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Post by kluski on Oct 13, 2016 1:28:21 GMT
No. And for the record I am only second generation American. My gparents are from Poland They worked for a living. They did not get handouts from the government and became tax paying citizens. I am so angry about the direction this country is taking.
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Post by lindah on Oct 13, 2016 1:31:40 GMT
No.
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sassyangel
Drama Llama
Posts: 7,456
Jun 26, 2014 23:58:32 GMT
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Post by sassyangel on Oct 13, 2016 1:38:46 GMT
No, 'American' is a term I reserve for American citizens. eta - yes, that also means that I don't refer to legal immigrants as American either. I'm a legal immigrant of the United States, and I dont refer to myself as American either.
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sassyangel
Drama Llama
Posts: 7,456
Jun 26, 2014 23:58:32 GMT
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Post by sassyangel on Oct 13, 2016 1:47:32 GMT
I should add, I am in the process of obtaining American citizenship so I would think I would feel comfortable with that then. But I can't even vote here legally, how could I really call myself something that somewhat implies being a national of this country? Thats how I feel. Currently I'm an Australian permanent resident of the United States.
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sassyangel
Drama Llama
Posts: 7,456
Jun 26, 2014 23:58:32 GMT
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Post by sassyangel on Oct 13, 2016 1:51:29 GMT
I absolutely DETEST the word alien though. I cringe a bit whenever I see it. It just *feels* demeaning as a legal resident.
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Post by Darcy Collins on Oct 13, 2016 1:52:01 GMT
The way I see it is I am a United States Citizen but I am also an American. Canadians along with Mexicans, Brazilians etc. are Americans as they are on the American continents. Just like Chinese are Chinese and Asian, Italians are Italian and European. Asia and Europe are continents. Americans are not just in the United States. The issue is there is no other term for a United States citizen other than American. We can't rewrite history -the people in the United States of America became known as Americans 200+ years ago - we can't now become the Staters because we happen to include our continent in the name.
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Post by femalebusiness on Oct 13, 2016 2:04:25 GMT
The way I see it is I am a United States Citizen but I am also an American. Canadians along with Mexicans, Brazilians etc. are Americans as they are on the American continents. Just like Chinese are Chinese and Asian, Italians are Italian and European. Asia and Europe are continents. Americans are not just in the United States. The issue is there is no other term for a United States citizen other than American. We can't rewrite history -the people in the United States of America became known as Americans 200+ years ago - we can't now become the Staters because we happen to include our continent in the name. I said in another post that I agree that American is most often associated with United States citizens. But I think technically anyone who's origins is one of the America's has the right to call themselves American if they choose to. I also think United States citizens don't have to agree with that.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 2, 2024 1:17:34 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 13, 2016 2:13:46 GMT
No.
(I didn't read through the thread, but if you didn't already address it, what prompted this question?)
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Post by papercrafteradvocate on Oct 13, 2016 2:24:41 GMT
My gut reaction was no. But I thought I'd turn good old Merriam for reference. I used Canadian, to get away from the whole use of American for United States of America versus one's continental status. Surprisingly no discussion of citizenship at all. If one resides in Canada, you can call yourself Canadian, so I suppose the same could be true of American. Having said that, I typically think of a citizen only. I'll go with this! ^^^^^ Plus this-- American. Citizen. Illegal Alien. All 3 different.
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Post by epeanymous on Oct 13, 2016 2:55:07 GMT
I think it depends on the degree of connection the person has and feels to the country. If you are born here and live here, you are American. If you are a naturalized citizen, you are American. If you have been here since you were three days old, and you are ninety-five, but you are not a citizen, I'd say you are American, and I would say that whether you entered legally at three days or not. I don't know what else you would be.
I don't think you have to be a citizen to be an American, but I don't think everyone who is here who was born elsewhere and is not a citizen, whether here legally or not, is American.
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Post by cajeanne on Oct 13, 2016 3:22:20 GMT
No. (I didn't read through the thread, but if you didn't already address it, what prompted this question?) There was a congressman on a northern CA radio station the other day and I heard him refer to illegals as undocumented Americans.
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ComplicatedLady
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,037
Location: Valley of the Sun
Jul 26, 2014 21:02:07 GMT
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Post by ComplicatedLady on Oct 13, 2016 5:54:57 GMT
As I'm reading the responses, I'm thinking I am the odd one out. I don't think I have ever really thought about this before. I see people and I just think of them as people and never have worried if they are citizens or permanent residents or visiting family or whatever.
