Should we all self identify as Americans only?

SGT Kevin Brown — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 10:53:37 -0400

An American is someone who was either born here in the United States or has come here legally, joining our ranks as a citizen of the United States. Today though, you don't hear that term used to often, without some other identifier connected to it (i.e. African American and Asian American). Do you think it is about time we dropped the secondary identifiers and just identify as what we are, Americans?

In light of recent tragic events, race baiters hard at work, race specific nationalist groups on the rise, a large division growing larger and larger everyday and a president that could care less about unity; we need a national unity movement again. Since no one here wants another 9/11 to usher in another 9/12 level of unity, we need something else. What about unifying under what we all already are, the term American.

Here is a short few reasons why I think this is important:

1. Calling one group Americans and identifying others as say African Amerians is racist. It portrays that one group is more entitled to the term American while another must be identified by something else (inferior?, Superior? either way racist).

2. Such terms should be limited to individuals with dual citizenship who choose to identify as such. I know one African-American (dual citizenship) and he is a white man.

3. We see this work all the time in the military. We don't call black soldiers African-Soldiers, they are American Soldiers.

This question is directed towards how we identify others in society, not how we describe them. I understand that we all have numerous identifying features, such as skin color and cultural features which make it easier to describe someone's look.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 19 at 2015 10:59 AM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 10:59:14 -0400

You mean....I can no longer identify myself as a Scottish/German/Norwegian/Irish-American anymore?

Response by MSgt Jim Wolverton made Jun 19 at 2015 11:01 AM

MSgt Jim Wolverton — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 11:01:44 -0400

We're the only country that I know of that does this, I'm in agreement with everything you said. Also, if you are a citizen of another country because of parental lineage or you were born and raised there to American parents, like many German-American kids born to an American military father, I believe that that citizenship should be recognized as well, regardless of age.

Response by SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S. made Jun 19 at 2015 11:06 AM

SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S. — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 11:06:46 -0400

"America" covers a couple dozen countries.
Be a U.S. Citizen!

Response by COL Mikel J. Burroughs made Jun 19 at 2015 11:25 AM

COL Mikel J. Burroughs — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 11:25:06 -0400

SGT Kevin Brown I think you bring up a very interesting question and my first inclination is to say "Yes" we are Americans. Then reality kicks in and I think about how difficult it will be to make such a change across our society. That would be a large undertaking to say the least. I'm just being practical! When you have those types of identifiers being used so regularly for so many years it is difficult to change their usage and the culture established behind them. What about American Indians?

Again, I like and support your concept 100%, just wanted to make sure we looked at it realistically as well.

Just a thought and perception! I gave you thumbs up for bringing up such a controversial question and subject

Response by COL Jean (John) F. B. made Jun 19 at 2015 11:59 AM

COL Jean (John) F. B. — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 11:59:11 -0400

Absolutely... There is simply no good reason to refer to oneself or anyone else as "African-American", "Asian-American", or anything else. You are either American or not.

Response by Col Joseph Lenertz made Jun 19 at 2015 12:03 PM

Col Joseph Lenertz — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 12:03:09 -0400

Absolutely. Our melting pot has been a great source of pride for immigrants to say they are American, a great source of strength to our country to get strivers and do-ers from all over the world, and it delivers a world-class military who self-identify as American, and swear their oath to the Constitution.
Those who would re-make America into a disconnected bunch of unmelted crayons are doing serious harm to our national ethos and killing the pride in saying, "I am an American".

Response by LTC Paul Labrador made Jun 19 at 2015 12:19 PM

LTC Paul Labrador — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 12:19:06 -0400

I am an American. But I'm also a Filipino. They are not mutually exclusive because both are who I am. I am an American and am loyal to America. But I'm also very proud of where I came from. Remember, most Americans are generations removed from the land of their ancestors (unless you're a Native) so don't really identify with your ancestral heritage anymore, but many of us are not very far removed. To deny that we bring a piece of where we come from to the US and add it to the melting pot is to deny what America is all about.

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made Jun 19 at 2015 1:20 PM

MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 13:20:37 -0400

Yes we should all identify as Americans, we did it in the face of tragedy like 9/11. Does anyone remember on 9/12 or 9/13 whether they were a gay libertarian or a straight white male or a black transgender female? NO, we were Americans during those days and we should be again.

Yes we should also identify with our roots and our race and gender in celebration of diversity but not for the sake of isolation and entitlement. Gay Veterans, transgender Republicans, Black caucus, no, IMHO, we don't need that level of subdivision labeling.

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 19 at 2015 2:02 PM

MSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 14:02:45 -0400

Too much emphasis is placed on things that only divide us as a nation and in our communities.

