I am part .... and part... and a quater ....

That's not strictly true.

True!  And I think it may depend on the tribe (not completely sure), but starting at about 1/16 Native American - the threshold begins in qualification for Native American benefits such as college, health services, etc.

I suppose I'm one of the irritating ones!!  

Me too!    Well I've always known I was 1/4 Danish ancestry, because my grandfather (dad's father) was a Danish immigrant - my grandfather's parents brought him over as a child in the late 1800s when they came to farm in Kansas.

My English DH has done a lot of research into my ancestry - finding that I have English & Dutch ancestors who immigrated to the New World in the 1640s, and also some French ancestors from around the same time period.  My husband's family & the people I work with have all found this very interesting & they say that I have returned 'home' (to my ancestral roots).  

People are just so easily annoyed!  

Well, I'm just American. I certainly don't give percentages, and instead of people giving percentages (which sounds ridiculous most of the time) why not just say, if someone asks you, "I have a Native American and Irish ancestral background" and leave it at that? I mean, if people ask me about my background, I just say that I'm a mutt, but from what I understand, I had quite a few Dutch ancestors. I think it's great if you can say you are an Italian-American, as you aren't Italian, per se, because maybe you have never even been to Italy, but you were raised in an Italian descended family and community in America, so you are an Italian-American. It's an American subculture. That's fine. But when you are just ordinary folk like me, whose family has been in America for who knows how long, then why bother claiming any sort of extra background? What's the point? My ancestors may have come from Holland, but that doesn't mean I know anything at all about Holland, have ever been there, or have had any Dutch traditions passed down to me. My maiden name was English, but that doesn't mean I knew anything about England before I got here or staked any claims on being English!

I found it interesting coming over here and being told that to say "American" was arrogant...

Sometimes I think you (meaning a person in general) just can't win!  It's wrong if you say American, it's wrong if you say I'm 1/4 Irish (Scottish, Australian, etc etc etc).  People (in general) can be so quick to find fault with just about anything a person is going to say - lol!  I just say I yam what I yam, and if anyone doesn't like what I yam - here ya go: 

I suppose I'm one of the irritating ones!!  

I would not say you are one of the irritating ones. You had the upbringing and influences of the culture.

The ones I find irritating are the ones that say 'I'm Scotch, my great-grandfather came from EdinburG!' The ones that couldn't find Scotland on a map, let alone know which side of the country Edinburgh is on.

I don't mind people saying they are part something cuz well they are. Just don't claim to be something without having the blood, uprbringing or the culture.

The American thing always got me too. It's not arrogant. It's just the way things evolved. Apart from saying one is a US citizen, there isn't much choice. Maybe Yankee?   

  I just say I yam what I yam, and if anyone doesn't like what I yam - here ya go: 

 

Actually, my experience here has been the opposite. It's been pointed out to me by British people that I'm different from a "typical" American - who I suppose they see as a blonde, blue-eyed WASP -  because my family has been in the US only for about  100 years. My grandparents were Jews who came over from Poland in the beginning of the 20th century. I grew up hearing Yiddish spoken at home.

Remember that when people in the UK say they are British, they can mean that their family has lived in the UK for centuries.

To them, it was only yesterday that my grandma was a little girl in Warsaw.

Regarding the "American" thing, when I lived in the US I would always refer to myself as being "from the US" if I wanted to identify  my nationality because I was taught that America means all of North and South America and it was offensive to Canadians and Latin Americans to equate America with just the US. Maybe it's because I'm from New York City where there is a large Latin American population.

I found it unusual that in the  UK people use "American" only to mean from the United States, as in "He's not American; he's Canadian." I grew up thinking that Canadians (and Mexicans and Panamanians and Argentinians) are all American.
  

I made a post earlier this morning, but it must've gotten eaten! 

Well, I'm just American. I certainly don't give percentages, and instead of people giving percentages (which sounds ridiculous most of the time) why not just say, if someone asks you, "I have a Native American and Irish ancestral background" and leave it at that?

I think this sums up how I feel.  Obviously there's nothing wrong about people enjoying their cultural heritage (even if it is quite distant), but it's the ones that insist on spelling out every little fraction!!  I've never known a huge deal about my family tree, except that both sides are likely from England somewhere, so maybe that's why I lack understanding on this insane need to identify every single foreign relative even to complete strangers.  People use it as a validation of sorts, IMO, which is a very unique American phenomenon.  I've always said I'm "American" and nothing else and left it at that - never seen the need to exaggerate on this?

well, most of you know by now I've been an immigrant since the age of 7, so I won't weigh in on the American part of the discussion But I see what you're saying with my own heritage- my dad's family is very mixed, and his 4 grandparents were all different ethnicities- Indian (from India), Chinese, Hispanic, and African.  I do say sometimes that I'm 1/8 Chinese or something ridiculous, but it's usually just in jest- I would never presume to claim to be Chinese, or honestly even part Chinese, because that implies that I have had exposure to a culture that I most certainly have not!

I found it interesting coming over here and being told that to say "American" was arrogant -- that America included many countries on two continents, and for us to claim the word for our own country was offensive. (I really have heard this from a number of people, both Europeans and people from South America.) I take the point but what else can I say??? I'm United Statesian?

That is ridiculous.  Yes they share a continent, but the US is only country with the word America in the name.  I've heard it before and I will refer to myself as an American, whether or not I offend someone.

That is ridiculous.  Yes they share a continent, but the US is only country with the word America in the name.  I've heard it before and I will refer to myself as an American, whether or not I offend someone.

That's how it was described to me when I tried to explain one time that the whole of the continents are "American" and I am from the US- they said "That's bollocks, you are American- everyone else is Mexican or Costa Rican or Puruvian, etc" Ha- you can't win.
So I like Mrs R's advice!!

