NOW WE NEED TO END HYPHENATED-AMERICANISM

NEALZ NUZE ^ | 13 NOVEMBER 2008 | NEAL BOORTZ

[Turret Gunner A20]

Barack Obama is going to be the next President of the United States. He is an AMERICAN president, not an AFRICAN-AMERICAN president. There's no disrespect intended here ... but it's time to pay some attention to the words of a former president on the issue of hyphenization:

"There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism. When I refer to hyphenated Americans, I do not refer to naturalized Americans. Some of the very best Americans I have ever known were naturalized Americans, Americans born abroad. But a hyphenated American is not an American at all... The one absolutely certain way of bringing this nation to ruin, of preventing all possibility of its continuing to be a nation at all, would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities, an intricate knot of German-Americans, Irish-Americans, English-Americans, French-Americans, Scandinavian-Americans or Italian-Americans, each preserving its separate nationality, each at heart feeling more sympathy with Europeans of that nationality, than with the other citizens of the American Republic... There is no such thing as a hyphenated American who is a good American. The only man who is a good American is the man who is an American and nothing else." Teddy Roosevelt http://boortz.com/nealz_nuze/index.html Jesse Jackson's experiment in nomenclature (yes, he started this mess) needs to end.

[Glacier Honey]

I had not given this much thought before but it is true.

Is BHO going to be referred to as the first African-American or black president every time a news anchor refers to him or there is an article written about him?

Signed, Another-Angry-American

[VRWCmember]

BTW, Are there many Australian Aboriginals in the US? We can’t call them “African-Americans” because they aren’t.

I remember in the winter olymics several years back there was a French ice skater named Surinam Bonaly, who was a lovely black girl with a penchant for doing back flips on skates after a routine as a celebration. One of our local sportscasters let his political correctness get in the way of reporting when he referred to her as "that African-American French skater".

[ReignOfError]

I notice, too, that many black women(successful ones) tend to use double-barreled names after they marry. I wonder why?

Many successful women of all races use their maiden names with their married names. It's because they have established a professional reputation with the names their parents gave them, and don't want to give up that well-earned advantage when they get married. I don't see a thing in the world wrong with it.

[OneWingedShark]

Kenyan...

[RexBeach]

I think it’s an odd thing to do. I also think it’s rather snobbish.

[wolfpat]

I didn’t know about her before. I googled her name, and you’re right, she’s gorgeous. And she’s an American now, living in Las Vegas.

[popdonnelly]

Teddy Roosevelt said the same thing 100 years ago. It became the vogue about 40 years ago for leftists to maintain that we should all be divided into little groups.

[Theo]

bump

[VRWCmember]

I misremembered her name. It is Surya Bonaly.

[VRWCmember]

Teddy Roosevelt said the same thing 100 years ago.

That's who Boortz was quoting.

[ReignOfError]

Hyphenated terms are the most precise and descriptive ones available. I used to work with a young woman who speaks fluent Korean, and is expert in Korean cooking; her parents (or maybe grandparents, I never asked) were immigrants. She was born here, went to a school not far from mine, and is every bit as American as I am.

She’s not “Korean,” because she’s never lived there, and to use that term would insult her by denying her Americanism. Korean-American is the most descriptive term. Actually, “American of Korean ancestry” would be more precise, but it’s sometimes too wordy.

When her family background is relevant at all. That’s the real issue: not what terms are used to describe someone’s ethnic background, but why it’s brought up at all when it’s not relevant.

I do have a problem with African-American as a simple substitution for “black,” because it often is NOT the most precise and descriptive term. I had a college roommate whose mother is from the West Indies, and whose father is from Thailand. He never liked “African-American” for the same reason Tiger Woods doesn’t; it doesn’t describe him. He had no problem with “black,” which is a purely visual description.

[kabar]

BOORTZ is bonkers. Multiculturalism and diversity awareness are going to increase because of the rapidly changing demographics in this country.

Minorities, now roughly one-third of the U.S. population, are expected to become the majority in 2042, with the nation projected to be 54 percent minority in 2050. By 2023, minorities will comprise more than half of all children.

In 2050, the nation’s population of children is expected to be 62 percent minority, up from 44 percent today. Thirty-nine percent are projected to be Hispanic (up from 22 percent in 2008), and 38 percent are projected to be single-race, non-Hispanic white (down from 56 percent in 2008).

