Is it technically alright to consider myself German if..?

Question

I have French relatives and they all had blonde hair and blue eyes? If someone asks me what my ancestry is, I say German and Irish. I would hate telling people I'm French. They are a bunch of cowards who are snobs. They are not very friendly or interesting people.

Answer 1

So you are telling me that you are ashamed of your ancestry.

In that case I guess a little white lie could be forgiven.

The French haven't always been hated by Americans; after all we helped to save their country in two world wars. They also gave us the Statue of Liberty after the Eiffel Tower was built. And the French were instrumental in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. In both cases the French were American allies and they fought British ships. The final battle of the Revolutionary War was won because the French Blockade prevented the British from escaping. If they weren't there then the British would board ships and attack the Americans somewhere else. Without any help from the French then the Revolutionary War would have failed.

For a long time French has been considered the language of Diplomats and therefore it was spoken by most of the world's diplomats (real time translators in the UN have changed that).

Napoleon was French and one of the greatest generals of all time. He almost took over all of Europe and when they winning allies had him exiled he came back, took over France in a matter of days and then made another attempt to take over Europe. He was doing well until the battle of Waterloo.

I would be proud of your ancestry it is a noble one.

American's hatred of France started in the 1980s when the US wanted to attack Libya as punishment for its attempted attack on the US Navy. The US Navy was operating outside of the International Territory Limit of 10 miles by the Libyan dictator, Omar Kadifi, claimed a limit of 60 miles. When the US staged a bombing attack (and attempted to kill Omar Kadifi) we asked European nations if our planes based in Iceland could cross over their territories; only France refused. Of course they had good relations in the Middle East, which provided most of their oil and was an excellent market for French military equipment. During Desert Storm and the Second Iraqi War France has refused to cooperate with the US. They want to keep their markets open and the incoming flow of oil to their country. So the French people aren't responsible for what happened, their government is.

If your family came to the US before 1980 then you can honestly claim that they had nothing to do with current French politics. In fact you can claim to represent the French who were our allies in WW1 and WW2. This will give you a chance to explain the long and proud French ancestry (parts of France never fell to the Roman Empire because they wanted their freedom) and still distance yourself from the current government.

So you have a choice you can be proud of who you are and you can tell people that although your are French you don't support the current government. Or you could continue to be ashamed of your ancestry and claim to be German and a son of the Nazi generation.

High School and Junior High School can be a tough time everyone is not sure of themselves or their social standing. It is easy to lose a social standing, with a minor error or a perceived fault. If you claim that you are not French, but German then someone will probably find you at fault for that, as with my comment about Nazis (I don’t think or your family have anything to do with Nazi Germany). If you bow to this pressure then you are going to think less of yourself. If you stand up for yourself and be proud of your ancestry then you will better about yourself. If someone knocks your ancestry then you can ask him or her what their ancestry is and knock them about that. You can also claim just because my ancestors are French doesn’t mean that I support the French government or have anything to do with them. In fact if it weren’t for the French you could still belong to Britain because you would have lost the American Revolutionary War.

If someone starts calling you a Frog then you can respond with, “Re deep, yep I’m a frog but I am first an American, so what mongrel history does your family have, assuming that you know it.”

I am assuming that you are American, since this is the US board of Yahoo Answers, but the same situation can be applied to other nations.

Answer 2

It's a bit narrow minded to lump all of any nationality into one negative stereotype. There are cowards and snobs in every ethnic group, and there are negative stereotypes that could be hurled at the Irish or Germans or any other group. Do you actually have data that supports applying those slurs to the whole French nation?

That said, you can claim any ancestry you like if you aren't squeamish about the truth. Unless it involves fraud (e.g., accepting a scholarship limited to people of a certain ethnicity), it's no big deal, who cares?

Incidentally, some parts of France and Germany (Alsace, Lorraine) have gone back and forth over the years, belonging first to one country, then to the other. So if your ancestors came from around there, you can claim either as your ancestral home.

Answer 3

First of all, you really can't say that all the French are cowards unless you have met each one of them. As for being snobs, again, you are generalizing, which always leaves room for argument.

I'm not sure if you make this remark regarding the French because of the stand they took regarding the war in Iraq; but, sometimes it's more brave and difficult to stand up to the majority when you think you are right. To stand up for your principles is an honorable thing. If I were you, I would ask my parent's about my ancestry and see if there is anything interesting about your French ancestors that you can take pride in.

Honestly, I myself would be proud of the fact that they did stand up to our president regarding Iraq. I see nothing honorable in the fact of all the lives that have been lost in this war.

Answer 4

Sacre bleu! Without the French, the US would not have won the Revolutionary War. Lafayette was considered a very brave soldier and George Washington treated him like a son.

That being said, according to the US Census Bureau, you can consider yourself whatever you want. If you put it on the census that you are German, then you are German.

Do you have any German ancestry? Americans having German-Irish-British ancestry are very very common. Genealogically, if you have one direct ancestor who was German, you can say you are of German extraction.

I have many German, Irish, and British direct ancestors, and one French ancestors, so I can say I am of French extraction, for example.

Answer 5

Technically, Jesus cannot be considered a Muslim because the religion of Islam was created hundreds of years after Jesus lived and died. Muslims believe that Jesus was only a prophet, not the son of God. Muslims follow the Qur'an while Christians follow the Bible. There are many other differences between the two religions and faiths, so to say that Christians should be considered Muslims is like saying: Asians are a race of human beings. But also Native Americans are a race of human beings, so technically Native Americans should be considered Asians. Which of course, is pretty ridiculous. :p

Answer 6

Oh but its real friendly and interesting not to get your girlfriend a little gift for Valentines Day and to dump her on that day. What a hypocrite. Those French losers are charming compared to you. You are not German or French, bec I don't think you are human.

Answer 7

Is there anything wrong with being American? I'm German and Norman, that's French-English. Ever meet anyone that is really French? They aren't the way that they're portrayed. That's all stereotype bs.

Answer 8

french ancestry here

and france sucks btw

Answer 9

As a German I wouldn't mind as long as you don't back down like your ancestors.

Answer 10

I'm proud to be french, like my 65 millions compatriots.

***** U, BASTARD.
You feel strong behind your computer ?