a member of a unique people, after having seen the consequences of exaggerated nationalism.
-how much sense it makes to identify yourself as a unique people, knowing that you can't be isolated and must cooperate with other peoples, regions or nations.

I consider myself American. I've lived in the state of Pennsylvania most of my life, but I don't feel a special bond to the state; I'm surprised when I hear people refer to themselves as "New Yorkers" or being from New Jersey. It seems strange to me to have a patriotism of sorts for one's state.

I have a complicated ethnicity. English, Welsh, Slovenian, Cherokee, Irish... I always feel weird inside about it.

Canadian
Human
farm girl (as in grew up on)
British Columbian
my ancestry (Scottish, Irish, English, Russian, Ukranian, French-Canadian)
and last, very least, as in only identify in as my city of residence: Victorian

Just call me american and that's all I need

Canadian
Human
farm girl (as in grew up on)
British Columbian
my ancestry (Scottish, Irish, English, Russian, Ukranian, French-Canadian)
and last, very least, as in only identify in as my city of residence: Victorian

you grew up on a farm girl?

sweet.

hehe

American with a hat

you grew up on a farm girl?

sweet.

hehe

ahahahaha...ha...ha....ha...

You knew what I meant. :P

Texan, first, last and everything in between. The state pisses me off to no end, but I identify with the sheer contrariness of the place. There's nothing so bizarre that Texas can't top it. :p

I'm Irish.

At this juncture in history, American through and through. :)
What, were you of some other nationality in the past? ;)

I consider myself, above any ties to any nation, a member of the human race.

thats like seeing a Labrador retriever say : im not a black lab im a dog

I am Texan. There is nothing beyond that.

Texan, first, last and everything in between.

Huzzah! :fluffle:

I consider myself a Southern American.
A "Confederate" then? lol

I'm British. Not English, British. 25% English, 25% Welsh, 25% Northen Irish, 25% Scottish.

wow 25% in all areas was that some type of genetic project? :eek:

I also tend to think of myself as English rather than British.

A "Confederate" then? lol

That'd be a "Rebel". :D

thats like seeing a Labrador retriever say : im not a black lab im a dog
Hmm?
Since when is living in a certain country akin to being a separate breed of animal?
It would, in any case, have more to do with my heritage than my country, but I fail to see why I should take pride in heritage. It was simply there when I was born.

And even if it were like the dog situation, the statement would be more like "I hold my state of being a dog above any commitment derived from being a black lab."

I'm from Lancashire. So, technically speaking, I am a member of the Martian race, come to take over the world with our armies of 7ft mutant lemmings with VX gas in their teeth. But I'm British on my passport.

wow 25% in all areas was that some type of genetic project? :eek:
Why would that be?
It would simply mean that one parent was half one and half another, and the other was equal parts of the two that were left. At least, that's one way of it happening.

Hmm?
Since when is living in a certain country akin to being a separate breed of animal?
It would, in any case, have more to do with my heritage than my country, but I fail to see why I should take pride in heritage. It was simply there when I was born.

And even if it were like the dog situation, the statement would be more like "I hold my state of being a dog above any commitment derived from being a black lab."
im inclined to agree with you here

a black labrador is an entirely breed of dog from others, whereas an American, or a European, arent different breeds - we are all humans before anything else

Ethnically I'm a mongrel. I'm German, Dutch, French, Cherokee, English, Scotch, Irish and Commanche.

LOOK! AN ALIEN! :mp5:

lol

I'd love to go with Neo-Anarchist on this one, but I'm afraid I haven't yet excersised the demon that is nationalism from my psyche.

I'm an American. I was born to upstate New Yorker parents in California (with a sister born in Greece) and lived most of my life in Virginia or Georgia (two states named after English rulers, conincedently). I try not to let such petty regionalism divide me. I am American, though I hope, one day, to wake up and simply call myself human.

"While we concentrate on our differences, what really makes human beings special is that, no matter our ourward color or form, we are drawn together by what makes us all alike: human." - Friggin' me.

Since someone brought it up, ethnically, I am French, German, Native American (the Onondaga tribe of the Seven Nations of the Iroquois), Jewish, Irish and probably some others in there for flavor. But that's all semantics. Human above all.

