Jump to content

US Identity confusion


Recommended Posts

The 'popular'/stereotypical view of many Americans is that they are uber patriotic and love to chant "USA! USA! USA!" and talk about how America is the greatest country on Earth etc. They do seem to come across as 'loving' their country more than those of other nations and talk of their pride in their country etc etc.

However, they then all claim to be Irish or Italian or a quarter Scottish or half German etc etc.

No, you're a fucking American. You were born in America. You live in America. You are an American. You are not Irish. You are not Italian. You are not any other nationality.

I don't get the seeming confusion; they claim to be proud patriots but then claim they are from another country. Mental. It's not like they don't have their own national history from the last couple of hundred of years either.

If anyone were to ask me what nationality I was, I wouldn't say I was Norsk, I would say I was Scottish.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 58
  • Created
  • Last Reply

The 'popular'/stereotypical view of many Americans is that they are uber patriotic and love to chant "USA! USA! USA!" and talk about how America is the greatest country on Earth etc. They do seem to come across as 'loving' their country more than those of other nations and talk of their pride in their country etc etc.

However, they then all claim to be Irish or Italian or a quarter Scottish or half German etc etc.

No, you're a fucking American. You were born in America. You live in America. You are an American. You are not Irish. You are not Italian. You are not any other nationality.

I don't get the seeming confusion; they claim to be proud patriots but then claim they are from another country. Mental. It's not like they don't have their own national history from the last couple of hundred of years either.

If anyone were to ask me what nationality I was, I wouldn't say I was Norsk, I would say I was Scottish.

Neither would I - nor, indeed, would anyone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Neither would I - nor, indeed, would anyone.

You know what I mean! If I trace my family history back far enough on my dad's side (talking a few generations here) then they are from Norway, but I don't claim to be Norwegian.

Obviously many American families can trace their ancestors back to many places only going back a couple of generations or often just one, but they are still American.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm getting a wee chance to get rUK back for ethnically cleansing my ancestors, I only need to put a wee cross next to YES with 50% of the population to expunge them for good.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Was talking to an American who claimed Scottish ancestry one time I was over there, who gave me the full tedious run-down of his genetic makeup; quarter Scottish, quarter German, an eighth Dutch, a sixteenth Native American and so on.

It was only later on I added up the fractions and realised he was claiming to be about a person and a half.

Being American he could of course have passed for that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The discrepancy lies in American confusion between the terms Nationality and Ancestry.

The real discrepancy, as usual, lies with the vacuum inside your skull. Nationality is chosen not assigned - this isn't the 1930s - and nationality (s) do not have to correspond with citizenship, or state/dynastic patriotism.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If someone's grandparents emigrated to the USA from Italy or Ireland I don't see why that wouldn't be part of their identity. I think that the strength of the European immigrant identities has dropped in the US, mainly because the passage of time and societal changes but it'll still be a big part of some people's lives, an influence on their culture.

I also don't see why someone would care if another person wants to call themselves an Italian, an Armenian or whatever. What difference does it make to your life?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If someone's grandparents emigrated to the USA from Italy or Ireland I don't see why that wouldn't be part of their identity. I think that the strength of the European immigrant identities has dropped in the US, mainly because the passage of time and societal changes but it'll still be a big part of some people's lives, an influence on their culture.

I also don't see why someone would care if another person wants to call themselves an Italian, an Armenian or whatever. What difference does it make to your life?

It's makes zero difference to my life. I just thought it was a strange dichotomy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Get a bit annoyed by Americans thinking that as I'm supposedly from a Celtic country I must have a profound insight into fiddle music and misty heritages, and empathy for the IRA. Hippies are the worst.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...