+361 Americans should stop identifying themselves as Italians, Mexicans, Irishmen, or wherever your great grandparents came from. Unless you are personally off the boat, you should just call yourself an American. amirite?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

On the census my dad put under race: Adam's

by Anonymous 13 years ago

That's not funny.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

No but its true..

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Huh?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Good one!

by Anonymous 7 years ago

Was it just me, or did the census seem really invasive this year? I mean, I thought the purpose was to count the population, not ask for racial demographics.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

they always do that... they just want to know demographics. it was actually a ton shorter this time around than it usually is.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I have never done a census report. They shouldn't be bugging me.

by Anonymous 7 years ago

Yeah, I mean duh we know we are citizens of the US. But we can still appreciate our heritage. I am pretty much a euromut (though a lot of white ppl are lol its just fun to say) I have a good bit of Irish in me though and I did Irish step dancing for 7 years, I know that doesnt make me 'more irish' but you get what I mean. Also: Mexicans and Canadians are technically Americans because they are from the continent North America

by Anonymous 13 years ago

so i shouldn't id myself as african-american and other.?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I think everyone just wants to be different.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I think everyone just wants to be different.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I'm all for celebrating your culture and heritage and everything, but when someone asks you what you are, you should proudly say, "American". If someone asks, "What country/ies are your ancestors from?" THEN you can say /whatever Where we came from DOES matter, but it shouldn't be significant in anyone's eyes when it comes to scholarships, jobs, etc. I'm extremely proud to be American, but I'm also proud of my ancestry. It's just one of those things... But it's also why I'm against all of those -race- only groups. NAACP makes sense, because there is discrimination, but those "IF YOU ARE AFRICAN AMERICAN, YOU CAN GET THIS SCHOLARSHIP" groups....bleh. You are just American, unless you or your parents stepped off of the ship or plane.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

It really should be: If you have citizenship, you are American, because if you are an illegal immigrant, or you just stepped of the plane/boat, you are American. By gaining citizenship legally, you are surrendering your right to say "I am Italian" because no, you are not. Italians in Italy are Italian. You are an American of Italian heritage.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Dammit, if you are illegal or just of the plane you are NOT American. Durrrrrr ruined my whole point there!

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I mean if you are legal. I'm 100% against illegal immigration. If you're illegal, you aren't American. Sorry, I forgot to mention that :P

by Anonymous 13 years ago

if black people from america are insistent about wanting me to call them african-american, then they should call me european-american instead of white.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Thank u 4 posting this. :-) <3 America!

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Okay, now I'm not Israeli anymore, because only mydad and his whole fucking family were Norma dn grew up there, right? Stfu cuz u don't know what ur talking about

by Anonymous 13 years ago

My dad is from Costa Rica. He was born there and raised there. My mom is black and Irish. I am Costa Rican, Black, and Irish. If your skull is too thick to get that, and you're going to tell me to shut up, you need to get a sense of understanding. just because I was born in the US, that doesn't mean I'm not latina. Whoever posted this amirite is stupid.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

If you moved to Costa Rica and got citizenship and everything, would you call yourself an American or Costa Rican?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

In the US, I think, instead of saying Mexican-American (or any variation) it should be American-Mexican. If you are a legalized American citizen, shouldn't that come first? I'm all for being proud of ones heritage, but if you aren't proud to be an American then maybe you shouldn't be in the US.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Well there's a big difference between being an American Indian and an Indian who has American citizenship.... Being American isn't associated with any specific race/religion, so when someone asks, I think they're referring to what kind of culture you come from

by Anonymous 13 years ago

in that case, mexican would come first because it's an adjective describing the type of american.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

SERIOUSLY! But really, they're just trying to sound exotic. Sometimes, when they are speaking amongst other Americans they say it because we all know they were born here. I ALWAYS say American.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

@KCB I would call myself what I always do. I would tell them I'm black, Irish, and Costa Rican, but I act like a white girl.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

@KCB I would call myself what I always do. I would tell them I'm black, Irish, and Costa Rican, but I act like a white girl. Because I'm light skinned and chubby, have bad acne, you can tell I live in the US.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

