Americans are not white, colored or hyphenated

[immto]

This whole hyphenated Americanism crap is really getting out of hand. The idea that we are running around using hyphenated titles to describe ourselves is wrong and really quite asinine. I've touched on this subject before with people who either think I'm racist or agree with me wholeheartedly. Why do black Americans who have never been to Africa call themselves African-American? Their parents are not from Africa nor are there grandparents or great parents. Nothing about them is African.

In addition to this we now have Italian-Americans and Irish-Americans and Whatever-Americans. Why can't we simply be Americans?

I think I'm going to take it a step further and make the decision to stop using the hyphenated PC titles that have become so politically correct. In fact I'm renouncing Political Correctness. I'm going to use plain common sense language from now on and that's that.

 

[WillowTree]

This whole hyphenated Americanism crap is really getting out of hand. The idea that we are running around using hyphenated titles to describe ourselves is wrong and really quite asinine. I've touched on this subject before with people who either think I'm racist or agree with me wholeheartedly. Why do black Americans who have never been to Africa call themselves African-American? Their parents are not from Africa nor are there grandparents or great parents. Nothing about them is African.

In addition to this we now have Italian-Americans and Irish-Americans and Whatever-Americans. Why can't we simply be Americans?

I think I'm going to take it a step further and make the decision to stop using the hyphenated PC titles that have become so politically correct. In fact I'm renouncing Political Correctness. I'm going to use plain common sense language from now on and that's that.

good luck.

 

[Big Fitz]

I just want to know one thing... Since the start of the Somali terror trials up here in the Twin Cities for those sending boys back to that nation to fight with Al Shabaz, they've been calling the defendants "Somali-Americans".

So... are they Somali-Americans or African-Americans?
And if not, why not?
And what's the difference?
Not to mention, are they then able to claim both?

 

[Mr. H.]

Austrio-Germanic-Slovenian-Anglo-American here.

 

[Toronado3800]

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I agree. Even though the hyphen in itself doesn't hurt anything, the thought of folks as German-Americans or whatever helped delay our entry into WWII.

 

[Big Fitz]

Austrio-Germanic-Slovenian-Anglo-American here.

Oh you wild man you! LOL

 

[immto]

I just want to know one thing... Since the start of the Somali terror trials up here in the Twin Cities for those sending boys back to that nation to fight with Al Shabaz, they've been calling the defendants "Somali-Americans".

So... are they Somali-Americans or African-Americans?
And if not, why not?
And what's the difference?
Not to mention, are they then able to claim both?

Austrio-Germanic-Slovenian-Anglo-American here.

I Believe the PC term would be Somali-African-Shithead-Americans Are they American or just in this country on Visa if that? I know of the trials but I don't much of the details.

I myself am a German-Mexican-American. I don't go around calling myself that but my Mom was born in Gemany and My dad in Mexico which makes me a 1st generation American. When I try to explain this to people who call them selves "Blank"-Americans ofen they don't get why it's significant for you or your parents to be from another Nation. It's one thing to celebrate ones heritage and traditions but it's an another thing to go around calling your self somthing that you're not to gain some sort of sub-national recognition. I've gotten myself into some heated situations. When someone addresses them self to me as an African-American I ask them what part of Africa are they from? I usually get a blank stare for a few seconds as they formulate a way to anwser. One time, I got a immediate anwser and it was Tanzania, he immediately welcomed my question and said, No one evers asks me that, Africa is such a large place and americans don't ask which part of Africa I am from? The funniest part of this story is that he asked me why blacks here in America call them sleves African-Americans I told him I did not know and asked if he figured it out to please get back to me.

 

[Big Fitz]

I just want to know one thing... Since the start of the Somali terror trials up here in the Twin Cities for those sending boys back to that nation to fight with Al Shabaz, they've been calling the defendants "Somali-Americans".

So... are they Somali-Americans or African-Americans?
And if not, why not?
And what's the difference?
Not to mention, are they then able to claim both?

Austrio-Germanic-Slovenian-Anglo-American here.

I Believe the PC term would be Somali-African-Shithead-Americans Are they American or just in this country on Visa if that? I know of the trials but I don't much of the details.

I myself am a German-Mexican-American. I don't go around calling myself that but my Mom was born in Gemany and My dad in Mexico which makes me a 1st generation American. When I try to explain this to people who call them selves "Blank"-Americans ofen they don't get why it's significant for you or your parents to be from another Nation. It's one thing to celebrate ones heritage and traditions but it's an another thing to go around calling your self somthing that you're not to gain some sort of sub-national recognition. I've gotten myself into some heated situations. When someone addresses them self to me as an African-American I ask them what part of Africa are they from? I usually get a blank stare for a few seconds as they formulate a way to anwser. One time, I got a immediate anwser and it was Tanzania, he immediately welcomed my question and said, No one evers asks me that, Africa is such a large place and americans don't ask which part of Africa I am from? The funniest part of this story is that he asked me why blacks here in America call them sleves African-Americans I told him I did not know and asked if he figured it out to please get back to me.

Well, my lineage is so mixed, I just basically say if it's from western or northern europe, I've got some in me, with the largest percentage being Norse, and the wierdest being Magyar. Nothing like a little Hungarian Gypsy to explain the rest.

