Ancestry in America

[Buck Wilde]

I've noticed something that goes on whenever someone is asked about their heritage, people never say "American" or anything like that despite being born in the US (even if every living ancestor was born here as well). Everyone will say "50% this and 50% that" instead. I'm curious as to if this is something that goes on everywhere or is it specific to America because it seems cool to be descendant from people who are from some far off nation. Or the fact that the US is a relatively new country and peoples ancestors can be tracked more easily or somesuch.

 

[Mr. Cheese]

I get what you mean, I never say I'm American. (because I'm not, deal with it.)

 

[Berethond]

It's because everyone in America is an immigrant in some fashion or another. We just don't have the history and force of culture that other nations do.

 

[zfactor]

Normally that is because another American is asking it and saying "I am an American" to another American is silly. They wanted to know about your heritage and family background, not what nationality you are. It is because the US is a meld of pretty much every other country, so people want to know where other people's ancestors came from.

 

[bubba145]

i say i am an American and i am. but my family goes way back to all over Europe

 

[JoJo]

That's because for the vast majority of Americans (excluding Native Americans) their ancestors have arrived within the last 400 years or so, whereas for a country like mine (the UK) the majority of the population is descended from people who have been living there for thousands of years. I for example am roughly 3/4 English, 1/8 German and 1/8 Danish.

 

[Twilight_guy]

America is a nation of immigrants. The only people from here are, shock shock, native Americans. Everyone else has an ancestry somewhere else and usually one that's fairly easy to track due to America young age.

 

[Irridium]

It's because everyone in America is an immigrant in some fashion or another. We just don't have the history and force of culture that other nations do.

What about native Americans?

They came over from Russia when there was still a land bridge between it and Alaska.

 

[Buck Wilde]

Normally that is because another American is asking it and saying "I am an American" to another American is silly. They wanted to know about your heritage and family background, not what nationality you are. It is because the US is a meld of pretty much every other country, so people want to know where other people's ancestors came from.

Yeah that definitely makes sense. Thinking back on it I do recall someone saying American and that they could trace ancestry past the American Revolution. Thought that was interesting.

 

[twistedmic]

I think it's mainly because America is such a new country.and partly because people are curious about their (and other people's) ancestry.

 

[twistedmic]

Normally that is because another American is asking it and saying "I am an American" to another American is silly. They wanted to know about your heritage and family background, not what nationality you are. It is because the US is a meld of pretty much every other country, so people want to know where other people's ancestors came from.

Yeah that definitely makes sense. Thinking back on it I do recall someone saying American and that they could trace ancestry past the American Revolution. Thought that was interesting.

My mom has actually been able to trace her family tree (and by extension, mine) all the way back to the first few years of Jamestown (the first permanent English colony) and a little bit earlier.

 

[emeraldrafael]

Well... I'm partially Native AMerican, so I guess when I say I'm American, I'm "more" American then other people would be.

But I think its more that people still think of America as a melting pot nation, and a nation where anyone can come to through immigration. That, and maybe their families were also the ones that didnt want to lose that sense of national pride from where they came from (lets say... um... lets say Turkey). So their parents or great grand parents or someone would say that they're not AMerican, they're Turkish, and then that would just sorta carry through as people kept being ask where they're family is from.

Though I do notice that on international boards and places like here, you say you're AMerican.

EDIT:

It's because everyone in America is an immigrant in some fashion or another. We just don't have the history and force of culture that other nations do.

What about native Americans?

They came over from Russia when there was still a land bridge between it and Alaska.

By that logic everyone is African. Or Middle Eastern (Fertile Crescent).

 

[Daveman]

I was born in England but I'm Scottish. I know because I can't stand to see England win at any sport.

OT: because they only go back a few generations... plus there's so many distinct groups of ancestry with the Irish and the Italians and the Mexicans...

 

[Freechoice]

Well... I'm partially Native AMerican, so I guess when I say I'm American, I'm "more" American then other people would be.

Same.

Oh, and funny thing happened last week. I was called an American fascist.

By a German.

 

[jamradar]

Because everyone in America is a descendant of a immigrant.

Yes even Native Americans.

 

[Devil's Due]

Eh, whenever the dang school gives me one of those "What race are you?" or "Ancestry?" I always circle "other" and write in "American." I'm tired of being asked what sort of heritage my family is when my family has lived here for over two hundred years, it's now my family. I know my heritage before coming to America and I miss it, but I'm seriously tired of "American" not being a valid answer for people or studies. Just like I'm tired of the "African-American" "Native American" and such. If you're born in America, you're American.

Eh, sorry, it just really irks me. Too many times I see people going "I'm African American!" or such when they haven't been to Africa or even out of the state in their lives simply because their family was from African over a hundred years ago. No, your family is from Africa a hundred years ago, but YOU are American.

(I'll just stop now before I get any hate messages)

 

[emeraldrafael]

Well... I'm partially Native AMerican, so I guess when I say I'm American, I'm "more" American then other people would be.

Same.

Oh, and funny thing happened last week. I was called an American fascist.

By a German.

XD That is funny. Why did they call you that? ANd how long did it take you to throw up Fascist Germany?