I'm AMERICAN dammit!

Great Debates
1

I decided to start a new thread on this because I need the ranting space. So sit back and relax. This won’t hurt a bit. (OK, maybe it will.)

First off, I’m of Hispanic descent (Mexican to be exact). That said, here’s how I feel about ()-Americans.

I’m an American. Don’t call me Mexican-American, Latin-American, Chicano (WTF is that?), Latino, etc. I was born here. I’m an American citizen and would never want to live in Mexico. Hell, I barely want to go there on vacation.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not un-proud of my heritage. It’s just that I’m infinitely more proud to be an American.

I was sickened to see AMERICANS marching down the streets of Los Angeles in protest of prop 187 carrying a MEXICAN FLAG!!! I would NEVER march under another country’s flag or be any part of an organization geared solely for one race (eg “Latino” groups).

These actions only widen the gap between races. People need to realize that if a group bands together and says “We’ll just be over here concerned only for people of our race.”, other people will feel like “Screw those guys!”.

I have made my own way in my life and my race neither hindered or helped this. It wasn’t even an issue. That’s what makes this country great! All the people that think there are too many white people “making it” and not enough minorities (another term that only separates us UGH!) well guess what? THERE ARE MORE WHITE PEOPLE HERE! SO WHAT! Shut up and do what YOU need to do to get what YOU want!

I know that if we were able to eliminate the ()-American term, we wouldn’t all magically get along but it would definitely be a start.

“I’m hungry, let’s get a taco.” - Mr. White

2

A minority complaining about minorities? Wow - you are American! :smiley:

Seriously, good post, guy.

Esprix

Ask the Gay Guy! (or, if you prefer the Jesusfied version, Asketh the damn Priest Guy!)

“Never assume a malicious intent when stupidity will explain just as well.”

3

FINALLY!!! People get too caught up on race. If i were to use the lingo used my children would have to say I am italian irish german norweign AMERICAN. that would be a complete pain in the A**. We all bleed the same color. thank you for that comentaray. a fellow american!!!

4

As an English-Russian-American, I take great offense to…oh…never mind.

Great post, Red. Welcome to the boards!

Polydactyl Cats Unlimited
“A Cat Cannot Have Too Many Toes”

5

Let’s see:

My nationality: American

My ethnicity: Iowan

My race: human

That’s it for me on the subject. I try hard not to judge a person on what they are but how they act.

6

Which of the X-wing pilots was codenamed “Red 2” again? Was that Wedge or Biggs?

7

It was Wedge. I think he was Corellian-American (Star Wars fans laugh here!)

“I’m hungry, let’s get a taco.” - Mr. White

8

Hey, RED2. Amen, brother!!!

9

Reminds me of the loser who told me I wasn’t really “acceptable” as a long-term love interest because I was Catholic (I haven’t set foot in a Catholic church in 24 years)–and he knew it!!

I asked him if he’d suffered some serious head trauma at some point in his life and, if not, I’d be happy to oblidge him.

There will always be racists and supremacists. Perhaps they must capitalize on the one thing they have to compensate for their lack elsewhere.

10

I take condolence in the fact that eventualy this will become a more trivial matter. The ethnic enclaves, “racial discrimination”, attempts at ethnic preservation, etc. has already existed with every major immigration wave, German-American, Irish-American, whatever. Eventually the same merging will occur for Hispanics. It really annoys me when I hear politicians, liberal and conservative complaining that today’s immigrants are different from the immigrants of old becasue today’s immigrants are not asymilating. That is just plain wrong,

You know, doing what is right is easy. The problem is knowing what is right.

–Lyndon B. Johnson

11

:: Stands and Cheers! ::
BTW, I have a similar thread going here.

Cecil said it. I believe it. That settles it.

12

Since you asked…

…Chicano is the term used to describe Americans of Mexican descent who have resided in the western part of the United States since the land was part of Mexico, particulary in California. My dad’s best friend is Chicano - there’s a street in San Leandro (in the East Bay) named after his family.

13

You mean I’m not an unfortunately Anglicised German-American, nor assimilated Pennsylvania Dutch, nor…?

It’s funny how Americans so often insist that they are from somewhere other than where they’re actually from. I have German blood, and English cultural heritage. But I know Germans, and Englishmen. I may look like the former, and find the latter’s language intelligible, but I have another ethnicity–another nationality, in fact. I’m a Missouri Yankee. I see no particular reason to be proud of the fact, but it’s true.

14

Kyla, that’s my point. Why would you call Mexicans who lived somewhere at some time one thing and other Mexicans something else. It all smacks of being PC but that’s what’s helping keep “separatist” attitudes around.

“I’m hungry, let’s get a taco.” - Mr. White

15

I’m porta-Jew-anian…(Portugese, Jewish and Lithuanian)…now you know why I call myself white?

ME

16

First off. I’m amazed that the best other people on this board can offer to your comments is a “right on, you said it.”

Well good for you. I congratulate you on you heritage. One question? Isn’t it easier to just refer to yourself as Hispanic-American rather that an American of Hispanic Decent.
Just wondering.

