I'm half Irish, half German, and half French. Oh yeah, I got some English in me too.

[kelpmermaid]

Smoking mirror, I'd be curious to know exactly what it was that you asked. I think there might be a tendancy among US responders (at least those raised here) to assume that our accent is obvious, so what you are really asking is about ethnicity. The word "nationality" has been used here that way. I'm not sure why anyone would ask a stranger about ethnicity, though, or why anyone would feel compelled to answer.

 

[weekender]

Returning to the subject of the US, as a social collective, and those US posters are in a much better position than I to clarify on this, it seems to me that a great degree of American society is subdivided in terms of ethnic or national identification (Euro-American, African-American, Native-American, Asian-American, Latino-American, and so on). Why is this devision relevant? And does it help society as a whole, or does it just serve to further segregate the population?

I'm an italian american. why, you might ask do i refer to myself that way? My parents are from Rome but i was born and raised in this country. I was taught by my father that this is our adopted land but not to forget our Italian heritage. America welcomed my family as poor immigrants and gave us many opportunities to change our place in society. As a child he didnt have electricity till 13 and finally got plumbing at 21yrs old. After serving in the Army during WWII he went to college using the GI Bill. He then raised 5 professionals including a lawyer, doctor and investment banker. So to answer your question, I consider myself American because this country gladly adopted us and in one generation allowed us to become members of a great community. I consider myself Italian because the only blood running through my body is that of an Italian. Thus i feel i can only refer to myself as Italian American, nothing else would truly define me. Hopefully that story wasnt to boring and maybe explained a little.

 

[ScubaFreak]

I'm irish- 100%!!

And i gotta say, whenever im in the US and i talk to people they always assume that I'm English. ARE YOU CANADIAN?
heehee...also quite funny when someone with a name like Zykowski or Zimmerman tell me their Irish...heeheehee...

ah the joys of the world..

SF

 

[TX101]

Australia is a relatively new country too - but I don't see people getting married in kilts because their great great grandfather was scottish and they have a "proud scottish heritage". When Americans do it I think it's funny more than anything else ...

 

[SmokingMirror]

Smoking mirror, I'd be curious to know exactly what it was that you asked. I think there might be a tendancy among US responders (at least those raised here) to assume that our accent is obvious, so what you are really asking is about ethnicity. The word "nationality" has been used here that way. I'm not sure why anyone would ask a stranger about ethnicity, though, or why anyone would feel compelled to answer.

No, I'm not asking about ethnicity. The thread is about national identity, not racial identity (although the two often go hand in hand).

To clarify my point, there are a great many Americans who define their national identity as part-<insert whichever country here>, or, to put in another way, <insert whichever country here>-American. What I'm interested in is (1) the opinions of those who do this, and, specifically, why they feel the need to, and, (2) the opinions of those who don't on why those who do do.

 

[Kayla]

I'm American. Sure, I have roots that go back to many other countries, but I have been born and raised here, and this is where I will always call home, so I'm 100% American. I think that some people just feel more strongly about their roots, and thats awesome. I always love to find out a little bit more about people, I think its great. To each is own, and thats cool! :dazzler1:

 

[MSilvia]

I think I'm about as American as they come. My last name may be from the Azores, but I don't speak Portuguese, and no tradition has been passed on from there that I'm aware of. I have ancestors from England, Scotland, and other places as well, but at least five generations of my family has lived in New England. I can even trace my lineage back to the Plymouth colony.

I'm an American, from an American family. If I trace back far enough, I could claim to be from a Portuguese family because of my name, but to do so would be to both ignore my diverse ancestry and to define my identity in terms of a culture I know little about. If I followed that as far as it could be taken, I may as well say I'm from the cradle of civilization for all the relevance it has to my life.

When I think of my roots, I think of fishermen, farmers, blacksmiths, mechanics, smugglers, pharmacists, teachers, lifesavers, racecar drivers, firemen, printers, and lighthouse keepers, all of whom were New England Yankees. Call me an American, a Yankee, or a mutt... my roots are not in far away lands.

 

[Rubis]

The crux of this thread is concerned with national identity, <snip>
For many Europeans, a sense of national identity - not to be confused with national pride - is very clear. I have never met, seen, or even heard of any European claiming to be, for example, half-Irish and half-German. Even those with parents who are directly and identifiably belonging to a nation other than their own will rarely - if ever - consider themselves a nationality other than the one on whose soil they were born. Is the reason for this identity maturity; the knowledge that claiming to be part of another nation reaps no tangible benefits?

Actually I disagree with this statement. Let me explain. My mother is hungarian, my father is italian, I was born in Italy, lived in Italy and France and now I have moved over here. I have an italian passport. I do not really know what my national identity is ... Now ask me where is home and the response is very clear to me and it is not Italy.

 

[Mako Mark]

Call me an American, a Yankee, or a mutt... .

you're a mutt.......



sorry, couldnt resist.

 

[junior diver]

Irish, English, American, (French??? not sure, just doing the family tree at the moment) and a very very very small bit of German apparently.