Sometimes I think you (meaning a person in general) just can't win!  It's wrong if you say American, it's wrong if you say I'm 1/4 Irish (Scottish, Australian, etc etc etc).  People (in general) can be so quick to find fault with just about anything a person is going to say - lol!  I just say I yam what I yam, and if anyone doesn't like what I yam - here ya go: 

Hi there 100% English person here. I think in Europe things are a little different people have moved between distinct countries quite often, for example my grandad is Dutch and my other is Irish, however I was born in England and so I am English. I have a friend who was born in Portugal but moved to England at 1 and he describes himself as Portaguese.

I say I'm English as I was born here not because of my ancestors have been here centuries as clearly they have not. Think of it this way if I was a sportsman I would compete for England or Britain, if I went to war I would be a Britsh solider, not Irish or Dutch. If you are American-Italian I suspect you'd compete for the USA or be an American soldier not Italy.

When I first heard an American describe themselves as English I asked where he was born and it was the US I said I thought it was very strange for them to affiliate with another country more than his own.

Anyway I think thats why Europeans find it wierd althoguh many of us have mixed ancestors like in the States, from various countries we still describe ourselves as  German, French, British, etc although we are aware of ancestory. We just don't wear the ancestory on our sleeve as you do in the States.

Plus it's confusing when someone professes to be "Italian" (for example) yet have never even been to Italy and were actually born in Kansas or something.  My dad is Italian born and bred and so is that entire branch of my family but i'd never say I was Italian. 

#1 I have been to Italy thank you very much and # 2 you would NEVER profess to be Italian even though your Father is born and bred Italian... now I think that is weird!


I think the major point is being missed ALL together. Some of us Americans - I will not generalise ALL of us - for PC's sake. SOME Of us are very proud of our heritage - WHY should anyone fault us for being PROUD. Leave us alone whilst we eat our Ravioli and meatballs.

Thanks!

The American thing always got me too. It's not arrogant. It's just the way things evolved. Apart from saying one is a US citizen, there isn't much choice. Maybe Yankee?   

 

I worked in a restaurant when I first came to London and one of my managers was Spanish. When I signed up he said they needed to check my passport because I was obviously a junkie. I was like -- whoa, that's harsh, but then I do have some tattoos so maybe he was making a bad joke? Anyway he turned out to be a really great guy, and whenever I would come to work he would say, Hello my little junkie! I thought it was just a funny joke between us.

Then one day I went into the kitchen and one of the chefs was explaining something to the manager on a piece of paper... I looked and saw:

J-U-N-K-I-E
Y-A-N-K-E-E

Well my manager was mortified, he had just been trying to say Yankee all this time! But I thought it was hilarious.

Anyway, I think people should just say they are whatever they feel they are, and not have to feel like they have to defend it. Perhaps it's because I've always lived in places with lots of recent immigration, but I would never challenge someone on whether they were "really" American. I have a friend who was born in new york but never lived in the states, and sometimes he tells people he's American. So what? It honestly doesn't bother me. He thinks new york is the greatest place on earth and so do I!

To be clear, I do respect the views of anyone who is annoyed by it, I'm just saying there are a number of reasons why a lot of people aren't as well.

My 2p is this...

As Americans, many of us are decendents of people that came from other countries, some centuries ago, and some decades ago.  I think part of our reason for trying to identify ourselves with our ancestry is to do just that- make ourselves individual, and unique.  
In the cases of travelling, it may be to relate to the people of the country you're in.  In other circumstances, maybe to show that you're not xenophobic.

With that said, I often say that my great grandparents (on Dad's side) were from Latvia.  Why? It's unique.  I have been to Latvia, and have even been to Ventspils where my Great-Grandmother was from.  Beyond that, the closest I get to Latvian is making some Latvian food during the holidays.  And I definitely don't say I'm Latvian- I say my family is from Latvia.

Mom's side is a mix of the UK and has been in the US for centuries.  And I don't often use that side when discussing heritage. There are 2 towns in England with my family name though. However, when discussing ancestry, I will say that I'm decendent from Benjamin Franklin (but then again many people may be- the shagging ba$t@rd).

ETA: I might have a bit of German too....I do like to joke that I was doomed to be a drinker from the womb: English/Irish/Scottish/German/Latvian.

#1 I have been to Italy thank you very much and # 2 you would NEVER profess to be Italian even though your Father is born and bred Italian... now I think that is weird!


I think the major point is being missed ALL together. Some of us Americans - I will not generalise ALL of us - for PC's sake. SOME Of us are very proud of our heritage - WHY should anyone fault us for being PROUD. Leave us alone whilst we eat our Ravioli and meatballs.

Thanks!

I certainly don't think there is anything wrong with being proud of your heritage. But would you say you were Italian if an Italian person who was born and raised in Italy asked you where you were from, or would you say you were American, but your family is from Italy? Or that you are an Italian American? I guess the point is, if you move over here with an American accent, but tell people you are Italian, it seems it would just confuse them without a lengthy explanation of how you are Italian and American. Same applies if you are Irish-American, but are living in Ireland, then you really can't say you are Irish, necessarily, because you don't have the same accent as they do, and the culture you grew up in may be similar in some ways, but different in others.

As ndsparkus says, there are many people in Britain who are also Indian, Polish, Carribean, or have other backgrounds, but if you were to ask them they would probably just say they are British, unless you were to specifically ask where their family comes from.

I have a friend who was born in new york but never lived in the states, and sometimes he tells people he's American. So what? It honestly doesn't bother me.

Ah, but if he was born in the US, he most likely IS American, as being born in US soil gives you citizenship. Most people as being discussed in this topic do not have citizenship of the country they claim.