Opinion Is "American" an ethnicity? If so, what are its defining characteristics?

[Fawlty]

Being obese and unable to name countrys on a world map. Just kidding not all Americans are obese

I mean, this is a stretch but it's definitely a cultural characteristic of Americans that we're largely ignorant of world affairs, but still seemingly proud of our foreign ancestry.

 

[Ruprecht]

Being obese and unable to name countrys on a world map. Just kidding not all Americans are obese

I have a much longer list of stereotypes, but honestly it's no fun when they're literally asking for it.

 

[Sycho Sid]

I am not sure about an ethnicity, but I always call myself American if people ask.

Like someone going "You Irish or British heritage" I always just say American, mostly to screw with them.

 

[Gandhi]

American is not an ethnicity but hillbillies tend to think it is.

Good thing u did not call them rednecks!!! Sorry watching to much Ozarks.

 

[danny23]

No, they're a melting pot. With no true identity or culture other than mass consumerism.

 

[Mark Hunts FIST]

Ethnicity? No, I dont think so.


America is a state of mind.

People from Scotland are Scottish.
But Scottish Americans are still Scottish.

 

[Rusk]

Black people in US got pretty similar ethnic make up to one another. Same goes for white people.

 

[bushman505]

No, they're a melting pot. With no true identity or culture other than mass consumerism.

You would jealous, guessing from your profile pic your British.

Lol now that would SUCK!!!! Thank fuck I’m not British, lol every single thing (except pubs) about England and the entire UK sucks.

 

[bushman505]

Ethnicity? No, I dont think so.


America is a state of mind.

People from Scotland are Scottish.
But Scottish Americans are still Scottish.

Scottish men wear dresses....lol at that....

 

[Deus Ex Machina]

Everyone in the world has DNA and ancestry from elsewhere but they identify with their home country. How many Irishman, for example, will tell you 'I'm 1/4 Polish, 1/4 English etc. Americans should stop with this identifying as being something they are clearly not because the people of the countries they claim do not view them as being Irish/Scottish etc. the world sees you as American.

I can understand people from small ethnic groups who are first generation and still speak the language at home, follow the customs etc. Identifying as half and half but other than that the American obsession with not being ethnically American while still being the most overtly patriotic people in the world is bizzarre

 

[Ripskater]

American is not an ethnicity.

American is Traditional American values, many of which we got from Bible that our ancestors brought over across the Atlantic. Hard work, honor God, honor family, small govt that is not intrusive in our lives, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, right to bear arms, Biblical morality etc.

And if you don't like that and can't live with it, it might be time to move to Indonesia, London, South Africa or places like that.

 

[Sketch]

Pretty similiar to how we feel in Canada. It's a melting pot. Only difference is we are technically a British colony. You could argue Canada is British. America is different in that regard.

Either way I eagerly await @TheComebackKid response.

 

[Anung Un Rama]

Kinda subjective, but ancestry is a matter of fact and heritage in this sense is related to behaviors and observances that pass down. American ancestry is so all over the place that if it is going to be considered a factor in ethnicity, then the ancestral diversity itself must be a characteristic of the ethnic group. Common heritage might include things like patriotism and constitutionalism? Not sure.

I'm sorry, I meant between ethnicity and ancestry/ heritage.

Its pretty important, because somebody could claim "American" for all three and be correct.
Just because America is a melting pot doesn't mean its without its own identity.

 

[Anung Un Rama]

An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a category of people who identify with each other based on similarities such as common ancestry, language, history, society, culture or nation.[1][2] Ethnicity is usually an inherited status based on the society in which one lives. Membership of an ethnic group tends to be defined by a shared cultural heritage, ancestry, origin myth, history, homeland, language or dialect, symbolic systems such as religion, mythology and ritual, cuisine, dressing style, art or physical appearance.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_group

ethnicity
[eth-nis-i-tee]
See more synonyms for ethnicity on Thesaurus.com
noun, plural eth·nic·i·ties.

1. an ethnic group; a social group that shares a common and distinctive culture, religion, language, or thelike:Representatives of several ethnicities were present.
2. ethnic traits, background, allegiance, or association:The graph shows class enrollment by gender and ethnicity.https://www.dictionary.com/browse/ethnicity

I see no reason why it would seem unusual to identify as ethnically American.

 

[nicapica]

No, they're a melting pot. With no true identity or culture other than mass consumerism.

Lol look at dem British. Lol atleast THE USA BROUGHT THA WORLD BURRITOS AND CHEESEBURGERS. What have u limeys given us? Nothing that’s it.

 

[TheComebackKid]

@TheComebackKid response.[/QUOTE]

Pretty similiar to how we feel in Canada. It's a melting pot. Only difference is we are technically a British colony. You could argue Canada is British. America is different in that regard.

Either way I eagerly await @TheComebackKid response.

Well, this is according to Webster in 1828

It seems to me that American used to refer to a race or races of copper colored people.

 

[AtomicPanther]

White
Anglo
Saxan
Prodestant

 

[MicroBrew]

Not yet. But in a couple of hundred years when most Americans are mixed , they will be distinct from Europeans, Asians, Latinos, MidEastern folks. So American will be an ethnicity. Does anyone consider Mestizos (in Mexico) an ethnicity? Or do they identify as either White or Native and not as Mestizo ?

 

[MicroBrew]

Well, this is according to Webster in 1828

It seems to me that American used to refer to a race or races of copper colored people.

That's odd cause I have always read that the aboriginal people were referred to as "Indians" or "Native Americans" , and American was really only applied to Whites, especially Germanic Whites cause America as a nation was mostly a creation of Anglo Whites.

 

[JudoThrowFiasco]

No, not an ethnicity per we.

But a sub question I have been wondering is when do you drop the pre ethnicity / nationality American s / ,Canadians identify by. For example, I have a friend who is 8th generation Canadian but still says Scottish-Canadian. Italians in Canada are a group who strongly identify with their heritage and many say they are Italian even if they are 3 or 4 generations removed. My brother identifies with our European ancestory while I simply say Canadian as my family have been here 4 generations. I'm by no means anti identifiying with ones roots but I think after awhile the connection gets diluted.