American Identity

[MoogleAura]

One thing I have noticed among some of my American friends is that a lot of them don't consider themselves merely American. Not all, but some of them when asked where they are from, will say they are from America but then quickly follow up that they are 'Irish-American', 'Polish-American, 'Italian-American' etc.

With some, it doesn't end there though. They will go into immediate detail of their family history of how their grand-parents, great-grand-parents etc, moved to America from wherever. It's as if they fear or resent being considered just an 'American'. (Maybe it's just me but I've noticed many Americans seem to have the perception that it's cool to have Irish or Italian blood in their genes) I have noticed this often in various American TV shows/movies also.

In the early 1900's immigrants were expected to immerse and assimilate into American society and embrace becoming an American. The following quote is from an American play called 'The Melting Pot' back in 1908;

Understand that America is God's (lol) Crucible, the great Melting-Pot where all the races of Europe are melting and reforming! A fig for your feuds and vendettas! Germans and Frenchmen, Irishmen and Englishmen, Jews and Russians — into the Crucible with you all! God is making the American.

It seems to me that the reverse of what was happening in the 1900's is occuring now throughout the country.

I have discussed this with some friends from different countries at school here (French, German, Japanese) and they've noticed this too. I am from the UK, was born there and despite not really feeling much attachment for it, (Or any other country, but that's a different matter) I still consider myself British. My grandparents on my Mum's side of the family moved to the UK from Ireland when they were children, but I wouldn't really consider myself 'Irish' in any way and the fact very rarely comes up in conversation unless people ask specifically.

It does seem people will go to amazing lengths to embrace that they are 'individual' or 'unique' these days, and I guess this is just a small part of establishing your overall identity.

So I guess my questions to BG are; What do you identify yourself as? Are Americans today just proud of their family history and want to embrace where they came from? Are people just being overly pretentious because having Irish, Italian, Norweigian blood etc, is considered 'cool'? <___> Or are people just trying to distinguish themselves from the 'America, FUCK YEAH!' stereotypes that have a bad rep in many foreign countries?

(For the record, I'm not hating on Americans or anything. This is just something I have noticed for a long time now and never really discussed it) ^-^v

[bechyni]

I think that people wanted so bad back then just to be labeled an "American" and now it's the opposite and everyone just wants to be unique and show their cultural background.

[test123]

everyone who think they can or are beeing discriminated against for ethnic reasons are not true American. If you think you are beeing discriminated you automaticly feel you are not part of the "big" group.

[Ferien]

It's about pride and distinction. I don't know anybody whose family came to America more than 100 years ago (mine's pushing it, and my family has been here the longest out of anyone I know). Nearly all of my friends are 1st or 2nd generation, and speak their parents'/grandparents' language. With that obviously comes an ethnic identity, and strong ties to where your family came from. Especially in NYC, where not only do you have pretty much every race and nationality within a few square miles, but most of them live together in specific areas.

I identify as Italian American, even though my grandmother's family was German and lived in the midwest since at least the mid-late 1800s. Not only my last name and looks dictated it, but it's just how I was raised. It's got nothing to do with being pretentious or trying to be different, it's just part of my identity.

[Arrmani]

I'm American, fuck yeah!

Also, I don't identify with my heritage, because in my opinion after a while you're considered American, no matter where your great great great grand parents came from.

[thetruepandagod]

First generation Czech-American.

edit: everyone assumes im french though, so i feel the need to correct them swiftly.

[Beckwin]

This is something you don't understand I guess, but America is a country of immigrants, so it's sort of part of our collective heritage/culture to know our ancestry and keep a small tie to it. For Native Americans, there's obviously a rich cultural heritage that's managed to (barely) stay alive.

When someone from another country says "I'm English" or "I'm French" or "I'm Japanese", there's loads of history, tradition, and culture implied by saying that. For Americans, we lack that sort of thing (idk, do people just think revolution, cowboys, civil war, and now bland suburbia?), plus we're a pretty diverse country, so people like to elaborate to paint a bigger picture of themselves and what sort of associated culture/history/etc they have.

[Mizango]

Beckwin has this situation under control. But to the OP, no, putting a country of origin in front of your nationality isnt considered "cool" and never will be.

[Tsuko_Asura]

Am I the only one who really just doesn't give a shit?

Culture and tradition means nothing to me, and really has no barring on who I am. Why should I care/define myself by it?

Hell, the whole concept of culture tradition is pretty idiotic. "Do things this way because everyone else before you did."

[Yabby]

I'm American, and yes people who do that are retards that feel they need to belong to a 'group'.

[Mizango]

Am I the only one who really just doesn't give a shit?

