# White Americans: Are you a "hyphenated American" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 7, 2011, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-americans-are-you-a-hyphenated-american/602221 "2011-11-07T23:22:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-americans-are-you-a-hyphenated-american/602221/61 "2011-11-08T19:25:44Z")
> [@CitizenPained](#): > > What I don’t understand is the idea that in order for you to have ‘heritage’, you must claim some non-American roots. What is it you don’t understand? Unless you are an indigenous Native American your heritage (e.g. ancestry) is from some other country. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-americans-are-you-a-hyphenated-american/602221/62 "2011-11-08T19:26:33Z")
> [@CitizenPained](#): > > What I don’t understand is the idea that in order for you to have ‘heritage’, you must claim some non-American roots. That’s not the case. You’re free to claim any kind of heritage you want. Or don’t. I really don’t care what people call themselves. But just “White” bothers me _a bit_… ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-americans-are-you-a-hyphenated-american/602221/63 "2011-11-08T19:55:37Z")
> [@CitizenPained](#): > > What I don’t understand is the idea that in order for you to have ‘heritage’, you must claim some non-American roots. I don’t even think this is right. Again with my own case–to the extent that my dad’s side of the family has “heritage” (limited, due to a few drunkards and preachers in a row) it’s definitely been here long enough to be “American” heritage instead of “English American”. My mom’s side, though, it’s still Slovak, the family’s barely been here a century and many of the traditions are essentially unmodified from the old country ways. ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-americans-are-you-a-hyphenated-american/602221/64 "2011-11-08T20:01:31Z")
> [@Lukeinva](#): > > What is it you don’t understand? Unless you are an indigenous Native American your heritage (e.g. ancestry) is from some other country. But so is everyone’s ultimately. Even old Europe. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-americans-are-you-a-hyphenated-american/602221/65 "2011-11-08T20:01:35Z")
> [@CitizenPained](#): > > What I don’t understand is the idea that in order for you to have ‘heritage’, you must claim some non-American roots. You are obviously not from the South. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-americans-are-you-a-hyphenated-american/602221/66 "2011-11-08T20:46:57Z")
“White” doesn’t make it. I’m a tan American with fur. ---
**Author:** ![curlcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@curlcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curlcoat)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-americans-are-you-a-hyphenated-american/602221/67 "2011-11-08T21:04:36Z")
> [@Reverend\_Meade](#): > > No WASP means White Anglo-Saxon Person, i.e. English-American. The best you’d get for white would be European-American. Generally it wouldn’t be used because they consider white the default and thus no special term is needed. I know what WASP means, I’m trying to figure out what the OP meant by White American. Apparently only non-white Americans are allowed to use a hyphen? > [@Khendrask](#): > > This for me. American period. Or US Citizen. > I’ll lower my likability another notch and state that if I felt the need to hyphenate, it would be because I more wanted to be a citizen of the hyphen country. This is much the way I feel about it. I can see immigrants wanting to identify with the country of origin and _maybe_ their children, but after that the hyphen just seems to be a way to try to divide us all up and lord knows we don’t need any more division in this country. It’s one thing to think of yourself as a US citizen with a whatever background, but its quite another to insist that, say, the newspaper identify all black people as A-A’s, or all Mexicans as M-A’s. > [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > I hope when you say this to people, you’re intending to offend them. If you said this to me at a party, I’d quit speaking to you right there. You would be insulted if someone assumed you were “merely” a US citizen? > [@](#): > > But when I say I’m Polish-American, I’m not trying to say that I’m Polish. I’m saying I’m a Polish-American- you have to read it as a whole. So what I’m saying is that I eat the food, say a few of the words, dance the dances, and have other family traditions that come from my Polish background. I even _look_ Polish. I don’t know why people have to act like I’m either a) denying my American status, or b) trying to claim culture I don’t have. Because you look like you are trying to claim a culture you don’t have. As I said above, I am essentially purebred Irish, but third generation US born. Because of where I live, I eat a