Hmm?
Since when is living in a certain country akin to being a separate breed of animal?
It would, in any case, have more to do with my heritage than my country, but I fail to see why I should take pride in heritage. It was simply there when I was born.

And even if it were like the dog situation, the statement would be more like "I hold my state of being a dog above any commitment derived from being a black lab."

what is race and nationality but like dogs of different breeds?

A lot depends on the intent of the question.

If, I was asked about my national origins, the answer would be mostly German, some English, and a wee bit Irish.

If the question was about place of origin, the answer would be: American.

If the intent of the question was about "race", my answer would be: European-American.

I hope this helps you in the endeavour to write a report. :)

The United States is more of a mulligan stew, with each ingredient contributing its own unique flavor, than a melting pot. :p

Human, almost.

About the best reply I can give.

I'd love to go with Neo-Anarchist on this one, but I'm afraid I haven't yet excersised the demon that is nationalism from my psyche.

I'm an American. I was born to upstate New Yorker parents in California (with a sister born in Greece) and lived most of my life in Virginia or Georgia (two states named after English rulers, conincedently). I try not to let such petty regionalism divide me. I am American, though I hope, one day, to wake up and simply call myself human.

"While we concentrate on our differences, what really makes human beings special is that, no matter our ourward color or form, we are drawn together by what makes us all alike: human." - Friggin' me.

Since someone brought it up, ethnically, I am French, German, Native American (the Onondaga tribe of the Seven Nations of the Iroquois), Jewish, Irish and probably some others in there for flavor. But that's all semantics. Human above all.

blah blah blah :rolleyes:

Ethnically, I am Nakohodotsi Caddo, Cajun (true Cajun - part French/part Opelousas), Irish, and Shephardi. On those little "ethnicity" check boxes, I always put "Native American".

I'm English, chose not to describe myself as British. (Although the two have become quite synonymous).

Ethnically though I am 1/4 Chinese (what Chinese ethnicity that would be I have no idea ha).

I'm English, chose not to describe myself as British. (Although the two have become quite synonymous).
call anyone who lives in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland that they are English and you will quickly discover that "English" and "British" have definitely not become quite synonymous...

what is race and nationality but like dogs of different breeds?
Nationality has nothing whatsoever to do with specific qualities of the individual and simply has to do with wherever the parents settled down, so the dog analogy is totally invalid. My father and mother could have stayed in Canada, but I'd still be me.

call anyone who lives in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland that they are English and you will quickly discover that "English" and "British" have definitely not become quite synonymous...

My mates Irish, he doesn't like it when I call him English or British. . . Maybe Northern Irish different then.

I'm English, but i'm from the north-west, and i tend to say i'm "from the north-west of England" as a gut reaction. Northern pride lol

My mates Irish, he doesn't like it when I call him English or British. . . Maybe Northern Irish different then.
one half will take it badly if you call them Irish, the other will take it badly if you call them British - you just gotta get it right

one half will take it badly if you call them Irish, the other will take it badly if you call them British - you just gotta get it right

I only call him British to deliberately piss him off :).

well, first I'm just a person. Second, I'm a Manc, and chuffed. Although I have a mixed Welsh / Scots / Irish / English / Catholic / Presbyterian / Wee Free etc background, I don't have any affinity with most of it, and feel most akin to the pragmatic, progressive city where I grew up :)

I only call him British to deliberately piss him off :).
fair enough

to a foriegner I am American. To someone from another state I am a Georgian, in my home state I am from Atlanta, in Atlanta I am from Powder Springs, ...and when in a group of people I am "that guy over there"

I always say I'm Texan... mostly because I assume that the people I talk to are American. but if there is someone who does not previously have any idea of the nation I'm from, I say American. I try to be as specific as possible, but to the point that the other person understands.
Ex:
I'll tell people from a nearby city that I'm McAllanian
I'll tell people from The US that Im Texan.
I'll tell people from other countries that I'm American.

Homarano

I never identify myself with a country. If pressed then Manchester, unless I am talking to another Mancunian in which case I say where abouts I live.

