Americans

striker, I think the only exception to that is native Americans. I think they have the right to retain the native- part if they want because they did not come here. This was their land, and they were overtaken and assimilated by a brutal US gov't. If they use the native- part as a reminder that they were here first and wrongfully displaced by the Europeans, I think that's more than fair. Otherwise I agree with idea.

Relatedly, I was absolutely appalled by the actions of "Mexican-Americans" in Los Angeles, who, a year or two back, gave the Mexican national soccer team rousing ovations, yet booed and injured by throwing things at their opponent in the stadium that day, the AMERICAN national soccer team. I just don't get it - if you love Mexico that much, why don't you get your butt back there; why do you live in America? Is is because Mexico actually sucks big ones in terms of the economy and the corruption of gov't, and because there are so many more opportunities in America? Of course that's why. Why don't you show some gratitude and pride in YOUR nation, you lousy scumbags (as if any of those people are here at TFL - oh well). OK, venting in temporary remission...

[This message has been edited by Futo Inu (edited July 01, 1999).]
 
The American Indian, has been to my knowledge the only people the U.S. Govt has had an offical policy of genocide for. It is definitely not our proudest moment, and some what similar to slavery we suffer not only socially but legally for those events of the past. fubsy.
 
Just seeing all of your posts makes me proud. I'm part Cherokee and ALL AMERICAN!!!

I think we've hit upon the problem that keeps America from true peace. As long as we segregate ourselves (willfully or not), we are instigating unrest.

------------------
Anarchism: The radical notion that I am the sole authority when it comes to deciding what's best for me.
 
My wife is kinda ethnic--her grandparents were Armenian immigrants. I think her heritage is interesting. But she doesn't think anything about it. She often receives invitations and newsletters in the mail from this or that Armenian-American church or social group--all worthy, I'm sure. She simply takes no interest in them, and doesn't identify with Armenia at all. So, no hyphens for her. Just an American gal.

[This message has been edited by jimmy (edited July 01, 1999).]
 
Sad thing is that it's the government that is driving the wedge between us Americans. When will we say "no more". When will we force them to stop "classifying" us?

I'm sick of what they have done.

Last week I had to fill out a form at my bank. One of the blanks asked, "language preference?".

I wrote Klingon.

CMOS
 
I agree that this hyphenated-American business is crap and just an excuse to Balkanize us as mentioned above. Push comes to shove, I an AMERICAN of German ancestry, but thats as far as it goes. My dad came here in the 20s. When I was in my teens, I asked him to teach me German. "What for? You're in America now!" was his answer. An Italian kid in school told me that's what his dad said. That's the big difference between a lot of immigrants today and yesterday. Yesterday's bunch WANTED to become Americans so bad, they wanted nothing to do with the Old Country. Many of today's immigrants want to keep the old ways and language but only live like an American. Check out a GREAT old (1950s) movie on this subject called "Anything Can Happen" with Jose Ferrer and Kurt Kaznar. (title comes from a boarding house dinner scene where the hero gets up and toasts "I see a Turk sitting down with an Armenian. If that can happen in America, then Anything Can Happen".) Like my dad said, "If it was so great in the Old Country, what the Hell are you doing here?".
 
Striker3, well said.

Futo-Inu, You didn't quite get it right. The American Indian is no more native to this country than we are. In fact, evidence shows that the earliest inhabitants of this land may have been caucasian.

Also, it wasn't genocide, but subjegation that the U.S. Govt. was after, altho, when you're the target of that, it's hard to tell the difference. The general population though, would have probably just as soon seen all of them eradicated. Atrocities were comitted by both sides.

Despite revisionist history, the Indians, were not the spiritual, noble protectors of the land that the intellectuals and moviemakers of today would have us believe. (you didn't hear an eagle scream every time you approached one). They were simply a people whose cultures and way of life were incompatible with the natural population expansion that ocurred at the time. Killing and pillaging amongst themselves didn't cause a real problem because they were pretty well balanced out and evenly matched. When the Europeans came they were of greater numbers, better equipped and more determined to succeed. The Indians didn't stand a chance. They couldn't or wouldn't adapt and were almost wiped out.

Now they are called Native-Americans and claim to be the original owners of this land and have managed to send a large segment of the population on a collossal guilt trip. Whatever flips the frizzen, I guess.