 

[immto]

I just want to know one thing... Since the start of the Somali terror trials up here in the Twin Cities for those sending boys back to that nation to fight with Al Shabaz, they've been calling the defendants "Somali-Americans".

So... are they Somali-Americans or African-Americans?
And if not, why not?
And what's the difference?
Not to mention, are they then able to claim both?

Austrio-Germanic-Slovenian-Anglo-American here.

I Believe the PC term would be Somali-African-Shithead-Americans Are they American or just in this country on Visa if that? I know of the trials but I don't much of the details.

I myself am a German-Mexican-American. I don't go around calling myself that but my Mom was born in Gemany and My dad in Mexico which makes me a 1st generation American. When I try to explain this to people who call them selves "Blank"-Americans ofen they don't get why it's significant for you or your parents to be from another Nation. It's one thing to celebrate ones heritage and traditions but it's an another thing to go around calling your self somthing that you're not to gain some sort of sub-national recognition. I've gotten myself into some heated situations. When someone addresses them self to me as an African-American I ask them what part of Africa are they from? I usually get a blank stare for a few seconds as they formulate a way to anwser. One time, I got a immediate anwser and it was Tanzania, he immediately welcomed my question and said, No one evers asks me that, Africa is such a large place and americans don't ask which part of Africa I am from? The funniest part of this story is that he asked me why blacks here in America call them sleves African-Americans I told him I did not know and asked if he figured it out to please get back to me.

Well, my lineage is so mixed, I just basically say if it's from western or northern europe, I've got some in me, with the largest percentage being Norse, and the wierdest being Magyar. Nothing like a little Hungarian Gypsy to explain the rest.

It would make life so much more simple. And then maybe we could actually get to a point that Martin Luther King Jr. would be proud of. I think if he were alive today, he'd feel like he failed miserablely.

 

[California Girl]

I know quite a few Americans who are black. I have yet to meet one who prefers 'African-American'. Actually, I know some who get really offended by it.

 

[Si modo]

Normally, I describe myself as American. I only use the hyphen to add my ancestral background if that's relevant to the topic.

As far as I am concerned, as an Irish-American, Ireland can go fuck themselves if their is any question about my priorities and loyalties. I''m second gen American on my paternal side and fourth on my maternal side.

That makes me American. It's a way of life more than ancestral lines.

 

[William Joyce]

Why stop there? Why all the silliness with calling yourself an "American"? I mean, we're all human beings... why not call yourself a "Human"? And why stop there? We're all creatures... why not call yourself a "Carbon-Based Life-Form"?

 

[José]

I have to agree with Joyce on this one.

The irony of this thread is so thick you could slice it up and eat it with your hands:

Tribalists ("I AM AN AMERICAN!!") criticising different manifestations of tribalism ("I AM AN AFRICAN, IRISH, MEXICAN ETC... AMERICAN!!").

Priceless!!!!

 

[immto]

Why stop there? Why all the silliness with calling yourself an "American"? I mean, we're all human beings... why not call yourself a "Human"? And why stop there? We're all creatures... why not call yourself a "Carbon-Based Life-Form"?

Something I posted elsewhere is relevant here is aswell.

If you put enough aside we are just a pile of carbon swiming in a pool of water.

Everything else defines who and what we are as people, and Liberals, well they have a special place in my heart. The little place that gets clogged with plaque and will probably lead to my dying of a heart attack.

Yes we are all the same and I would love it we were all simply human but until more of the nations in the world can get along it would be nice to at least appreciate the our Nation.

 

[Si modo]

Normally, I describe myself as American. I only use the hyphen to add my ancestral background if that's relevant to the topic.

As far as I am concerned, as an Irish-American, Ireland can go fuck themselves if their is any question about my priorities and loyalties. I''m second gen American on my paternal side and fourth on my maternal side.

That makes me American. It's a way of life more than ancestral lines.

OK. I guess I am anal-retentive in some things.

I noticed a major error. Please substitute 'there' for 'their'. I hate it when I do that.

 

[immto]

Normally, I describe myself as American. I only use the hyphen to add my ancestral background if that's relevant to the topic.

As far as I am concerned, as an Irish-American, Ireland can go fuck themselves if their is any question about my priorities and loyalties. I''m second gen American on my paternal side and fourth on my maternal side.

That makes me American. It's a way of life more than ancestral lines.

OK. I guess I am anal-retentive in some things.

I noticed a major error. Please substitute 'there' for 'their'. I hate it when I do that.

Sometimes I wish I proof read better before I click submit.

 

[immto]

Also it is important to note that this is not a new concept or idea. Martin Luther King Jr. was against the idea as was Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. The concept started in the late 1800's and by 1904 was actually a derogatory term. Woodrow Wilson said, "Any man who carries a hyphen about with him carries a dagger that he is ready to plunge into the vitals of this Republic whenever he gets ready." Martin Luther King Jr. said, "I look forward confidently to the day when all who work for a living will be one with no thought to their separateness as Negroes, Jews, Italians or any other distinctions." Wilson said, "There is no such thing as a hyphenated American who is a good American. The only man who is a good American is the man who is an American and nothing else." Now I'll say that Wilson might have taken it a bit to far as to say the "only good American" but again my point is to show that this was considered derogatory.