Why is there such Over-use of hyphenated ethnicities such as African-American...?

Question

Correctly, a person who has dual citizenship, or is a recent landed immigrant, uses the term Irish-American, or African-american. A person who was born in the US, whose parents were born in the US and whose grandparents were probably born in the US, should be called AMERICAN. My grandparents were born in the Ukraine and moved here as newlyweds. My parents were born here. I am technically, and correctly, an American, not a Ukrainian-american. Don't you think that some of this hyphenated "trippin'" is just for getting noticed? I am asking because I have a couple of cousins who call themselves "Ukrainian-Americans" and it is so ridiculous as they can't speak any language other than English and have no ties to any other country than the US!!

My ancestors were run out of country by Bolsheviks and left with only their lives, some family members were murdered. Blacks are not the only ethnicity to suffer atrocities. I truly understand someone saying "American of Sudanese ancestry", or American of Ukrainian heritage but by using the hyphenated term, it sounds like you just emigrated yourself and are a "landed immigrant"

Answer 1

Divide and conquer. Labeling is a ploy used by political interests to manipulate voting blocs. The practice is destructive to peace and harmony in any given society.

Answer 2

You can call yourself how you want. I am Ukrainian who proudly have Ukrainian papers, but I lived and worked for long time in USA . I have lot of respect for people who keep the culture and call themselves Ukrainian -Americans. I think it is very nice and it shows that they really respect there heritage.......
If one day you come here in Ukraine you will love it believe me and then you will be not ashamed to tell others about your Ukrainian roots.........

Answer 3

We need to be careful with this hyphenated American crap. We are all Americans first. I'm black and I refer myself as an American. I have never been to Africa, don't plan on going to Africa, and I don't give a rats @ss about what goes on their. People kill each other in some parts of the world over bull crap like this. We are countrymen and we need to stick together.

Answer 4

Your ancestors , unlike mine came of there own free will! Mine were kidnapped from Africa! I was born in America, served in the US Marines for America, fought for America! Since I was willing to fight for your freedoms, shouldn't I be free enough to call myself whatever I choose? If I say African American, I'm still American but of African descent! You never had to scream to be heard! My ancestors and I have! Look on the back of the coin sometimes .

Answer 5

My 4 grandparents came from Sweden, so technically I am Swedish-American. My husband's parents came from Ireland, so he was considered Irish-American. Our children are Americans, of 1/2 Swedish and 1/2 Irish descent.

People do sometimes like to know their roots.

Answer 6

I don't know, I see nothing wrong with taking pride in my heritage. I'm 100% Greek but I was born in America. I still refer to myself as an American, but I still try to retain my culture. Is that wrong? Of course, unlike your cousin, I'm bilingual and still have famiy in Greece too.

Answer 7

What you describe is a symptom of a search for belonging in an alienating, anonymous society. Homo sapiens is a tribal animal, like baboons and chimps; our natural tendency is to gather together with "people like us". America, that great melting pot, is awash with races and cultures, each with its own identity. It is hardly surprising that your cousins seek to identify themselves with a smaller, more definable group.

Answer 8

in accordance to technological comprehend-how and Archaeology we are all from Africa so can my little ones get a scholarships from the NAACP or United ***** college Fund. Its a actuality certainly everybody decended from African Homo sapiens "..........archaic Homo sapiens in Africa interior the midsection Paleolithic, approximately 200,000 years contained in the previous. by way of the commencing of the better Paleolithic 50,000 BP (until eventually now modern), finished behavioral modernity, including language, song and various cultural universals had built. The out of Africa migration is estimated to have got here approximately approximately 70,000 years BP. cutting-area human beings contained in the top unfold to all continents, replacing earlier hominids: they inhabited Eurasia and Oceania by way of 40,000 BP, and the Americas a minimum of 14,500 years BP. They displaced Homo neanderthalensis and various species descended from Homo erectus (which had inhabited Eurasia as early as 2 million years contained in the previous) by way of extra suitable triumphant replica and pageant for components..............

Answer 9

At lot of black americans agree with you. I know a few. They are called conservatives.

Answer 10

i just donated two huge tomes of our family to the locals:they know not what they do:be of the universe and i Will sit u free: being of all things that were created i c u Are hard to upset with irregularities, u have been the optimal of righteousness