Who hates America / Americans?

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#81

I had a good laugh last summer at work here in the States. We had 2 really fine young Polish College Students work with us for the summer.

They could make more money for their education by working here for the summer.

My family doctor is of Polish background. However they have lived here for several generations.

When I first met the Polish students and found out the one is going to school to become a family doctor I told him my own family doctor is Polish. I told him I would call my doctor and ask him to take this fine young Intern around our local hospital and see what medicine is like here in our area.

He was so thrilled to have the opportunity and it was a easy thing to do and I was glad to do it.

I told the young Intern I will write down my name, address and phone number so he could get back to me.

I wrote it down and I handed it to him and he walked off. In a moment he came back and pointed at my last name and said “But you are German”.

I said "listen Matthew, I am an American, my family may have a German name last name, but we migrated here in 1753, we are German Americans, not Nazis.

We both laughed I said this is how it is in the United States, we are Polish Americans, German American, Italian Americans whatever Americans, but we are all Americans!!

I said do you understand and he said “Yes now I do.”

#82

Are there any American-Americans?

My father is Irish, as were his parents. My mother was English born in England, her mother was Scottish born in Scotland and her father was English born in England.
What does that make me? …well, being born in England - I’m English.

#83

Well, I’m an American-American of Euro-mutt stock…

My maternal great grandparents were from Ireland and Germany respectively. And my father was a mixture of Anglo-Irish, Scottish, English and Norman French (he was Anglican then converted to Catholicism for some reason) I think there is some Swedish in there as well…But I think you’ll have a hard time finding a family that is pure “Yankee” American (from the colonial era) I’m not sure any exist, and even I can trace my ancestors back to the Mayflower…

#84

What I was getting at, is why all of the labelling - cannot Americans be content to be simply Americans? That’s how most non-Americans see them (not that most non-Americans have personally informed of this, as yet. :)).

Does not the American cultural identity take ascendency over the underlying cultures of the ancestors of American people.

I see myself as English, that is my culture. My father is Irish, but I don’t see myself as being Irish-English. Why is there (if, indeed, there is?) a need among Americans to display their ancestoral roots?

A friend of mine informs me that the people of the Indian Nations dislike being labelled Native-Americans.

#85

The hyphenated American is a thing peculiar to our shores, as everyone is an immigrant descendant, (even the Indians came from elsewhere,just been here longer) ) And the human tendency to mingle blood makes this a real cocktail of bloodlines.
we all know we are “Americans”,no matter where the old folks came from, it is just our way of maintaining our heritage, and identity. My Paternal side arrived(Eastern Europe) in 1906 through Ellis Island,and my Maternal side arrived(Netherlands) in 1631.

#86

Okay, I can appreciate what you are saying. It is just that, as an outsider so to speak, it seems that there is a lot of emphasis on the heritage thing. I know thatyou say that you are all Americans and, indeed, you are - why stress the other? You describe your European roots rather well and, obviously, you are comfortable with that. I do not quite follow why it is necessary for one to make everyone else aware of it in the way it is done.

Take myself, for examply, I know my roots and if the topic came up in a discussion, I could go way down deep in describing them. However, that is very rare, as far as I and anyone else is concerned I am English. I have a lifelong friend whom I began my first day of school with at the age of five years. His parents were Ukraine, if one didn’t know that, and most people do not, it wouldn’t and isn’t a consideration, he is English.

This is no criticism, it just seems rather odd, to me that is. I would suppose that it is a cultural thing among Americans and that that is the way it has always been? I have American cousins, but I just think of them as Americans (when I am not displeased with them).

Sure the Indians were migrants, but we are talking Millenia - that would apply pretty much to all peoples if one went back far enough. Even the Africans, where it was all meant to begin (depending on whose version of creation one acknowledges) were nomad, hunter-gatherers, as were the American Indians.

Anyway, I think you have explained the situation well enough. I will just have to accept your American ‘eccentricities’, which, presumably, is also the reason why you wear that sporron about your chin? :slight_smile:

#87

It is an odd pastime I agree, I don’t know when it started, but its been rolling along since,Most folks probably don’t care very much, at least not enough to wave it like a flag, but some are very close to their foreign heritage, and join societies for their particular origin.
Sometimes its a social polarization, where people from a common background can hangout, and be in their own company. A familiarity thing. (language, food, behaviors etc.)
This phenomina may spread to other countries in time, as people migrate across the world. There may come a time when there are no more “pure blood” people anywhere…

#88

we all know we are “Americans”,no matter where the old folks came from, it is just our way of maintaining our heritage, and identity

a social scientist,whose name i can’t recall at the moment ,once said,“what the son wants to forget,the grandson wants to remember…” when speaking of how imigrants and their children view their family history.new americans are usually quite proud of becoming american and their children usually work very hard to leave any vestiges of thier immigrant roots behind.later their children or grand children want to know where they come from and start learning ,or trying to learn, about the “old country”.

#89

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slKNd22GGaQ

#90

That was funny, it must have been a slow day in the City,

#91

My cousin turned me into a complete bore by introducing me to ‘Richardsonian Archways’. :roll: :roll:

Now, each time I spot one of these Romanesque designs on TV I point iti out to all and sundry. :roll: :roll:

Scroll down the link, and you too can become a complete bore! :roll:

http://www.cheyennedepotmuseum.org/architecture.asp

#92

i dont lik americans! but then again i dont think any of the british do! they’re too god bless our country, and cry too much, and moan about everything.
There is always one asshole that will say, yeh well we saved your ass in WW2! (no you helped us, you didn’t save us get over it) and now like idiots we are following them into a war that not even the american people believe in!over here in england george bush is seen as your typical american, everything about him seems so stereotype! but please do not take offense, i mean no real offense, it’s just the same as the french, everybody hates the french! but we still fought along side them!

:slight_smile:

#93

It’s wrong to generalise, and ‘Hate’ is a very different word to ‘Dislike’.

Personally, I have found that I rather like most Americans that I have met, and some of those which I haven’t - Tankgeezer!

If you dislike Americans, so much, why do you say ‘Asshole’ instead of ‘Arsehole’ ?

And why do you dislike the French - is it their food, their wine, their women, their panache, their nonchalance?

#94

i dunno why i wrote asshole instead of arsehole! lol look mate i think your probably the only english person i know who doesn’t hate the french, im not even proper english! half german and half english! and i just cant stand the surrendering buggers! with their dodgy langauge and stuck up attitude.

every french person i have ever met have been stuck up, arrogant, pr**ks! and pretty much the same for the yanks.
the french wine is disgusting, personally i prefer south african or italian, and i dont no what panache means… lol :slight_smile:

and who r u to preach moral values? we’re all supposed to have our own oppinions aren’t
we? :slight_smile:

#95

You had me going, there, for a while…been celebrating with the missus and over indulged in the Chardonnay. :smiley:

So, why not drop the masquerade??? :D:D:D

#96

what masquerade?

#97

My apologies. It’s a French, rooted word. I just wondered if you knew what it meant? :wink:

#98

Personnally I don’t mind Americans.

I am beginning to despise comradesinarms though.

How old are you? And what do you actually know about the world? History in general? WW2?

#99

im 25, ive studied History and world war 2 in particular at school college and im in the process of hopefully being accepted into Uni to hopfully gain a degree in history, belive it or not i do actually no a fai bit about the war, but from nearly every angle not just from the allies perspective also being half German kinda helps! :slight_smile: that help?

My apologies. It’s a French, rooted word. I just wondered if you knew what it meant?

lol! :slight_smile:

#100

You strike me as an imbecile. If you know a fair bit about the war, why are you so wrong a number of basic and obvious points?