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Question for Americans

This is a question i'm asking of other countries just to get a comparison.

In the USA would you ever get a group of 1st generation Americans claiming to be another nationality just because one or more parents were born there? Would they ever feel "closer" to that heritage than they do to American heritage even though they were born in the USA and have never set foot in that country they claim?

You get a lot of that in the bigger cities where there are communites of immigrants like Chicago with the Polish (and others). A lot of them don't learn to speak English until they go to school and there is a very close tie to the "homeland" in the household.

MrS

Re: Question for Americans

Yeah. Because really, what is American heritage? We kind of based our ideas on the idea that we are all different and have the freedom to express our cultures... so thats all we are now, I spose. Just a big huge country filled with other cultures' practices. Unless, of course, you look at the "White Trash" subculture. I cant imagine that anything that disgusting could have come from anywhere but the states.

You get second and third generation kids that feel that way too. Probably because the things like the educational system promote diversity in the classroom and in the workforce and all that. 4th generation Native Americans are eligible for a slew of awards and scholarships when they go to school (slightly different example, though) and 2nd and 3rd gen. anythings get a lot of funding as well.

I guess claiming "caucassian" doesnt really get you much anymore, even though our mixing bowl has become a melting pot. We are all the same, in the end, or at least if you dont think so just yet, we will be eventually.

What were we talking about again? It seems Ive lost my point..

Re: Re: Question for Americans

quote:

Originally posted by Ang ' ela_ie Yeah. Because really, what is American heritage? We kind of based our ideas on the idea that we are all different and have the freedom to express our cultures... so thats all we are now, I spose. Just a big huge country filled with other cultures' practices. Unless, of course, you look at the "White Trash" subculture. I cant imagine that anything that disgusting could have come from anywhere but the states. You get second and third generation kids that feel that way too. Probably because the things like the educational system promote diversity in the classroom and in the workforce and all that. 4th generation Native Americans are eligible for a slew of awards and scholarships when they go to school (slightly different example, though) and 2nd and 3rd gen. anythings get a lot of funding as well. I guess claiming "caucassian" doesnt really get you much anymore, even though our mixing bowl has become a melting pot. We are all the same, in the end, or at least if you dont think so just yet, we will be eventually. What were we talking about again? It seems Ive lost my point..

there's a lot more to american culture than "white trash" and borrowed other cultures' practices. it's more visible if you classify groups such as the WWII generation, the baby boomer generation, and Gen Xers....they certainly have their own cultural practices and are distinctly american.

I was being (slightly) sarcastic with that example, and I definitely didnt say that they were the only ones.

And generations are not cultures, theyre generations.

OH GOD YES there are many many many people here who claim to be this or that even if they don't speak a word of their herritages language, know the customs, or have even been to "their" country. There are even more who come here and then make fun of our culture and try to change it because they don't like it. There are also a lot of people who are first generation americans who assimilate quite easily and are proud to be here. Yes there is an american culture, it's been a few years since the begining now, and it's not the same here as anywhere else, so i'd call that different wouldn't you? I also like the countless number of fools who talk shit about this country/government who have never lived anywhere else for any extended period of time. DO NOT misunderstand me... I don't pretend things are perfect here, far from it, nore most other places. If you don't like where you live or wish to live somewhere else... then go. I'd assume your feelings would be the same should the situation be reversed. hope this helps

It seems more and more Immigrants in this nation are less willing to assimilate. Becoming a citizen of any nation involves 9 parts assimilation and 1 part cultural identity. While I was in Holland a man told me of his own nations struggles with immigration and I must belive his statement:
"no one forced you to come, no one is forcing you to stay, it is only asked that while here, you respect the way we live, how our culture is and not try to change us, for we like our status quo: this is why we haven't moved and you have."

was that the guy at the bar in the airport?

quote:

Originally posted by djallure It seems more and more Immigrants in this nation are less willing to assimilate.

Thats because America isnt about assimilating. You know, freedom to be whoever you want to be?

quote:

Originally posted by Ang ' ela_ie Thats because America isnt about assimilating. You know, freedom to be whoever you want to be?

ibelieve you are right and wrong

yes, you are right unfortunatly, our freedoms are taken for granted very much. You don't have to do anything, or you can do everything (within the law) that you choose.

no, it's freedom that the government wont chop off your hands for being a diff religion and speaking out about what you don't like. Thats different than saying the country sucks and then not voting or moving to another, clashing with the people who live here just because you hate americans, denouncing other religions publicly and brutaly, commiting crimes because you're poor but won't get a job, jacking off in school instead of trying to get an education good enough for mcdonalds, not even trying to learn the english language well enough to order food at a restaurant, etc. etc. etc. Thats not exercising freedom.

Probably true. Maybe I just have a different idea of "assimilation" in my mind. I think of what youre saying as "getting along."

What is free to you? We are politically free in the United States. You may vote for whomever you wish, speak your mind on any issue you wish, petition your government, but on that same note, because you are free too tell a 99 year old grandmother to F-off, does that make it ok simply because it's within the scope of your freedoms?

quote:

Originally posted by djallure What is free to you? We are politically free in the United States. You may vote for whomever you wish, speak your mind on any issue you wish, petition your government, but on that same note, because you are free too tell a 99 year old grandmother to F-off, does that make it ok simply because it's within the scope of your freedoms?

Yes it makes it OK in terms of freedom, but not in terms of ethical standards/socially accepted behavior.

quote:

Originally posted by djallure What is free to you? We are politically free in the United States. You may vote for whomever you wish, speak your mind on any issue you wish, petition your government, but on that same note, because you are free too tell a 99 year old grandmother to F-off, does that make it ok simply because it's within the scope of your freedoms?

Youre missing the point.
We are talking about freedom of culture, not rudeness.

ie. How can you compare celebrating your Greek heritage to telling someones grandmother to ... whatever?

The way some of the morons are running this place, I'd almost rather claim my German heritage sometimes than admit I'm an American.

Anyway, like someone already mentioned you do see a lot of people that would rather stay in their little cultural bubble instead of assimilate. A lot of people from different nationalities did that when they moved here. Hell, Indiana's state constitution was written in English and German because there were so many Germans living here that didn't want to assimilate when the area became reckognized as a state.

The group that seems the most apt to doing this right now is the mexicans that come here by whatever means. I can't tell you the last time I met someone that had recently moved here from Mexico that didn't have some kind of sign of their heritage on their vehicle. Then you have to deal with the fact that many of them don't even bother to try learning English. I worked in a Finish Line years ago, and we would have entire families come in. I'm talking 8 or 9 people from 2 or even sometimes 3 generations of family members to all get stuff at the same time. The only ones that spoke English were the kids, who probably learned it when they were in school. I don't mind them coming here at all since I wouldn't be her had my Great Grandfather not decided to leave Germany when the Nazis took over, but please learn the god damn language and pay your taxes if you're going to live here.


I think I got sidetracked. Oh well.

well both my parents were born in greece.. i was born here.. i consider myself greek.. thats me! but i go to greece quite often and i speak it fluently and all that stuff.. so just because i was born in usa why cant i consider myself greek?
btw i agree with the person above.. sometimes im ashamed to say im american when i go to greece because of all the stuff happening here!! again thats my opinion!!

you arre first generation american, yet you still have fam there, you speak both languages fluently, and you travel back and forth... you have every right to call yourself greek. btw I was there for a while this past summer, lotta fun.

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