lot of Mexican food, speak Spanish and own many things commonly seen in Mexican homes. Does that make me Mexican-American? What does Polish look like differently than any other US citizen? > [@](#): > > And Whatever-Americans are different than Whatevers. I don’t know why people expect them to be the same. To have a hyphen means to have a fused culture. It’s some things from the old country and some things from America. It _doesn’t_ mean someone that’s through-and-through a Whatever but just happens to be born in America. The vast majority of us in this country are the result of a fused culture, yet most of us don’t try to separate ourselves out as “different” by calling us anything more than what we are - citizens. > [@smiling\_bandit](#): > > What’s an American? Someone born in North or South America 😃 > [@](#): > > What does he look like? What does he eat? It’s true that some nations have more than one, but they pretty much all have at least one. America does not, and that makes a lot of people subtley uncomfortable with themselves. Not following you here. Are you saying that there are no uniquely US things? ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-americans-are-you-a-hyphenated-american/602221/68 "2011-11-09T01:32:43Z")
> [@smiling\_bandit](#): > > That’s my point. Many Americans don’t have a clear idea of their own identity in that sense, and that bothers a lot of people. All they can do is identify as some arbitrary category which doesn’t really say anything. > [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > It says they worry too much. > [@CitizenPained](#): > > What I don’t understand is the idea that in order for you to have ‘heritage’, you must claim some non-American roots. > [@Lukeinva](#): > > What is it you don’t understand? Unless you are an indigenous Native American your heritage (e.g. ancestry) is from some other country. I do not qualify to go to any other country in the world and claim any sort of citizenship. I am pure American, I may happen to come from ancestors who are from several different countries, but _I_ was born here, to parents and grandparents and great grandparents, and great great grandparents, and great great great grandparents who were born here. How the hell am I anything _but_ American? My oddball Amish mother was born to parents, grandparents, great grand parents, great great grandparents and great great great grandparents who though kept to their own different culture considered themselves Americans, and were Americans. Is a Jew, who keeps to the orthodox community in NY or Boston or Philadelphia any less of an American, though they keep to a different culture? Should I try to be German, or Dutch or English? I cook a lot of german food, thanks to learning from my mother but I am trained as a french chef … I like stroopwaffles, but I doubt there is a gene for that. I am not fond of bubble and squeek and going to a pub every evening so obviously there isn’t a gene for that. I am a mark 1 mod 2 human being [female] just like any other female in the world. Skin color is just a couple of tiny genes in the whole gene complex that is a human being. I don’t give a fuck what color anybody is, or what country they come from, or what religion they practice [or don’t] or really what sex anybody is. As far as I am concerned, you were born here, you are an American. If you carry an American passport, you are American. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-americans-are-you-a-hyphenated-american/602221/69 "2011-11-09T13:22:10Z")
I have so many ancestries in me I couldn’t pick a dominant one even if I wanted to. Going back strictly patrilineally, I’m German, FWIW. I consider myself Native American. I was born in Illinois, after all. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-americans-are-you-a-hyphenated-american/602221/70 "2011-11-09T14:10:20Z")
> [@curlcoat](#): > > You would be insulted if someone assumed you were “merely” a US citizen? No, I’d be insulted if someone insisted that I was not, in fact, a Polish-American. It’s generally considered rude to “overrule” what culture people claim to have, as if you know better. > [@curlcoat](#): > > Because you look like you are trying to claim a culture you don’t have. As I said above, I am essentially purebred Irish, but third generation US born. Because of where I live, I eat a lot of Mexican food, speak Spanish and own many things commonly seen in Mexican homes. Does that make me Mexican-American? I’m trying to claim a culture I don’t have? Are you telling me I don’t really have a Polish-American culture? I assure you, I do. I don’t know why you’re so insistent that I’m just like every other American. > [@curlcoat](#): > > The vast majority of us in this country are the result of a fused culture, yet most of us don’t try to separate ourselves out as “different” by calling us anything more than what we are - citizens. Sounds to me like you think American culture is one, monolithic whole. It’s not. My culture is different than your culture. We _are_ more than “just” Americans, more than just citizens. ---