You can't tell someone lives in the US by being acne prone, light skinned and chubby. I was born in and currently live in the USA and am quite the opposite.... I sort of see half your point though because speaking with friends, we all know that we were born in America... and we're sort of speaking of our places of descent and not so much birthplace.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

American isn't really a heritage if you thnk about it. America is one big melting pot, and all of our ancestors came from somewhere else, unless you're Native American. It's okay to appreciate you heritage.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

haha I think my great great grandpa was from Norway. But I don't call myself Norwegian. still proud of it though!

by Anonymous 13 years ago

@ KCI If you mean birthplace, then I suppose I'm American. But there's nothing wrong with being proud if your heritige. I won't say I'm fully white, because I'm not. I was born and raised the US, and I've never even left California. My father came here when he was eighteen. He's in his forties now, but that doesn't mean I can't say I'm Costa Rican. I am, and I'm proud. At least I have an interesting heritige. p.s. I have no idea what the age thing was for... I kinda got off track with that.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

so are you saying people should stop calling me Asian because I was born in America? Yeah, like that's ever gonna happen.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

so what if im italian,irish,french,german,dutch,and american? id like to be proud of all 6 of my heritages, so put that in ur juoce box AND SUCK IT

by Anonymous 13 years ago

You'd like to be proud of your heritages? You could try capitalizing them. That seems like a small thing you could do to to start.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

So if someone was born in Japan but both of their parents are from America, and they look American are they Japanese? Or American?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Well, mine are so mixed up I can't even remember half of them, so I gave up a while back and just say American.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I think what the OP is trying to say is that Americans whose great-great-great grandparents came to America that were from another country shouldn't say "I'm 100% German" or "I'm 100% Irish" if they know almost nothing about the culture; let alone speak the language. My parents immigrated here from Slovakia. I was born here but I speak Slovak fluently and we visit there every year. Even so, I don't think I have the right to call myself 100% Slovak. I am Slovak-American because I was born here and I live here. It makes me mad too when someone says "Oh I'm 100% Italian!" (cough cough guidos) When all they do is flaunt their flags, eat pizza and can say "ciao". Sorry hon, but it doesn't make you 100% Italian.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Haha. I totally agree with you about the people boasting about being 100% of a heritage when they know nothing about it, especially guidos (trust me I know, I'm from Jersey). But I still think we have the right to say we're some % of this country and some % of this in our heritage, even if we are born in America. But how would you describe dual-citizenship?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Well when you put it that way, you totally have a right to say that you are (insert country here)-American. And yes, you can say that your like 25% of another country just remember, as long as you live and/or were born in America, you will be American. I'm from Jersey too, and sometimes I want to punch those goddamned guidos in the face. P.S Is dual citizenship even possible?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I don't think it should be a problem unless like some people say, they consider them self full-blood or something. I think it is interesting to see what people's heritages are. When someone asks me, I DO say Italian, English, Irish, and Lebanese, but that is only a small portion descended upon by ancestors. Of course I am mostly American, but I have some of that blood, it doesn't mean I am full-on Italian or more then I am American.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

i don't want the label of being "american"...and besides...my ancestors came only from ireland...so why shouldn't i call myself irish?? it's not like american is a race and i haven't got anything else in me

by Anonymous 13 years ago

If you don't want to be associated with "American," why are you in "America?"

by Anonymous 13 years ago

One cannot choose one's own country of birth and moving is not always an option.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

People can celebrate their heritage all they want, I'm still polish even if I don't know anything about it. I don't say i'm polish, I'm American, but I can still say in polish, cuz that's where my ancestors are from. So stfu.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I'm***

by Anonymous 13 years ago

are you guys ignorant or something? being american not only includes the US, it also includes south america, the caribbean and central america..

