quote:Posted by Orincoro: I thought though, that millions of Americans have lived here since then, so why do we seem so rare? Maybe its where I grew up.
Maybe so. It seems, for instance, like a lot of Mormons can trace their roots in this country back very far. I bet that's the case in the center of the country, too. I think the coasts are where most of the immigrants tend to congregate, so maybe that's why people like you whose families have been in the US for hundreds of years seem so unusual.
I'm not sure exactly what you're asking me. I think your heritage is unique and certainly something to be proud of. And I don't mean that in some condescending "Everyone is special," kind of way, but in that it is genuinely really cool to me that you are able to trace your ancestry that far back in this country. (I have very little information from before my grandparents' generation because, of course, anything we had from before the exile is lost. All I know is anecdotal, and I don't even have names.)
As for what you should call yourself . . . beyond what I've already said of my intention to call people whatever they want to be called, I would say call yourself American. You seemed to be saying something along the lines of, Italian-Americans get all the "benefits" of claiming American culture and those of Italian culture as well. Well, I don't think that's something measurable, or comparable, or cumulative. In other words, I don't celebrate my Cuban heritage because it gives me something you don't have as an American, but because it's part of who I am, and so when I celebrate my Cuban-ness, I am celebrating myself. I'm not placing it above anything else, it's just who I happen to be, and I intend to value who I am. It isn't better or more than what you have, it simply is. Does that make sense? (It's a tough thing to try to get across, I think. I have a definite idea in mind, and I don't know if I've articulated it well, so I'd be happy to try again.)
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My daughter said a black kid in her class told everyone that he expected them to refer to him as an "African-American."
I asked her what she said to him and she said, "Well, I told him in that case I was a Hungarian-Irish-French American."
From her Dad she's a full quarter Hungarian - her great-grandmother was a Hungarian immigrant. From my side she is a full quarter French - her great-grandfather was a French immigrant. The other great-grandparents had families that were in this country since before the Civil War and were mostly Irish.
My husband and I both have "Old American" blood that has its roots in the south and traces back mainly to the British Isles, and we both have "New American" blood.
So, is he one of these dreaded
quote:Middle to upperclass heterosexual Christian white men whose families have been in the US for over a century.
quote:Originally posted by Belle: My daughter said a black kid in her class told everyone that he expected them to refer to him as an "African-American."
Have you decided not to honor that request?
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The request was not serious. The boy was making fun, and said later that people should really just call him a gangsta. Should we honor that one? He was trying to be funny, and Nat answered him in kind.
But for the record, in my household we usually use the term black, but if someone asked me to use African-American then I would do so, and that's what I've taught my kids. I personally don't see a problem with using "black" and "white" as a description for people's skin color, and I refer to myself as white without hesitation, but I understand some people do prefer not to be called a color, and if I know about that, I would honor their request.
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Okay. I didn't know from your post that the request was not serious. I just wanted to know--which is why I asked, rather than assuming. I see nothing wrong with your policy. As I noted earlier, I default to "African-American" rather than "black," because my perception is this is the label preferred by the majority of the population in question, but a) my perception may be off, or 2) the black/African American population where you live may have different preferences.
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Cool. I probably should have said it wasn't serious. According to my daughter, few things this kid ever says are serious, and she has the dubious honor of being seated to him often in classes because he's disruptive, and the teachers seem to think that having a quiet, straight-A student beside him will be a good influence.
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I live in a middle-class black community and never once have any of my friends/people I've encountered referred to themselves as African-American. Just sayin'. It could be different elsewhere.
It is (linguistically at least) interesting to note the development of the varying terms: Colored Person (way back when), Negro, Black, African-American, and now in some academic circles is it Person of Color. Almost a full circle.
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