I don't know that I've ever actually said "I'm an American." I've told people I'm from the US or what state I live in, but I don't know that I've ever said I am an American.
Huh, interesting responses. Thanks for starting this thread and making me think.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 2, 2024 1:17:34 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 13, 2016 10:48:54 GMT
I have both a Canadian and United States citizenship. I do not call myself Canadian though. I call myself American. Well, Native American to be exact. That's why I asked about what you would call a South American or Central American who immigrated here and are not yet legal citizens of the United States.
I have heard all the arguments. People have said that everyone born here are Native American. And technically, they would be right. But it still gnaws at my craw. So to them I say that since this country is the Americas, so is Canada, Mexico, Argentina and so on. So technically that makes all Americans. Just as all people who live in Africa...Africans. Doesn't matter what country they reside in. They could be Kenyans but also Africans.
I know it's awkward to be known as the United Statians(?). Not to mention hard to figure out what States would be spelled as with the suffix of -ian. We do know that America was named after Amerigo Vespucci. He landed on the country now known as Brazil. So Brazilians should also be known as Americans as that is the land that was first dubbed America. Blame your forefathers.
Just know that as much as you all hate anyone except legal citizens to be called Americans, we hate that some people want to call themselves Native Americans despite not having any ties to the actual Native American community.
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Dalai Mama
Drama Llama
La Pea Boheme
Posts: 6,985
Jun 26, 2014 0:31:31 GMT
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Post by Dalai Mama on Oct 13, 2016 11:07:43 GMT
I have both a Canadian and United States citizenship. I do not call myself Canadian though. I call myself American. Well, Native American to be exact. That's why I asked about what you would call a South American or Central American who immigrated here and are not yet legal citizens of the United States. I have heard all the arguments. People have said that everyone born here are Native American. And technically, they would be right. But it still gnaws at my craw. So to them I say that since this country is the Americas, so is Canada, Mexico, Argentina and so on. So technically that makes all Americans. Just as all people who live in Africa...Africans. Doesn't matter what country they reside in. They could be Kenyans but also Africans. I know it's awkward to be known as the United Statians(?). Not to mention hard to figure out what States would be spelled as with the suffix of -ian. We do know that America was named after Amerigo Vespucci. He landed on the country now known as Brazil. So Brazilians should also be known as Americans as that is the land that was first dubbed America. Blame your forefathers. Just know that as much as you all hate anyone except legal citizens to be called Americans, we hate that some people want to call themselves Native Americans despite not having any ties to the actual Native American community. I would never refer to someone born in the US as Native American. Maybe native-born American or even native (small n) American, but Native American is only for your First Nations people. I also don't see American as equivalent to African or European largely because America isn't a continent. I'm a North American, a Canadian, from the Americas, but not an American.
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Post by gailoh on Oct 13, 2016 11:17:41 GMT
No
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 2, 2024 1:17:34 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 13, 2016 13:23:15 GMT
I would never refer to someone born in the US as Native American. Maybe native-born American or even native (small n) American, but Native American is only for your First Nations people. I also don't see American as equivalent to African or European largely because America isn't a continent. I'm a North American, a Canadian, from the Americas, but not an American. Thank you! Unfortunately, growing up that is all we heard from communities surrounding us. Racial tensions abound there! So when I first heard that, all I could think was "well, here is something else they are taking away from us." So I get it...how citizens of the United States feel that only they can be called Americans. It's how I was raised to think as well. But most of us do believe that if you live on one of the land masses known as America, either North, South or Central, you are an American. So when Donald Trump spouted his catch slogan "Make America Great Again," we knew he was talking about this country, but we think...well, Mexico is part of America, yet you (Trump) want to wall them off from the States. Trust me...you don't want to get in a discussion about all this with some of the people I grew up with! It'll make your head spin! We also don't consider the border between Canada and the US as a dividing line. Although the respective governments want to label us as either American or Canadian, we don't. But I believe that is unique just to my own tribe. I could be wrong. But anyway, that is where my mind immediately went to when this question was initially asked.