I do the same...say I'm from Manchester, unless another Manc asks....depending which part of Manchester they're from depends how much detail I go into (eg to someone from the other side of the city I'd just say "South Manchester")

Only Texans tell you what state they're from when you ask them their nationality. :D

I'm Serbian :)

For me, I most redily affiliate with groups that aren't geographic. I first consider myself a Nerd, specifically and subsets of that most illustrious and happy band. This is my first and true calling. I next indentify as an outraged Roman Catholic. Then I'm a debator (I was rased by the teams my dad coached). This list goes on and on until you get to Suburban at sixth on the list, American about, and Massachusetts somewhere before twenty. I feel nationalism toward America, but I would sooner die for a group of my fellow nerds than for the war in Iraq.

American. For ever.

American forever? What if the GOP decided everyone had to have their hands removed and that guns were illegal and that we were selling the midwest to Mexico?


I myself try not to identify with any single nation, although I am from New York.

When speaking to a foreigner, if I call myself American, they'd just ask, "Which state?" So I usually skip a step and say I'm from New York.

If I was talking to a fellow American, I'm a Mainer, but to a foreigner from another country, American.



Whoa.. I'm dizzy..*shakes head*

I'm from Boston. I'm from Boston to people from Massachusetts, I'm from Boston to people from New England, I'm from Boston to people from the rest of the US, and I'm from Boston to people from the rest of the world.

To anyone who thinks New Jersey is the same steretyped "N.Y. landfill" through and through (which, unfortunately, is a lot of uneducated people, all over the world and in the U.S.), I'm a South Jerseyan (seriously, we may as well be another state).

Otherwise, if I'm talking to an American, I'm from Jersey.

It's always been a pet peeve of mine when someone who was born in the U.S., whose parents were born in the U.S., etc, etc, who has no real connection to the "old country" will nevertheless refer to themselves as German or Irish or whatever. "German ancestry", yes, "from Irish stock", ok, but you're not actually from those countries, ok? Hyphenates like "Irish-American" or "Italian-American" are ok if you're still in some way physically or behaviorally or culturally identifiable as something other than a Bland White Guy, but otherwise, give it a rest. Jeez.

To Europeans: I know from reading their media that they're pretty much obsessed with talking about (my little euphemism) the U.S . I don't know how much of our own political/media discourse they're familiar with, though (other than the rabid babbling of our unfortunately very vocal ultra-nationalists on messageboards), so I'd hesitate to call myself a Blue Stater around them, since they might not know what I mean. By the same token, they might not know NJ is a blue state. So to them, I'm "Canadian." ;)

Nationality has nothing whatsoever to do with specific qualities of the individual and simply has to do with wherever the parents settled down, so the dog analogy is totally invalid. My father and mother could have stayed in Canada, but I'd still be me.

Only if your nationality is defined by a land based law. My son has a problematic nationality, or absence thereof. He was born in Leeds, UK, and under British law, his nationality derives from the nationality of his mother. A law of blood. So, by British law he is Brazilian.
Brazilian law, on the other hand, defines your nationality on the basis of where you were born. So by Brazilian law he is British.
As he is only 8, this makes little difference at the moment. But when he gets to be 18. Then where will he be entitled to vote, live, work etc?

I'm a flag-waving, freedom-loving, patriotic American.

I think that if you take fifty people and randomly separate them into five different groups, they'll start exhibiting nationalistic behavior after a few hours and identifying with people in their own group more than with people from the other. It's an interesting social phenomenon to me because it doesn't make any rational sense. If one were proud of something that they themselves accomplished, it would make sense to be proud of that accomplishment. It doesn't make sense to be proud of your country's heritage or history because you as an individual had absolutely no part in shaping it. This is something that completely baffles me.

Why are people nationalistic? I think it might have something to do with survival instincts or something... the best person to ask would probably be an anthropologist.

You know, you could just refuse. Say that they have no right to do that, being that you are in Sweden and entering the Swedish military (which is inferior to the Norwegian BTW ;) )..

Well, all I have to say that the Swedish military plan is one word: Finland. The Norwegian plan is a bit more sophisticated, with four words: North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Back to the topic.

I'm Finnish. The subnational groupings, based on dialect, are usually insignificant compared to the nationality, and I don't belong to any. I don't speak any dialect at all (really!), so that's mostly irrelevant for me. I'd like to speak the Savo dialect with its creative and vocal culture, gemination (männee) and palatalization, which I find cool. But, I don't. It's the colorless, tasteless, regionless generic language I speak. Thus, I'm pretty much condemned to identifying myself as Finnish. And secondarily, as a citizen of the European Union, or European in the larger context.

