Posted on 06/30/2014 11:04:07 AM PDT by reaganaut1
In our public elementary school, children are required to make a presentation about their "country of origin". I don't think students whose ancestors came from Mongolia should be forced to write about Mongolia -- it's none of the school's business.
One child in our daughter's class said her "country of origin" was America, since her ancestors came here more than a hundred years ago. Her teacher said that only "Native Americans" can claim the U.S. as their country of origin. I wonder if the use of the term "Native American" instead of the old "American Indian" is a way to suggest that someone whose ancestors have lived in the U.S. for generations is no more "native" than someone who immigrated here yesterday.
I always answer that with “Native American”, since I was born here.
If they object, I say I’m “African”, since my original ancestors came from there (according to science, and I have no problem with that).
If they object to that, I make them try to justify why they’re cherry-picking some specific number of generations, just to pidgin-hole me as “European”.
I’ve never gotten a coherent answer.
If they object, I say Im African, since my original ancestors came from there (according to science, and I have no problem with that).
If they object to that, I make them try to justify why theyre cherry-picking some specific number of generations, just to pidgin-hole me as European.
Ive never gotten a coherent answer.
Indeed! The scientists tell us that the hominids originated in African, so anyone born in America is an African-American.
Me. I was born in Brooklyn, NYC so that’ll make me a Brooklyn-American.
I am Ani-Yun-Wiya (if you don’t know, look it up)
I say what difference does it make what we are called?
Based on the most recent immigrant in my direct line, I’m a third-generation American myself, but I had ancestors on both sides of my family in the colonies prior to the Revolution.
Better yet, write about the Flood and where the “natives” had to migrate from and their ancestral origins. Use DNA evidence to confound them even more.
My dad’s side can be traced back to William Bradford. I usually just claim “American”, since I was born here - as was my daughters. Although I do mix is up on the school forms occasionally and put “Texas”; or check all the ethnicities, as I’ve got a little bit of everything. I’m a Heinz57, if you will.
A native American is an American who was born American.
I am a native American!!! I was borne in Albuquerque, NM on April 21, 1938. Should I be getting special treatment?
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