According to Webster’s a Latino is 2 : a person of Latin-American origin living in the U.S.
It sounds to me like you are a little ashamed of your heritage. Now you can ask to be called or not be called whatever you want. But, that doesn’t change who you are. I pity you.

**
From what you just said it sounds like you are.

**

  1. How dare you assume they were all Americans. That is just like people calling you Mexican American. A good portion of them could have very well been Mexican citizens.
  2. It wasn’t the actions of the people protesting 187 that widened the gap. It was the people who proposed it, and the people who voted for it. The people out in the street were protesting a proposition that was designed to widen the gap between people.
  3. So you would never march under another country flag, BFD. Some people would. Plus the Mexican flag is more that just another countries flag. It is a symbol of Latino pride. I’m sure there were Guatemalans and other Latin-Americans marching, but the Guatemalan flag doesn’t have the same resonance among people that the Mexican one does.
  4. The reason why people form groups geared towards one race, is because those people have specific concerns that aren’t being met by other groups. Are you saying that like minded people shouldn’t get together? Hell, let’s just ban all groups.
  5. The groups that banded together were very multi-ethnic, you had teachers unions opposing 187 too.

**
Well again, whoopee for you. However, most people find that their race does hinder or help them. That’s like the old argument, * I’ve never been poor, so poor people must just be lazy,* hate to break it to you but that’s not the case. Also that paragraph just doesn’t make sense. First you complain about the term minority. Then you go and say that there are more white people. Then you tell people to do what the need to do to get what they want. Well, how about marching through the streets of LA? Oh wait, you only want people to do what they want when it doesn’t conflict with your narrow world view.

Sure. Because back when African-Americans were called niggers and Mexican-Americans were called Spics everyone got along so much better.

17

[sarcasm]

I think you’re right. It’s appalling that Italian-Americans make a big deal about Columbus Day, and ditto Irish-Americans and St. Patrick’s Day. Fer cryin’ out loud, don’t they know they’re Americans now? I mean, the Italian-Americans even insisted on their own frigging government holiday, and St. Patty’s Day might as well be one. I say, if they’re ashamed to be Americans, they should go back where they came from!

[/sarcasm]

On a serious note, who has a problem with the ‘pride of origin’, to coin a neutral term, exhibited by Americans of Irish or Italian descent? And how does the pride of origin exhibited by persons of Hispanic origin differ from that exhibited by Italian- and Irish-Americans, now and in the past? If I don’t choose to make a big deal of my ancestry (FWIW, only one of my grandparents was born in this hemisphere), how is it any skin off my back when others do?

I mean, I don’t see any strong Hispanic, black, Armenian, etc. separatist movements. And while some people of Ethnic Group X (for any X you care to pick) feel that their progress in America was unhindered by their ancestry, others feel that they have frequently encountered people treating them quite differently due to their origins.

This has certainly been true of Italian-Americans until fairly recently (I’m old enough to remember rumors of Gov. Cuomo’s and Rep. Rodino’s alleged mob connections casually bandied about); my father remembers when Ivy League colleges had Jewish quotas, to keep people like him from overrunning their sacred halls; and even now, persons from Islamic countries are the all-purpose movie villians.

And of course, we know about driving while black.

So people who share a common background and face some of the same problems happen to band together on occasion? I’m shocked.

I have to agree with m3 who, in a parallel thread, said:

Works for me.

“Living in this complex world of the future is not unlike having bees live inside your head.” - F. Scott Firesign

18

Scratch, all I’m saying is that I don’t understand why some immigrants come to the US for better lives then snub their noses at the very government that gave it to them.

I’m sure there were people of other nationalities marching under that Mexican flag, I’ll give you that. My point was they had no business using that flag. I would’ve been first in line if they had used an American flag. After all, the “American Way” was really what they were supposedly marching for.

“I’m hungry, let’s get a taco.” - Mr. White

19

I know I’m repeating myself, but…

I contend that the use of the hyphen is INCLUSION of American, not exclusion. In St. Paul MN, less than a century ago, signs could be found saying “no Irish allowed.” This meant no Irish no Irish-American no Irish-whatever. People who have never been to Sweden or Norway will refer to themselves around here as “Swedes” and “Norweigians.” I have friend of Italian descent who call themselves “Italian”–not “Italian-American,” just “Italian.”

Maybe you should start with those people first, those of you who hate the hyphen.

P.S. Given that most supporters of the OP are just doing a “ditto” response (i.e. not much a debate, great or otherwise), and given that the OP admits to ranting, shouldn’t this be in the Pit?

Bucky

20

If only hey could have used the American flag. Unfortunately the American flag had been co-opted by the proponents of 187. That’s my point, people don’t devide themselves into groups by choice, it’s by exclusion. They don’t feel they fit into the rest of society, so they need to redefine themselves. The American flag, to most people doesn’t stand for freedom. It stands for Imperialism, repression, and bigotry. Sorry folks.