I can't stand those people who make up opinions like "there are no nationalities" and so on. You're internationalists, then. An internationalist is someone who wants to ignore in the LAALAALAA I CAN'T HEAR YOU the fact that there are different, fundamentally unco-operating nationalities and cultures. Maybe you can stand the differences. But can't familiarize with any of them, I claim.

I'm odd. English by birth, but no english blood. Half Welsh and German, me. so i say British always, but secretly would like to answer "European" (if people didn't generally consider that a wanky response)

I call myself a variety of things, among them, Northern Californian, Californian, Alamedan, San Franciscan, and "American" I don't use that often. I am fiercely "nationalist" down to the most local level.

When someone asks me my nationality, i say Italian, Scottish, English, and Irish. There is no such thing as pure Canadian blood. If someone asks me where i'm from, i say Canada.

Only Texans tell you what state they're from when you ask them their nationality. :D

New Yorkers too. That's what I consider my upper most nationality is New Yorkan, even though I'm American.


To anyone who thinks New Jersey is the same steretyped "N.Y. landfill" through and through (which, unfortunately, is a lot of uneducated people, all over the world and in the U.S.), I'm a South Jerseyan (seriously, we may as well be another state).

It's the truth buddy ;).

Wow I can't begin to point out all the good responses to this post and it has remained clean too. Good work everyone, let's keep it going. I want many many many responses! Comma's sold separately.

I am curious, since Nationalism is the topic for my senior thesis for my B.A., what does everyone consider themselves?

Me, I'm from America, from New York, from Long Island. America is odd in this example.

When I am on Long Island, I'm from Elmont. When I'm in New York, I'm from Long Island. When I'm in the US I'm from New York. But while I am American, no if, ands, or butts, I consider myself New Yorkan over everything else. When someone from another country asks me where I'm from I say, "New York."

So curiosity killed the cat? What do you guys/girls consider yourselves? It'll be used in my thesis maybe. (35 pages on Chechen nationalism but my methodological section in the beginning needs evidence of nationalist ties).

Well many Americans say that they are eg. New Yorkan's, Californians etc... and they can because every state is like a country but you are united in one just like Germany.
I say that I am an Icelander, we do not have states here.

Well many Americans say that they are eg. New Yorkan's, Californians etc... and they can because every state is like a country but you are united in one just like Germany.
I say that I am an Icelander, we do not have states here.

We are but a New Yorker and someone from California or a Californian and an Alabaman are two totally different people.

Southern-Ontario Canadian.

We are but a New Yorker and someone from California or a Californian and an Alabaman are two totally different people.

Do you mean that you are 50 nations and people united into one?

The way I see it is that a North Carolinian, New Yorker etc. is that first and then an American.

Welcome to the fun and excitingly confused world of national identity formation. I'm actually applying to PhD programs right now around the subject.

I am someone, like most people, with a plethora of identities.

Outside the US I'm an American, although often said with a good deal of regret.
I also identify quite a bit with Andalucía and Spain due to my all-too brief time there.
If someone asks me where I'm from, I still identify strongest with California, specifically the San Francisco Bay Area, where I grew up and spent my first 18 years. However, I've increasingly been identifying with Philadelphia, after spending the last 5+ years here. Ethnically I'm the son of a Chinese mother and an American (German, Italian, possibly some French) father. I identify very strongly with the "blue" states.
So in reality I would have to call myself any and all of these things- Californian, American, San Franciscan, Philadelphian, Chinese-American, Mutt.

Nationalism is a simultaneously unifying and dividing force, and national allegiance and identity are being continually fought over by a vast number of political, cultural, lingual, economic and social groups. So one of its most fascinating traits is also its most infuriating: its infinate malleability.

If you want to talk about your thesis at any point, feel free to TG me... my area of expertise is post-Franco Spain, rather than the Caucases, but if I can be of any help, let me know.

I am German, but I grew up in America, So I guess German-American. Is there such a thing?

3/4 Russian, 1/4 British

Living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, America

I'm me.

That's it.

Do you mean that you are 50 nations and people united into one?

The way I see it is that a North Carolinian, New Yorker etc. is that first and then an American.

No. Because I do recognize a clear, very clear difference in people from different areas, they all still have a commonality in the concept and idea of America. Personally I too see state first then American second but I consider myself New Yorkan above all.