The point is, while anyone can call themselves what they want, officially designating these titles or descriptions is devisive and counterproductive to a unified citizenry.

Did anyone ever think that it might be by design? It's much easier to govern (read rule) a divided population than a unified one. Especially in a system such as ours. (Govt. by the people, for the people, etc.)

And before someone jumps to the conclusion that I am anti-indian or something like that...I am part Comanche, according to my Great-Grandmother. I never knew her to lie to me.

Somethings to think about:
The root word of diversity is divide.
An armed person is a citizen.
A disarmed person is a subject.




------------------
Dennis

"That no free man should ever be disarmed". (Thomas Jefferson)

wrightknife@ixpres.com
 
Two things and I'll make it short: 1) I have a German last name, travelled to Germany on business and thought to reconnect with my "roots." Except for the beer (Ahhhhhh, ein pils bitte!), I couldn't relate. I'm an American pure and simple. 2) Also had a young hispanic man criticize me for referring to him as an hispanic. He said he didn't come from Spain so he's not hispanic! "You Anglos always refer to us that way," he said. To which I replied, "Why do you refer to me as an 'Anglo? I'm not from England. You always refer to us that way."

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Safe shooting - PKAY
 
My $.02? As I've told everyone for as long as I came in contact with that question my race.


I'm an American!

Now, when pressed, I will admit that my ancestery is from Germany. I then even bring out the point that due to the fact that my Grandparents immigrated to this country in the 1890s I probably have a better claim to a hyphenated race then MOST of the people using them nowadays.

HOWEVER, when my GRANDPARENTS have stated when asked what nationality they were, and they answer "AMERICAN!"... and this is after leaveing Germany and starting afresh in a new country with very little money, learning a new language and all the other hardships one goes through when making a life changeing move of this nature, who am I to argue?

Now, by some of the post on this thread, I do think that I will start declaring myself a Native American. :D

Finally, I do know some real hyphenated Americans. This is due to the fact that they hold duel Citizenships!


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Schmit, GySgt, USMC(Ret)
NRA Life, Lodge 1201-UOSSS
"Si vis Pacem Para Bellum"
 
Just reading this very interesting topic with one ear cocked to the radio news.

Yesterday in Perth we had a "school invasion". A gang of Asian kids, armed with sticks and bars, went into Perth Modern Senior High School during recess and beat the tripe out of a "rival" gang, all central European members.

It's reported to be a racial "payback" punch-up.

As far as I know, this is a "first" for Western Australia -- not one to be proud of, though. Multiple cultures may work -- enforced multiculturalism sure doesn't seem to.

B
 
Paul B: You're not being PC, you are being polite. I, myself, would be PO'd if someone refered to my wife as a c*nt. The "S" word means the same thing. You beat me to the punch in your post.

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(!)
 
Aw, c'mon guys, smile a while. :) Just because a word appears in two
languages (with two different meanings) I don't think we need to go to war.

(Although I always have felt term "squaw" changed meanings dependent upon
inflection and/or usage.)

BTW, in Germany, the German word for "sheath" can be used as a sly,
non-vulgar (but low class) reference to the female genitalia. Imagine a G.I.
going into a sporting goods store looking for a good fixed blade knife and .....
(Sometimes sign language doesn’t work well!!)

On my last tour in Germany, most Americans and Germans did NOT speak the
other’s language. Yet, Germans frequently would babysit the American kids.

The G.I.s would come home and want to give the Germans some small gift.
The Germans, not speaking English, understood only the word "gift". In
German, it means "poison".

(I used to get lots of phone calls at home to straighten THAT one out! :) )

BTW, Germans have always wondered why Americans called them "cabbages"
(kraut). :)

Now if you want to use "native" words, have CR pronounce a few Slavic town
names. Moscow, for example, is really "Moskva". Warsaw is pronounced
Varshava (though it's spelled otherwise). Anybody want to try Budgoszcz?

Danzig is German for Gdansk (and you wouldn't BELIEVE how that's
pronounced!)

Heck! Most languages don't even use the same alphabet we do. Ponder some
Swedish names. Or Chinese names! Whew!

Me? I slaughter Spanish/Hispanic/Mexican (pick the PC term of the day!)
family names. I don't mean to be insulting. They know that. They see and
hear my struggling and grin when I just can't say the names as they do. :(

The English language "th" I believe is unique to our language. (At least VERY
rare.) Have some non-English speakers say, "the thistle" for some yucks!
(First th is voiced but not aspirated, second one is aspirated but not voiced.)

