Ancestry in America
- Thread starter Buck Wilde
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Being an Israeli, my country was founded more than sixty years ago. Four out of five individuals are descendants to Immigrants (Second or rarely third generation) and others are immigrants, like my parents.
You don't define yourself as an Israeli - you're either a Ashkenazi (european), Spheradic (north africa, middle east) or (new) Ethiopian. You're also defined by your ancestory - I'm a full Ukranian, my parents lived there, and six generations before them in Kiev and its surroundings. So I'm considered a Ukranian to my friends, and an Israeli to you.
Being in an immigrant country, ancestory is key to remember your heritage.
You don't define yourself as an Israeli - you're either a Ashkenazi (european), Spheradic (north africa, middle east) or (new) Ethiopian. You're also defined by your ancestory - I'm a full Ukranian, my parents lived there, and six generations before them in Kiev and its surroundings. So I'm considered a Ukranian to my friends, and an Israeli to you.
Being in an immigrant country, ancestory is key to remember your heritage.
Citizenship (100% legal concept, sometimes referred to, in the States, as "nationality", in other languages "nationality" often refers to ethnicity), race (100% biological concept) and ethnicity/nationality/etc. (essentially, the community you grow up in) are 3 different things. Citizenship is bestowed upon you by birth, and are generally only bestowed upon you by other people, you can only choose to give one up, but can't choose your citizenship. Race is your genetics, you cannot choose it. Ethnicity can, to some degree, be chosen. Ancestry, as the OP refers to it, to some degree defines ethnicity. Virtually everyone you'll talk to in the States is an American citizen, and almost nobody will think of race when you ask (mostly because it's only consequential biologically, i.e., to a doctor). However, ancestry, i.e., what country their ancestors are from, is something people seem to care about. I am not 100% sure why. But, to summarize - I think people speak of ethnicity simply because it's the only thing you can, to some degree, choose, and as a consequence - there is a certain amount of pride (by association) that people are taught to have in association with their heritage. I disagree with this position (I think it's stupid for me to be proud of something I did not do), but I think most people find it OK to be proud OF someone other than themselves. (I.e., "proud to be an American").
I am blonde and historians say that we are the earliest forms of human. So get off my planet >VanityGirl said:
heh, by that train of thought, we are all African AmericansIrridium said:
OT: I guess it´s because most people are descendants of immigrants, and when the "British" came to America they decimated the native population, not like Spain that chose to reproduce with the natives than kill them all, me?, I have Italian and Spanish blood in my veins, but my ancestors are from Spain, Italy and Mexico, so I say my heritage is "Mexican" (or however you would say it)... funnily enough most people I have talked to about this same issue would rather disregard having Spanish blood, because most of those were criminals that were sent to colonize this lands, not a happy thought, people only accept to have "foreign" blood proudly when it comes from "Germany" or "Britain" or other more civilized countries (at the eyes of us, of course, most Mexicans I have known hate Spanish people on pure principle)
and no one here likes Jewish people... but I´m guessing that is more because of our Christian roots than anything, AH! and people in the middle-middle high branch of the economy (is that how you say that?) are much more racist than any other country I have ever met, yes, even the United States.
Speaking really, I'm American.
Not African-American or simply Black, since African American imply that at least one of my parents is from Africa and not Black because I find it crude and to say a little bit stupid.
Not African-American or simply Black, since African American imply that at least one of my parents is from Africa and not Black because I find it crude and to say a little bit stupid.
Not really sure, whenever someone brings up ancestry I usually define "American" as "Native American" and for me that works since I am part Native American, but looking waaaaaaaaay back they technically originated in Asia so I guess no one is really American in that sense.
Well American is not an ethnicity, and nationality is pretty obvious for most, so defaulting abck to countries your family originated from is the obvious thing to do.
french and welsh... my great great (i think great) grandfather drove a ferry in wales to ireland
What I'm tired of is the distinction between someone being "American" and someone being "Latin American". We're all born on the American continents, people. And what does "Latin American" really mean anyway?
When one American talks to another American about ancestry, it seems a moot point to say, "I am an American". The more interesting answer is "Irish" or "German" or "Russian". I think it's widely accepted that even though the wording of the question literally means one thing, there is an undertone that leads to a more entertaining conversation.
I am an American of originally Irish ancestry. I am proud of both of these identities.
EDIT: Also, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melting_pot
I am an American of originally Irish ancestry. I am proud of both of these identities.
EDIT: Also, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melting_pot
Well I think thats only because your asking people in America already. Im sure if you asked an american in Asia, or even Canada, they would respond with American. If he replied American while in the united states, it would seem a bit obvious, if not redundant. He would be immediately posed with the question "Really? No where else? Just American? What about your parents, or grand parents? where are they from?"
I never respond with much of anything because heritage and ancestry doesn't really mean anything to me. I should be judged on the basis of my actions, not the location that my great-great-great-great-great grandaddy was from.
Honestly, who really gives a fuck where my ancestors were from? I certainly don't give a shit about yours.
Honestly, who really gives a fuck where my ancestors were from? I certainly don't give a shit about yours.