Immigrants account for one in eight U.S. residents, the highest level in 80 years. In 1970 it was one in 21; in 1980 it was one in 16; and in 1990 it was one in 13. In a decdade it will be one in 7, the highest in our history, and by 2050, it will be one in 5. These projections assume there will be no/no amnesty.

The non-Hispanic, single-race white population is projected to be only slightly larger in 2050 (203.3 million) than in 2008 (199.8 million). In fact, this group is projected to lose population in the 2030s and 2040s and comprise 46 percent of the total population in 2050, down from 66 percent in 2008.

Meanwhile, the Hispanic population is projected to nearly triple, from 46.7 million to 132.8 million during the 2008-2050 period. Its share of the nation’s total population is projected to double, from 15 percent to 30 percent. Thus, nearly one in three U.S. residents would be Hispanic.

And then there is the impact of immigration, which accounts for two-thirds of our annual population growth of about .9% annually, the highest among any developed country. 87% of the 1.2 million LEGAL immigigrants who enter this country annually are minorities. And almost all of the 500,000 to 1 million who enter illegally each year are minorities.

Immigrants account for one in eight U.S. residents, the highest level in 80 years. In 1970 it was one in 21; in 1980 it was one in 16; and in 1990 it was one in 13. In a decdade it will be one in 7, the highest in our history, and by 2050, it will be one in 5. These projections assume there will be no/no amnesty.

[Netizen]

Depends on whether you to divide or unite doesn’t it? You can’t easily identify targeted victim groups unless you can put tags on people.

I agree. The hyphenization just compartmentalizes people into separate groups, it divides, not unites.

[keats5]

Our words need to reflect reality. Doublespeak is a tool of the left and it is used to our disadvantage. Theresa Kerry was born in Africa, and has a better right to use the term “African-American” than Obama. I hear Jamaicans are insulted when they are called “African -Americans.”

Similarly, blacks who are liberal are considered true blacks, whereas conservative blacks are considered “oreos.” If we're describing skin color, party affiliation is irrelevant. American Indians should be called by their tribal affiliation, if they still belong to that tribe. They should not be called "Native Americans." I was born here. I am a native American as much as they are. Yesterday, I heard on the news that Palin was not a “feminist” because she's against abortion. Well then, let's reliable “feminists’ “abortionists.” And what is so “gay” about these angry militant homosexuals I've been seeing on the news?

Every conservative who uses these PC speak terms is supporting the enemy.

[sageb1]

Amen!

[Condor51]

Jesse Jagmo is the sole cause for the hyphenated crap.

One day in the '70s JJ uttered "Afro-American" in the MSM and *demanded* that's what Negroes (or Coloreds) should now be called to 'celebrate' their Heritage.

Which is weird. Then Whites should say we were European-American. We didn't, we said our heritage was .. Irish and German and such. So technically blacks should be saying stuff like Kenyan-American, or Gambian-American to be correct. Or if blacks wanted to go further they could use their Tribe like Tutsi-American or Hutu-American.

As we found from the McCain leaking puke aide, Africa isn't a country.

[Living Free in NH]

African American? Barack Obama is America’s first half-white president.

[keats5]

“Korean-American is the most descriptive term. Actually, “American of Korean ancestry” would be more precise, but it’s sometimes too wordy.”

I think part of the problem is that we want instant labels, even if they not not correct. What is wrong with not knowing everything about a person on the first meeting? Most Americans cannot be hyphenated, because we are such a mixed bag of nationalities. I have three Asian children, and have found that Americans of Asian ancestry happily talk of their heritage when asked. They’re just as proud of their heritage as are the Greeks or the Irish or the Italians. What’s wrong with treating all people of all races the way those of us with European roots treat each other?

I like this new term “post-racial America.” Most of the races are getting all mixed up anyway.

[ReignOfError]

Why is it odd? I don’t know what your profession is, but suppose you have a name that’s well-known to your clients, vendors, colleagues or customers. When you leave a message your call gets returned ASAP. If you change your name, it’s going to be a while before the new name is recognized by everyone. Wouldn’t you want to make people aware of who you are, that they already know you?

Would you make a point of tuning in to see Ann McGillicuddy or Michelle Golinsky on TV, if you hadn’t heard the news that Coulter or Malkin had gotten married?

[RexBeach]

Sorry, we disagree.

I think it’s snooty, and elitist.