A friend of mine has a lovely Japanese wife. When she wants to crack him up
she sings, "Rub me or reeve me or ret me be ronery". They both really seem to
enjoy that. (?) If you mention Pearl Harbor to this Japanese lady, she says,
“Uh, huh. Dey step on der clank!” (I really DO like that one!!!)

Hindustani has four letter Ns, four Ds, and four Rs. Two of each are dental,
the other two palatal, one of each is aspirated, the other not. Americans
seldom perceive the differences. So there are four Hindi words that sound like
the English word "hot": 1) a dinner plate; 2) the palm of the hand; 3) a male
elephant (honest!); 4) NO meaning! It's just a nonsensical word used by
linguists!

Some of you old-timers may remember ranger (Carl Davis). When people told
him to speak Spanish because "they were here first" - Carl would explain he
was part Cherokee (or Comanche, I can't remember) and HIS people were here
before THEIR people!

I know all my examples are "outside" America. But all of us have ancestors
from outside our current homeland (even the “Native” Americans). Personally,
I think we all should speak at least English, but I figure it's each person's
choice.

Some Americans REFUSED to learn German - therefore their tour in Germany
was not as rewarding as mine. BTW, did you know that German nearly
became America's "official" language? In Congress, English won and German
lost by ONE vote! One vote, hmmmmm.
 
W-o-o!! Update here on my earlier post.

We just had a senior police officer saying on TV tonight that:

"This isn't gang-related. There are no [my emphasis] gangs here.

And I should know, because I run this town".

That statement worries me more than having gangs!!

B
 
Bruce, that's like J.Edgar Hoover saying there was no mafia!!!!
Hope your guy doesn't dress in womens clothes! :)

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what me worry?
 
This subject gets me worked up. Really worked up.

I am an American. I was educated in America, I served in the U.S. Armed Forces, I am registered to vote and excercise that privelidge.

BUT... I was born in Ireland. Am I Irish-American? No, I American.

It seems to me that many immigrants come here to be Chinese (as one example) in America, rather than being American. I see it as though they wish to enjoy what America has to offer, but they don't want to become part of our culture.

My brother in law's parents came from Italy. They told me that they were ashamed that they could'nt speak english. In fact the rule of thier house was that no one spoke anything but english until they learned the language. They did not forget thier roots, nor were they ashamed of who they were. They realized that they were in a differing culture and wanted to be a part of it.

I don't see that happening today. Now WE must learn everyone elses language and be ultra sensitive to them. I don't agree with that.

Am I being too xenophobic?

------------------
Dan

Check me out at:
www.mindspring.com/~susdan/interest.htm
www.mindspring.com/~susdan/GlocksnGoodies.htm
 
I look for my designation on all of those forms and havent yet found,,,fla cracker, southern by the grace of GOD, or any such designation that I agree with ----so Ill just stay an American (an proudly so)...fubsy.
 
The folks who practice politics use an old principle, "divide and conquer". Men against women, rich against poor, black against white, old against young... Guard yourselves against any political correctness or bigotry, they are poisons that will overcome you.

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Yankee Doodle
 
Some interesting comments have been made.
Yes, I guess I was being polite when discussing the "S" word. But by the same token, when I was in school, it meant an "Indian woman." It was taught in school that way. The only sexual connotation was that she was a female. It wasn't until a few militant Native-Americans brought it up, that anybody really knew about this meaning of the word.
Let's get a little deeper into this. How many of you know the original meaning of the "F" word? It's not what it is today. Let's see if anybody can come up with the answer. No prize, but the satisfaction of knowing.
For the person who can't understand why he is considered "Hispanic", when I took a diversity course, while employed, it was stated that a "Hispanic" was anyone who came from a Spanish speaking country. Makes sense to me.
I knew people when I lived in San Francisco, years ago, that were from Nicaragua, San Salvador, (or is it El? I always get those two mixed up.) and Mexico. They always refered to themselves as "Spanish". Not Mexican, or Nicaraguan, but Spanish.
My good friend Adolph was from Nicaragua. He said he was Spanish, from Nicaragua. Maybe that had something to do with "Hispanic". I don't know.
Paul B.
 
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