I am a multiracial American. I was born and raised in New York City, and I'm white, black, and Asian, so I also consider myself a multiracial New Yorker ;) .

I am a multiracial American. I was born and raised in New York City, and I'm white, black, and Asian, so I also consider myself a multiracial New Yorker ;) .

Hell that's most New Yorkers. We're the true melting pot of America.

I am German, but I grew up in America, So I guess German-American. Is there such a thing?

Of course! Although that term isn't used as much nowadays since, although most white Americans have some German ancestry, it's usually several generations in the past. Back in the day though, there were plenty of German-American communities in the U.S. North Jersey, Pennsylvania and one of those upper midwestern states (Minnesota maybe?) had whole cities speaking German. Ben Franklin once famously warned that German-Americans could never be integrated....

Hell that's most New Yorkers. We're the true melting pot of America.

Actually, what's ironic is that the ethinic make up of New York and San Francisco are somewhat similar, with all the irish and italians, except we don't have many dutch and we have more asians and hispanics.

Actually, what's ironic is that the ethinic make up of New York and San Francisco are somewhat similar, with all the irish and italians, except we don't have many dutch and we have more asians and hispanics.

We probably have far more Hispanics though. No?

When someone asks me where I'm from I say Canada. If not Canada then Western Canada. It is not so much my nationalism, that I like being Canadian. I just don't like to admit that I live in Cexas (Canadian Texas).

I would say to anyone who doesn't know the geography or the society of america that I am american. Speaking to someone who did know this stuff I would say that I am from So. Cal. :cool:

Well, I usually say I'm from California, LA-area if anyone asks. Course, these days, I sometimes find myself just saying I'm Canadian... eh?

Finnish and proud of it! "European" makes me puke :gundge:

We probably have far more Hispanics though. No?

No, not really. Look at the proximity to mexico for the answer there. Even Norcal is very hispanic these days. SoCal is even more extreme. LA is the largest concentration of mexicans outside Mexico city.

Canadian...with a bit of Irish, Scottish, English and New Zealand...ish in the mix.

No, not really. Look at the proximity to mexico for the answer there. Even Norcal is very hispanic these days. SoCal is even more extreme. LA is the largest concentration of mexicans outside Mexico city.

We get more of a broader base though, probably. Hell I know more Puerto Ricans than I can count.

I'm all scandinavian but I've got some german ancestors as well.

I am a proud European loving the diversity of our beautiful continent, but I'm also a "world citizen" because the political borders of countries are not very important except in the heads of mad politicians.

:fluffle:

Never ask someone if they're a Texan. If they are they'll tell you. If they're not, you'll just embarass them. :D

I consider myself:

1. Canadian
2. Italian (close second, I'm a dual citizen)
3. Ontarian
4. Torontonian

Australian, but when interstate VICTORIAN.

By blood, I am half-Greek (mostly Ionian), and half-Indian (from Kerala).

By birth, I am an American, California, and Alamedan.

I consider myself:

1. Canadian
2. Italian (close second, I'm a dual citizen)
3. Ontarian
4. Torontonian

Do you speak Italian?

as Lee Greenwood best said it: "I'M PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN/ WHERE AT LEAST I KNOW I'M FREE!"

were free *LHAS* :p

Do you speak Italian?

Partially. I understand it far better than I can speak it.

Partially. I understand it far better than I can speak it.

It's what I'm taking in college (need 6 credits of a language) and I'm sick of Spanish.

By blood, I am half-Greek (mostly Ionian), and half-Indian (from Kerala).

By birth, I am an American, California, and Alamedan.

Dude! Alameda, like by San Francisco?

It's what I'm taking in college (need 6 credits of a language) and I'm sick of Spanish.
Good luck with it. It's an easier language than Spanish to grasp (for one, virtually every Italian word ends in a vowel, and if you know some Spanish it's easier to understand Italian because they're pretty similar).

Yeah its not so hard just the damn verb tenses! Argh! That's what slaughtered me in Spanish.

Yeah its not so hard just the damn verb tenses! Argh! That's what slaughtered me in Spanish.