**Author:** ![ASanders](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asanders/32/3367_2.png) [@ASanders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASanders)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-americans-are-you-a-hyphenated-american/602221/71 "2011-11-09T14:17:04Z")
I’m American, and my primary cultural identifier is New Yorker. My four grandparents were each of different backgronds, including U.K, the Netherlands, and eastern Europe. One half goes back generations in the U.S., while the other half arrived via Ellis Island. I’m a true mutt. My kids are one-quarter German, but we’re all plain old Americans. ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-americans-are-you-a-hyphenated-american/602221/72 "2011-11-09T15:19:29Z")
I’m just an American. Though I happen to only have British ancestry, my mom’s side of the family has mostly been in the US since the 1600s. Her mother’s family were Puritans (Good), her father is a descendant of Henry Hudson (Hudson), as well I’m indirectly related to several political figures whose names escape me at the moment. Doesn’t get any more American than that! ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-americans-are-you-a-hyphenated-american/602221/73 "2011-11-09T15:37:17Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > You are obviously not from the South. 😉 Or from **Texas**! ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-americans-are-you-a-hyphenated-american/602221/74 "2011-11-09T15:58:08Z")
I went with yes but actually I usually refer to myself as “Siberian - first generation born here” rather than hyphenate. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-americans-are-you-a-hyphenated-american/602221/75 "2011-11-09T16:05:35Z")
I’m a NW European mutt, and I identify with my Swedish and German ancestry the most. The closest immigrants in my bloodlines were 2 generations previous, so in my mind hyphenation is silly. I’m American. ---
**Author:** ![ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryan)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-americans-are-you-a-hyphenated-american/602221/76 "2011-11-09T16:53:14Z")
I am an American. I happen to be of Irish-Polish-French Canadian-English decent and I’m proud of my heritage, but I am first and most importantly to my self-identity an American. You could call me a “white” American because I happen to be milky pale skinned. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-americans-are-you-a-hyphenated-american/602221/77 "2011-11-09T17:41:26Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > I hope when you say this to people, you’re intending to offend them. If you said this to me at a party, I’d quit speaking to you right there. I distinguish between people who hyphenate and people who don’t. “Polish-American” or “of Polish descent” are perfectly accurate descriptors for you (to use you as an example). “Polish” - which is what people tend to say at parties - is not, assuming you’ve never lived in Poland or even been there. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-americans-are-you-a-hyphenated-american/602221/78 "2011-11-09T19:11:29Z")
I’m a honky? ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-americans-are-you-a-hyphenated-american/602221/79 "2011-11-09T19:27:44Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > I am a Canadian-American. That’s hilarious. I have a friend who calls himself “half Canadian”. WTF does that even mean? Me, I’m an American. I’m so mixed I don’t even know what I am, nor do I care. I love Europe and I love traveling there, but I have no familial connections at all. ETA: I would never think of calling myself a “White American”. I might call myself “White” if I were specifically asked for my race, but otherwise, no. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-americans-are-you-a-hyphenated-american/602221/80 "2011-11-09T19:43:49Z")
> [@rhubarbarin](#): > > I’m just an American. Though I happen to only have British ancestry, my mom’s side of the family has mostly been in the US since the 1600s. Her mother’s family were Puritans (Good), her father is a descendant of Henry Hudson (Hudson), as well I’m indirectly related to several political figures whose names escape me at the moment. Doesn’t get any more American than that! A person who emigrated from Russia 5 years ago and whose parents were Croat and Mongolian, and who just became an American citizen yesterday, is _just as American_ as that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-americans-are-you-a-hyphenated-american/602221.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-americans-are-you-a-hyphenated-american/602221.md?page=5)