by Anonymous 13 years ago

the OP meant people from America. Being from the United States of America, we call ourselves Americans. That's just the way it is and always has been. What else are we supposed to call ourselves?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I understand that some people out there think that by not calling themselves "Italian" or "Latino" or "Irish" says that they are not proud of their heritage. Go ahead, be proud of your heritage, but shouldn't we all be just as proud, if not more, of the country that we live in now. America. I mean your great-grandparents or whoever, they came to America for the very purpose of being American. They wouldn't have chosen America if they didn't feel that way. Be proud of the country you live in now. Have some pride in being American, they would have wanted it that way. Sure we all maybe be different because of the place our ancestors came from, but we are all equal and united by being American. :)

by Anonymous 13 years ago

You are what your parents are. There's a difference between being born in a certain country and being a race of a certain country. Both my parents are Turkish and they were born in Turkey, but i wasn't and that still makes Turkish. But then there's the factor of me being born in Australia, so does that make me Australian now?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Using your hertiage as the main description of yourself is ridiculous anyway. I'd much prefer to introduce myself as an Earthling. At least we're all the same in that sense. I wasn't trying to bark up anyone's tree with my previous comment. It's just that if I were trying to list the many places my ancestors are from we would be here all day. Besides, I'm Texan. 'Nuff said. Lol.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

But what if you have dual-citizenship?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

then it's where you live.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

'@237229 say if your of portuguese decent and you was born in America. You're an American citizen of Portuguese heritage or Portuguese-American. You can have a citizenship in Portugual cause your parents were both born there and you speak the language. So if you get Portuguese citizen ship you will become American-Portuguese.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

if your old country is so great, then why the hell don't you go back there? If where you live now is preferable, then stop praising the old country.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Like one of the comments said, being "American" is NOT an ethnic background or race. Not every "American" is 7th or 8th generation American like some (not most, because alot of interracial marriage happens). My father's side of the family have been here since slavery, and like many Blacks we have a Native American last name, but my mother is an immigrant from the middle east. When someone asks me where I'm from, they don't expect me to even say AMERICAN because they alreayd KNOW I'm freaking born here. I speak the language perfectly and so do my parents. When people ask me where I'm from, they want to know where I got the skin color and curly hair from. So whoever wants to be labeled as JUST American has no sense of heritage and where they came from.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

But it's better if we say our heritage, because some people automatically asume things. When I moved to Brooklyn, the kids automatically asumed I was white because I'm light skinned. This country is full of ignorant people, and by using our ethnic backround instead of calling ourselves American helps a lot. A hispanic person who is dark skinned may automatically thought of as black, or they might just be thought og as Mexican or Puerto Rican, because that's what people think. They don't realize there's other places people can be from. That's why many people express their backrounds instead of plainly saying they're American.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

People usually ask me "where I am from". I say Queens. Then they ask me what is your race. I say Black and Asian. Then they say what's your nationality. I say American. The thing is people don't know the difference between nationality, ethnicity, and race.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

there's a difference between ethnicity and nationality. american isn't an ethnicity, it's a nationality. italian is both. i'm italian and i'm american.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Teddy Roosevelt once said.... "There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism. When I refer to hyphenated Americans, I do not refer to naturalized Americans. Some of the very best Americans I have ever known were naturalized Americans, Americans born abroad. But a hyphenated American is not an American at all. This is just as true of the man who puts “native” before the hyphen as of the man who puts German or Irish or English or French before the hyphen. Americanism is a matter of the spirit and of the soul. Our allegiance must be purely to the United States. We must unsparingly condemn any man who holds any other allegiance. But if he is heartily and singly loyal to this Republic, then no matter where he was born, he is just as good an American as any one else. The one absolutely certain way of bringing this nation to ruin, of preventing all possibility of its continuing to be a nation at all, would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationaliti...

by Anonymous 13 years ago

It's mentality like this that makes people want to move to Canada where people are allowed to be proud of their culture, and not judged for their prifr

by Anonymous 13 years ago

haha, I'd say fresh off the plane instead of boat, but that's just me. Oh yeah, by the way, America is called the land of immigrants for a reason so, stop hating on people who are acknowledging their heritage. Although, I admit that you should still add American in front of Italian or Irish just because you still should have respect for the nation you're in.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

you don't surrender to your heritage when you become a citizen or even by being born here.. i was born here in the U.S & when anybody asks i say i'm MEXICAN! why? because it's not always where you were born or where you live, sometimes "[our] hearts belong to those who showed [us] the world" so i really dgaf, being a native citizen or not, I'm Mexican. & i'm damn proud of it. to say otherwise is disrespect to your roots, [you] should try it sometime

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I like to know my roots, I know a lot All Irish English but there is just one person skipped, never known, I wish I could get the dna tests, but I am sure it must have been a black person.

by Anonymous 7 years ago