I just think Italian sounds nicer, and, well, the women are great. :D

Live in USA and born in USA

25% Italian(can't speak any though)
10% German (taking classes on learning German)
(Rest are unknown percantages)
English
Scottish
Irish
Dutch
Swedish

It's what I'm taking in college (need 6 credits of a language) and I'm sick of Spanish.

Why don't you take Norwegian? It's easy to learn. Plus you might get a trip to the land of the Vikings, according to the UN we're the world's best country to live in.. ;)

As a Communist I am opposed to all forms of nationalism and think of myself as a member of the human race above everything else although I do also think of myself as Scottish some of the time.

I think of my self as English rather than British, and don't ever consider myself European, as I don't really feel a connection to any of the counties. As far as I can tell, I'm completely English, with no other nationalities in me. Saying that, it does grate on me when an American askes me how many times I've been to London, as if its just down the road, it is, but about 150 miles, I'm from Bristol.
I'm curious, but do Americans feel more loyal to state than country as a whole?

I think of my self as English rather than British, and don't ever consider myself European, as I don't really feel a connection to any of the counties. As far as I can tell, I'm completely English, with no other nationalities in me. Saying that, it does grate on me when an American askes me how many times I've been to London, as if its just down the road, it is, but about 150 miles, I'm from Bristol.
I'm curious, but do Americans feel more loyal to state than country as a whole?
I wouldn't say that most Americans feel more loyal to thier state than thier nation, not the ones I know anyway. As far as the trips to London question is concerned I can't remeber who said it but I've heard a quote that was something to the effect that one of the differences between our countries is that Americans think 100 years ago is ancient and the English think 100 miles away is distant, both think the other is mistaken.

Oh, yea to answer the original question of the tread I'm American.

This is an odd question, as I'm sort of between countries nowadays. I guess I could say I'm an American citizen, but I wouldn't put myself under the heading of 'American' .. mostly because of the number of recent policies that I so very strongly disagree with, and with the feeling of home I've found in Sweden here, though I am still in the process of making myself a citizen here.

Confusion. That's the state I live in. :P

If Americans think that 100 years ago is ancient, how do you think about 1000 years ago?

Ive allways found it strange who americans think of them selves as american, its not a nationality (what this topic should of been called btw lol) America geograpically could be considerd quite diffrent ethicnically, Over all there would be quite a lot of english and irish, towards the north east many more minorities i imagine such as poles and italians, Quite a few people who ornigally came from africa, or africa via the carabean, quite a few people from china, korea japan indo china.

Prehaps the whole idea of idea of nationality is mearly in the mind for most people, Even in the U.k its a bit hazy most blond people will be either angles or saxons of german/denmark. Most people with dark hair will be Celtic and most people with Brown hair will be most likly from normandy, but the normans where orignially from scandinvia, But they would consider them selves british english welsh or scotish.

Is nationality only in the mind then considering distict ethnic groups have been mixing activly for the past 2000 years?

You bring up the point of Yugoslavia. Yugoslav isn't a nationality nor was it. But America is infact one. Throughout time, the state has pinned it on and the people have accepted themselves as American.

LOL Cotland they don't offer it. I wouldn't mind taking German but I do want a good grade ;). And I go with RomeW, Italian sounds nice and le raggaze sono molte belle.

le raggaze sono molte belle.

Bravo.

To foreigners I am American. To fellow Americans I am Conservative. Not Republican, Conservative.

Conservative is good. Hooray!

I loved all the responses. Thanks everyone for helping me out with this, it'll provide some sort of quantitative or is it qualitative (I always confuse the two damnit) material.

I'm Serbian :)


I'm surprised there are so many Serbians on here. I'm personally Russian, although my mother is Bulgarian. I consider myself Russian first and foremost, but I feel an affinity and comradeship with almost all other Slavic nations.

Hej Sloveni! :)

I'd pretty much react the same way as you, just replace New York with New Jersey. Although, if I was talking to a foreigner I'd probably just say America unless he asked for specifics.

Not me, I say New York everywhere in the world.Outside of New York that is.

On one visit to my cousin in England he introduced me to French aquaintances on a few occaisions as "my cousin from America."

This would earn me a grunt of acknowledgment. As I worked a more specific homestead into the conversation they would then introduce me to their friends
"blah blah blah New York blah blah."

This would garner ooh's and aah's and a metaphorical spotlight for the rest of the evening. Fortunatly their English was better than my French.

