I would like to say in advance I am not trying to start anything unproductive, I’m just curious in people’s opinions on this subject.
Today, I was thinking about how many Americans tend to call themselves Americans with something at the beginning that connects somewhere else. Irish American, Italian American, African American, Chinese American, Korean American, etc. and I couldn’t help to think why. Though this is a belief I’ve always had, I thought I bring on here to try to find other people’s opinions so I can at least try to understand why they do so.
My opinion on this matter is somewhat simple. First things first, nationality squashes all. So before your this and that, your an American, or British, or a Canadian, or French. Second, connect with people who have similar beliefs, morals, ethics, interest, faith, residency, nationalities and other things on that line to you and not by, my father’s father, father father came from this country, so that makes me __________.
But when it comes to this matter, I defiantly don’t see the need for some things that some people do. So as the concept of connecting with you culture and heritage, as if those two were the same thing. Seeing how you’re born into a culture and not with one. So the same way an “Italian” American can “relate” with Italian culture, a Pilipino man who has no background to Italy can be born into that culture and pick up the culture. Pick up the Italian language, eat and become accustomed to Italian food, attend Catholic churches, and the many other parts of Italian culture. I, as an American who is Black, feel no connection to any other country then the United States, and countries I’ve visited and stayed for a decent amount of time. I feel no connections to any African nations, since I was not born there and have not direct family there, Parents, Cousins, Uncles Grandparents, Etc.
Now that does not mean that I am not for connection by personality and Characteristics. I, as an American, feel a connection to people such as Martin Luther King and Frederick Douglass, but I also feel those same connections to people like Thomas Edison and Abraham Lincoln. Why? Because as I call myself an American, they were as well. But not only because of the fact I was birthed into this country and raised in this society, but because I love this country. As a Deist, I connect with people such Thomas Paine and Lord Herbert of Cherbury. Why? Because since they were Deist, any in many ways and forms made Deism more well known, I can connect with them. As a Social Democrat I can connect with people such as Eduard Bernstein and even George Orwell. Why again? Because they were supporters who helped bring political change that I consider to be most important in my political views. Now, none of this is drawn from, what I said earlier, my father’s father father or my mother’s mother mother is from __________________.
Like I said, I’m curious to hear people’s opinion on this matter. I did spend some time typing this up so I would appreciate it if people don’t answer with trolling type answers just to get the points.
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