why do people say they are american when they obviously aren't native american?

Question

why do people when answering questions refering to racial heritage say they are american, when obviously this is not a racial backround unless you are native, and they are admittedly not, sorry its a pet peeve i have being part native and all, most of the time they are not even mixed race when they say this, which i would guess would be the only other way for that answer to be valid , i would like answers though

Answer 1

Hello, Sparks - Do U mean peeps who were born in America r not racial that way Native Americans are?

Answer 2

How can you tell they're not Native Americans? Might be hard to tell.

Also, yeah, after centuries, where else am I from? I didn't ASK to be born here, just like you didn't either. I don't know a g.d. thing about my European heritage, so I don't know what else to say about my culture.

I hope you know that "Native Americans" weren't the original inhabitants of North America, either! Waves of people came over the Bering Straight land bridge, and archeologists believe that Native Americans were conquerors in their own right, engulfing other civilizations, in much the same way that europeans did a few centuries ago.

Hardly any country's so-called natives were there for more than a few centuries. Horrible genocide and war were the historical RULE, not the exception to the rule.

My ancestors were murderers and racists, and guess what? SO WERE YOURS!!!! get over it!

Answer 3

Why does anyone claim it then? "American" is not a racial thing, it is a nationality of where you are born. Why then care to use the title as an 'ethnic' identity when it was whites that came up the name?

Technically, if you want a label that's more closely a "racial" thing, wouldn't it be more accurate for most Native people to say they are __(fill in appropriate tribe and Nation)__ ? Although that is much more then 'racial,' but it's closer...

Answer 4

American has become a heritage over time. We are all of a mixed cultural background. But after generations one who is born here is no longer European, Mexican, Irish etc.. They are American. It is the same in every country not just here.
I am American. But my Ancestory is German, Irish, Cherokee and Chippewa. Does my being partially Native American make me more or less American than others. NO.
Just as it does not make you. If you are less than 1/10th Native American you are not recognized as a Native American so does that mean you are no longer American? Of course not. You were born here, what your ancestors were means nothing. That is the same argument for Slavery. Those who had ancestors who were slaves have no more right to American programs than those who didn't do they?
My ancestors were slaves, do I deserve more than the others who weren't. NO. We are all American! Thats all there is to it!

Answer 5

Being "American" or "Canadian" or "Chinese" or "Swiss" is essentially a political definition. That is, it is a statement of citizenship. Each and every sovereign nation-sate determines for itself how to determine citizenship. In the United States one is an "American" (i.e. American citizen) by birth or naturalization. Any person who meets the citizenship standards of the government of the United States of America is an "American." The term native American (small "n" and no hyphen) means any person born in the United States. (Native means born in, rather than indigenous to.) It is not a racial or ethnic term. It is a political term defining citizenship. Thus, any person recognized by the government of the United States as a citizen can legitimately call them self an American. Likewise, any person recognized as a citizen by the government of Canada can call them self a Canadian.

The term "Native-American" is also largely a political term invented about 30 years ago as a politically correct label for persons who are descendants of the various indigenous nations that were living (happily) in the Western Hemisphere prior to the arrival of Europeans (pre-Colombian indigenous peoples). This was a substitute for the term "American Indian" which many descendants of indigenous nations found offensive. The term is confusing since when one is speaking one cannot tell if the speaker is capitalizing the "n" in native and adding a hyphen, thus meaning "pre-Colombian indegenous people" or native-born American. Usually, the context allows the listener to understand the meaning. Many "Native-Americans" have returned to use of the term "American Indian" for clarification. Some also now identify the specific nation to which they belong or are decended, such as: Sioux, Navajo, Cherokee, etc. This is the same system common in Europe where Europeans refer to themselves as Dutch, French, Belgian, English, etc.

In Canada, the pre-Colombian nations are refered to as indigenous people not "Native-Canadians." The same is true throught the Western Hemisphere. Essentially, the label "Native-American" is confusing for a lot of people, as is the term "Hispanic." Many "Hispanics" now prefer the term "Latino" or "Latina" in describing themselves. A similar problem exists for Hawaiians, and Puerto Ricans.

Answer 6

I was born in NY. What am I supposed to call myself? There is no logic to your pet peeve, sorry. If you are Native American, then you are NATIVE to America. If you are American, then you are obviously from America. What am I supposed to answer when people as my ethnicity? Should I say: Well, my father's father is from Italy and his mother is English and German, my mother is a little Irish and German... but we all lived in the US???? No, I was born in America, therefore I am American! Sorry if I have offended you, but I am as much American as you are.

Answer 7

After being here in the USA for centuries, many people have lost their racial heritage. They are "Americans"

Answer 8

"America" refers to a series of continental land masses.

People call themselves "American," because calling themselves "United States of American" would be stupid.

Since the USA was created by White Europeans (palefaces) on land conquered or purchased from them, most native North American indian tribes and tribalists do not consider themselves "American" and are recognized by the US government as sovereign.

Answer 9

My family has been here for 220 years and I am part native american also. I call myself American.

Answer 10

They are speaking from a cultural perspective. There is a distinct American culture that is different from the rest of the world's.