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Dalai Mama
Drama Llama
La Pea Boheme
Posts: 6,985
Jun 26, 2014 0:31:31 GMT
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Post by Dalai Mama on Oct 13, 2016 13:54:47 GMT
I would never refer to someone born in the US as Native American. Maybe native-born American or even native (small n) American, but Native American is only for your First Nations people. I also don't see American as equivalent to African or European largely because America isn't a continent. I'm a North American, a Canadian, from the Americas, but not an American. Thank you! Unfortunately, growing up that is all we heard from communities surrounding us. Racial tensions abound there! So when I first heard that, all I could think was "well, here is something else they are taking away from us." So I get it...how citizens of the United States feel that only they can be called Americans. It's how I was raised to think as well. But most of us do believe that if you live on one of the land masses known as America, either North, South or Central, you are an American. So when Donald Trump spouted his catch slogan "Make America Great Again," we knew he was talking about this country, but we think...well, Mexico is part of America, yet you (Trump) want to wall them off from the States. Trust me...you don't want to get in a discussion about all this with some of the people I grew up with! It'll make your head spin! We also don't consider the border between Canada and the US as a dividing line. Although the respective governments want to label us as either American or Canadian, we don't. But I believe that is unique just to my own tribe. I could be wrong. But anyway, that is where my mind immediately went to when this question was initially asked. That's why I feel that First Nations is more appropriate than Native Americans, especially given both the use of American to denote those from the US and the origin of the word itself.
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Post by anonrefugee on Oct 13, 2016 15:08:21 GMT
Thank you! Unfortunately, growing up that is all we heard from communities surrounding us. Racial tensions abound there! So when I first heard that, all I could think was "well, here is something else they are taking away from us." So I get it...how citizens of the United States feel that only they can be called Americans. It's how I was raised to think as well. But most of us do believe that if you live on one of the land masses known as America, either North, South or Central, you are an American. So when Donald Trump spouted his catch slogan "Make America Great Again," we knew he was talking about this country, but we think...well, Mexico is part of America, yet you (Trump) want to wall them off from the States. Trust me...you don't want to get in a discussion about all this with some of the people I grew up with! It'll make your head spin! We also don't consider the border between Canada and the US as a dividing line. Although the respective governments want to label us as either American or Canadian, we don't. But I believe that is unique just to my own tribe. I could be wrong. But anyway, that is where my mind immediately went to when this question was initially asked. That's why I feel that First Nations is more appropriate than Native Americans, especially given both the use of American to denote those from the US and the origin of the word itself. I agree, but once had someone argue with me that declaring this group "First" was offensive to other indigenous groups around the world. The ability to offend and be offended is never ending. Most of us can only try our best to be polite.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 2, 2024 1:17:34 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 13, 2016 16:23:03 GMT
That's why I feel that First Nations is more appropriate than Native Americans, especially given both the use of American to denote those from the US and the origin of the word itself. I agree, but once had someone argue with me that declaring this group "First" was offensive to other indigenous groups around the world. The ability to offend and be offended is never ending. Most of us can only try our best to be polite. Same thing with the word Indigenous. I tell you...we really cannot win! About the only way to describe us I guess is by using our tribal affiliation. And again...a whole 'nother kettle of fish! Just don't call us redskins and you'll be fine.
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Post by Linda on Oct 13, 2016 17:16:02 GMT
I don't think I've ever thought that deeply about it.
I know it doesn't matter to me what other people call THEMSELVES so if someone wants to call themselves an American, that doesn't bother me in the least.
I think there's probably a difference between a illegal alien who came over as an adult (I have a cousin who overstayed a tourist visa - many many years later, he's now a US citizen) and one who came over as a small child with their parents and has grown up here and may or may not even know they aren't documented (especially if younger siblings are citizens by birth). I would tend to think the latter might well consider themselves to be Americans regardless of their status or lack there of and the former might well consider themselves to be whatever their citizenship is - at least until they naturalise
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Post by anonrefugee on Oct 13, 2016 20:24:06 GMT
I agree, but once had someone argue with me that declaring this group "First" was offensive to other indigenous groups around the world. The ability to offend and be offended is never ending. Most of us can only try our best to be polite. Same thing with the word Indigenous. I tell you...we really cannot win! About the only way to describe us I guess is by using our tribal affiliation. And again...a whole 'nother kettle of fish! Just don't call us redskins and you'll be fine. No need to lecture me, the problem with message boards is you don't know people. Over half my family is Native American and not all in the same tribe. I've got a fair understanding how complicated this issue is. Most of them would prefer to be called Indian before Native American if you don't refer to their tribe, because you know, they were here before America. Some of them also identify as hippies so that might be an older view. We can apply labels til the cows come home because individual people will have preferences. This is probably off track of OPs intent though...
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Post by leftturnonly on Oct 13, 2016 22:14:11 GMT
I was listening to a radio show a few days ago and a congressman from Northern California was asked his stance on illegal immigration. He called people who entered our country illegally undocumented Americans. Is this phrase accepted now? I was rather put off by this. I'm sure he's a Republican congressman.
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