Response by SFC William Swartz Jr made Jun 19 at 2015 3:45 PM

SFC William Swartz Jr — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 15:45:13 -0400

This is how it should be.....but alas, I would probably be labeled as racist for suggesting/agreeing with this in a civilian only population.

Response by PO2 Skip Kirkwood made Jun 19 at 2015 7:26 PM

PO2 Skip Kirkwood — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 19:26:02 -0400

It would be too difficult to get all of my ethnic roots in to a useful phrase. German-Dutch-Irish-English-Welsh-American sounds kind of ridiculous, even though I am proud of all of my roots!

Response by SSG (ret) William Martin made Jun 19 at 2015 8:59 PM

SSG (ret) William Martin — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 20:59:02 -0400

What I know is that I am pretty fly for a white guy.

Response by Cpl Mark McMiller made Jun 20 at 2015 1:10 AM

Cpl Mark McMiller — Sat, 20 Jun 2015 01:10:49 -0400

I don't like secondary identifiers as they divide us; we are Americans period.

Response by SPC Makissa Lewis made Jun 20 at 2015 7:59 AM

SPC Makissa Lewis — Sat, 20 Jun 2015 07:59:37 -0400

It is a great way to unify but some would rightfully so, feel some sort of way about America. The land of the free didn't open their arms to them. They and their descendants (who the hyphen is for) had to work harder than the average bear. Maybe a new word like "Merica" that was used on Survivor can better capture the unity you spreak of.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 22 at 2015 7:38 AM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 22 Jun 2015 07:38:42 -0400

anytime im out and about back in America or anywhere I always say im American

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 22 at 2015 7:45 AM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 22 Jun 2015 07:45:16 -0400

I've always believed in that.
The only way there is division, is when others set themselves apart from the rest.

No race, religion, nationality, etc., is better than any other. If you believe to the contrary, you are only fooling yourself.

My biggest issue is with being forced to tolerate and ascimilate.
Just like with most foundations. Either it happens naturally, or it will not settle well.

Response by SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 22 at 2015 8:03 AM

SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 22 Jun 2015 08:03:11 -0400

To use the term American is very broad indeed. Someone who lives in the USA can call themselves an American citizen, but so can someone who lives in Canada or Mexico. Anyone born on this side of the planet is essentially an American citizen. If you are looking to make a patriotic statement, then the appropriate statement to make is We are citizens of the United States.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Aug 7 at 2015 4:08 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Fri, 07 Aug 2015 16:08:23 -0400

The minorities have the biggest say in this matter.

Response by PO2 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 5 at 2016 10:56 PM

PO2 Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 05 Mar 2016 22:56:29 -0500

Absolutely we should. If we preface that with some other demonym, it divides us when we should be presenting a united front agains those who would seek to divide us. As the old saying goes: "united we stand, divided we fall".

Response by SCPO Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 5 at 2016 11:12 PM

SCPO Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 05 Mar 2016 23:12:57 -0500

American is not a race. It is an ideal. Get with the program or get out. Plain and simple.

Response by MCPO Roger Collins made Mar 6 at 2016 10:56 AM

MCPO Roger Collins — Sun, 06 Mar 2016 10:56:02 -0500

Most of us are Heinz 57 Americans, if I used an identifier it would include American Indian, English, Dutch and anyone else that may have sneaked in there

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 6 at 2016 11:02 AM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 06 Mar 2016 11:02:04 -0500

America does not recognize dual citizenship. Seems like our system has already made clear what its answer is.

Response by CPT Alexander Grant made Mar 8 at 2016 4:36 AM

CPT Alexander Grant — Tue, 08 Mar 2016 04:36:10 -0500

I think it should be perfectly normal to use both. Sometimes it's practically helpful to have the extra descriptor, as well.

Response by SFC Marcus Belt made Dec 13 at 2016 1:36 PM

SFC Marcus Belt — Tue, 13 Dec 2016 13:36:52 -0500

Depends on context.

1. Calling something by a more descriptive term is not inherently negative, ie racist, it's merely a descriptor that has replaced "black" for the most part in the lexicon. For the record, "African American" is no more accurate than black, but I digress.

2. Again, articulating the different ethnicities is a descriptive act with no inherent moral value. "Asian American", for example, works when I don't know which country in Asia a person or his forebears hailed from.

3. African American/Black Soldiers - It's not like you've never heard the terms, nor are the terms inherently offensive.

To sum, there is nothing inherently racist or even negative by acknowledging ethnic differences. To do so would be just as fallacious as those who seek to ignore gender differences.

Acknowledging the objective truth of our differences should not be an impediment to our collective equality and value.