Culture and tradition means nothing to me, and really has no barring on who I am. Why should I care/define myself by it?

Hell, the whole concept of culture tradition is pretty idiotic. "Do things this way because everyone else before you did."

Labeling yourself and gettin' yo self pigeonhole on is soooo chic for '10.

[Stumblingdrunk]

everyone assumes im french though, so i feel the need to correct them swiftly.

its probably the beret.

[SephYuyX]

In the early 1900's immigrants were expected to immerse and assimilate into American society and embrace becoming an American.

They may have been expected to, in fact many wanted to, however the greater majority refused to and brought their country with them, pretty much literally.

China Town, etc, arent just for tourists (the real ones at least), they are the real areas where immigrants settled down. All over america you can find pockets of real foreign towns.

Most people who say theyre japanse-american, or the like, do it because people are interested in who they are, like Beckwin said, most americans are more interested in their culture, than trying to discriminate.

However when a family has been in american for more than 3 or so generations, theyre pretty much full americans, and tend to drop the japanese-american thing, and just say they are american with japanese background. But it's also used for as a reference thing. You know how people say theyre a libra, that's suppose to mean something, and as another thing to go off of, people will say theyre italian decent so that there is another level of understanding.

For example in a lot of the college classes I was in, on the first day everyone would do the little introduction thing to break the ice, people would usually bring up their heritage as it says a great deal about them. And in my case I would say im german/irish, and by knowing that people would pretty much know the area of the state/city/county I came from, and pretty good idea of what type of person i am.

[SephYuyX]

Culture and tradition means nothing to me, and really has no barring on who I am. Why should I care/define myself by it?

I think thats pretty common for younger people, but as you get older you tend to take more importance to it. America is america because of its vast cultures, and culture, I think, is one of the most important things about a person. Without it we are just a bland blob of people.

As much as you want to rebel against your past heritage, and the culture around you, youve failed because you unknowingly have it written all over your face and the way you act.

Cultures are an amazing thing, and it's something youll never be able to escape in a personal sense, or in a global sense. Try working for an international company in marketing, and youll see how important culture is.

[TheTaru]

If people ask where my family(read: ancestors) is from, I tell them Germany. I don't tell them I'm German-American or whatever. Most of the families(other than the Hispanics) I know have been in America for a long, long time. I was born in America, so I'm an American.

I don't really see why anyone cares though. Country of immigrants, etc.

[Beckwin]

And personally, I sort of fit the category of "too mixed up over too many generations" to really have a culture prefix on my nationality. I don't bother telling people that I'm Irish-Russian Jew-Norwegian-English-German-French-American unless ancestry/background is explicitly brought up. I'm something like 4th generation as well (which sort of explains my mutt pedigree). Generically, I'm European-American or whatever, but anyone can tell that by looking at me so it goes without saying.

I'm gonna be nice to Tsuko here and give him that people in my(our?) situation probably don't identify so much with a culture, but I dunno, when you start to think about it, you come to realize that you've got one. "American" as a culture is hard to define when you pretty much have no other frame of reference, and it's not so accepted (positively, at least) by the rest of the world because of how young it is, but it's definitely there.

[Cadsuane]

Things that are built upon tradition:

Law (particularly common law)

Art

Constitutional Government

Science

Language

Philosophy

Industry

Everything

All of these things imply culture, but I think what you guys are talking about is ethnocentricity. Well, that's part of an individual's inheritance as well, but homogeneity is what you trade for pluralism.

[Edgie]

If I am asked, Im american. If poked further, "where were you born" I was born in Dominican Republic. If poked some more, I have an Italian heritage back to Columbus and all that nonsense.
Why, cause Im a US citizen, been here since I was 9, My culture is what I have learn from living in NYC.

[Despain]

I consider myself American of Dominican descent. If anyone asks me, I'm American.

My brother thinks he's Italian. Then again, he's also homosexual, and pretty retarded.

[Tsuko_Asura]

I think thats pretty common for younger people, but as you get older you tend to take more importance to it. America is america because of its vast cultures, and culture, I think, is one of the most important things about a person. Without it we are just a bland blob of people.

As much as you want to rebel against your past heritage, and the culture around you, youve failed because you unknowingly have it written all over your face and the way you act.

Cultures are an amazing thing, and it's something youll never be able to escape in a personal sense, or in a global sense. Try working for an international company in marketing, and youll see how important culture is.

Its not about rebelling, I just see no rational reason to adhere to any sort of culture. I'm not the type of person to not do something simply because everyone says I should be doing it, I just take the time to think about why I'm supposed to be doing so, and more often than not, decide it makes no sense.

Runon sentences ftw