Not me, I say New York everywhere in the world.Outside of New York that is.

On one visit to my cousin in England he introduced me to French aquaintances on a few occaisions as "my cousin from America."

This would earn me a grunt of acknowledgment. As I worked a more specific homestead into the conversation they would then introduce me to their friends
"blah blah blah New York blah blah."

This would garner ooh's and aah's and a metaphorical spotlight for the rest of the evening. Fortunatly their English was better than my French.

New York is the center of the world. Glad to see others agree :).

Sort of going to revive this for a second round just to see for more diversity and answers...500 posts would give a good field representation, 1,000 would be better...

Born and raised in Canada, but my heart leads to Israel. :)

To other Americans, I'm American. Not from Wisconsin. I come from a place that's too insignificant to put on the map.

To nonwhite people, I'm a very white person.

To conservatives, I'm a Liberal.

To Liberals, I'm a Socialist. :rolleyes:

I have both canadian and american citizenship by birth.

I consider myself canadian.

To other Americans, I'm American. Not from Wisconsin. I come from a place that's too insignificant to put on the map.

To nonwhite people, I'm a very white person.

To conservatives, I'm a Liberal.

To Liberals, I'm a Socialist. :rolleyes:

Crazy breakdown lol!

I'm from - well, where I was born - but I don't live there anymore.

A "Confederate" then? lol


American.
Southerner.



Removed the North Carolinian, never have I thought of myself as that. As for the south .. I pretty much consider NC, TN, SC, GA and sometimes Florida (not Miami) very similar. Kentucky and WV are a bit different. Louisiana .. waay different than where I'm from. Not sure about Alabama, Missouri, Arkansas and Mississippi. Haven't met anyone from there(personally), and haven't been there.

Texans.. they are in their own little country out there and consider themselves superior to all, lmao.

I am curious, since Nationalism is the topic for my senior thesis for my B.A., what does everyone consider themselves?

Me, I'm from America, from New York, from Long Island. America is odd in this example.

When I am on Long Island, I'm from Elmont. When I'm in New York, I'm from Long Island. When I'm in the US I'm from New York. But while I am American, no if, ands, or butts, I consider myself New Yorkan over everything else. When someone from another country asks me where I'm from I say, "New York."

So curiosity killed the cat? What do you guys/girls consider yourselves? It'll be used in my thesis maybe. (35 pages on Chechen nationalism but my methodological section in the beginning needs evidence of nationalist ties).

I am violently opposed to nationalism of all kind. My nationality, however, is both US American and German. Being fluent in both languages, and feeling American when I'm among Germans, but German when I'm among Americans, I consider myself as both.

1) European
2) Belgian
3) Assenaar
4) Flemish

Altough there is only one real country between them. :rolleyes:

Originally posted by Layarteb
Crazy breakdown lol!

Thanks. I'm only a Socialist in the theoretcal sense. I would never try to exploit people. :)

i'm yopenese. i never really thought this was strange before, but people from other countries seem to: the word for hello and goodbye in yopensa(name of the language, also called yopenese) is yopen. the country is called yopenya. it makes perfect sense if you speak the language, heheh. no, yopenya doesn't not mean hello land. yopen is kind of slang for hello, came from the country's name. yopensa is language of yopenya, pretty much, so it does litterally mean hello language i guess, the same as it would mean goodbye language. any other yopenese people here?

I am violently opposed to nationalism of all kind. My nationality, however, is both US American and German. Being fluent in both languages, and feeling American when I'm among Germans, but German when I'm among Americans, I consider myself as both.

Your opposed to it as a movement or an identity because I am asking identity, which you so graciously provided. The goal is to see how people identify themselves.

i'm yopenese. i never really thought this was strange before, but people from other countries seem to: the word for hello and goodbye in yopensa(name of the language, also called yopenese) is yopen. the country is called yopenya. it makes perfect sense if you speak the language, heheh. no, yopenya doesn't not mean hello land. yopen is kind of slang for hello, came from the country's name. yopensa is language of yopenya, pretty much, so it does litterally mean hello language i guess, the same as it would mean goodbye language. any other yopenese people here?

Yopenya? I've never heard of it. Where is it?

I'm British, then Scottish.
I'd say human, first and foremost, but it never really occured to me. I just always assumed it.