I found the idea of white ethnics extremely interesting. I have always wondered why the classification of "white" is so widespread, while a lot of white people do not have that common of ancestry. What is interesting to me is that people throughout history who are not completely white have been considered to be the race that is not "white." The outlash of the white ethnics of the 60s is very interesting, because it seems to have been very difficult to obtain that "white" status.
Does this still have an effect today? Are people still scrounging to be some sort of ethnic? Why?
I think that, at least in America, the white culture seems to blend together as American; those that cannot speak another language are generally considered white Americans. The ability to speak a different language automatically denotes a different ethnic idendity, as that constitutes a large part of many cultures. I think people are still trying to find some kind of cultural identity. This is certainly evidenced by those white Americans that automatically trace their entire lineage when you ask what ethnicity they are, from 1/8 Cherokee to 1/3 English to 1/16 Scottish, or something along those lines. It is interesting to think that these people identify themselves very proudly with serveral different races when their only connection is really through blood. It raises the question, "Are you American because your father or mother is American?" If you were born in different country and raised to speak a different language and taught a different set of values, would you still be an American? Or would you identify yourself with that country?
ReplyDeleteIn America, everyone labels themselves- either as whites, blacks, asians, mexicans, etc (even on the applications, there is racial profiling.) I think, because America will always have racial discrimination, American's proudly embrace ethnicity. Although America today has come a long way from racial discrimination in the 1960's, race still plays a large role America. I agree with Maria, that if someone can speak a different language, it automatically denotes a different ethnic identity. Even when I hear someone speak with an accent, I wonder what their racial profile is.
ReplyDeleteWhen I consider Maria's question, I think it's partly true that someone claims themselves as an American if their parents are. I mean, people consider themselves Canadian, just because their parents were from Canada (Canadian & American isn't really an ethnicity- it just denotes where you're from.) My parents immigrated from Hong Kong; they are American citizens but don't consider themselves an "American" because they weren't born here or raised with "American Values." On the other hand, I was born and raised here, along with my Chinese values, so I consider myself Chinese American. So, I think people label themselves as an American if they were born and raised in America, labeling themselves with the country.
I have to agree with Maria. In today's society, a large majority of people are combined under the "white" category simply because they were born here. I personally believe it's not right to think that a person's lineage is erased simply because they're born in America and are now labeled "white". For example, on personal information forms, i have to bubble in "white". There isn't even an option for Middle Eastern. White doesn't even describe an ethnicity but rather something to call people that don't fit into the broad categories that most people fit into. I believe you should be considered American in addition to wherever your parents are from, rather than completely American. I would much rather be labeled Iranian American rather than American.
ReplyDeleteThe term "white" is very ambiguous because people of that group don't have a specific country they can identify themselves with because as Molly notes, there is no common ancestry. I dot even think "white" is politically correct because what makes you "white" versus "American." When I hear the term white, I think about fairness in skin color and not all people who fall under the white category are literally white, as Brian notes. I feel that in the states there is a popular lingo of the term "American" with white" whereas all other "Americans" are described as Black, Mexican, Asian, and so forth...
ReplyDeleteI was born here, and when people ask me to identify myself, I respond, "I'm Mexican" despite the fact that I am considered American. I guess the more correct way of identifying myself is "American of Mexican descent." But because the terms American and white are basically interchangeable, people do get confused about identifying their ethnicity... I'm definitely guilty.
The distinction between "American" and "white" seems to be a big issue here, and I think that we can come closer to solving it by making the distinction between "nationality" and "ethnicity." I always thought of the former as relating to one's country or origin or residence, and the latter as based off one's blood-determined identities; the former is more potentially transitory while the latter is more permanent. They are related in many ways, but connected most of all possibly by the idea of "culture," or as thefreedictionary.com defines, "The totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought." Both nationality and ethnicity are affected by and affect on "culture," meaning, for instance, being "American" can often mean many of the same things as being "white." This is probably partly how the problem arises.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that people we wouldn't normally dub "ethnic" are generally the ones scrounging for some sort of cultural identity whereas immigrants are happy to be categorized as simply "American." In other words, the people conservative wasps deem "unamerican" because of their strong ties to their ethnic backgrounds are in fact the most grateful and proud to have an American identity. Herein lies one of the greatest hypocrisies of the American people--wasps chastise those with a strong connection to their country of origin, while they themselves strive to find this same connection. One could argue that ethnic immigrants are the only "real americans." In our melting pot society, what is an American if it isn't someone with strong ties to their roots and a great pride to be a part of this land of opportunity and freedom?
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, the idea of a "real american" was brought up today in discussion in regards to the counterculture hippies vs. the okies from muscogie. Can political beliefs/cultural practices one follows make one in any way less fundamentally American?