• lugal@lemmy.ml
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    2
    ·
    1 year ago

    I don’t live in America but I think most would consider themselves Americans. They are proud of the flag and the constitution and stuff. In the 1600s, you wouldn’t have figured a white person when someone said “American”. The whites were Brits or Germans or French, but not American. The natives were Americans.

    • criitz@reddthat.com
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      6
      ·
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      Americans consider themselves Americans, but especially in the early days of the melting pot, cultural identity, and specifically that heritage was important. That’s why Americans are always saying they are Irish or Italian or whatever. The actual people from those countries laugh or get defensive about Americans who have never left the US claiming that heritage, but there’s a reason behind it.

    • WarmSoda@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      1 year ago

      In america we refer to our families by their heritage. Italian American. Irish American. Etc.

      • lugal@lemmy.ml
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        0
        ·
        1 year ago

        Italian American. Irish American. Etc.

        My point exactly. They aren’t Italians who happen to live in America but Americans with Italian heritage. And I’m not talking about first or second generation but like “white” people in general. The concept of whiteness exists since they started to be Americans.

        • WarmSoda@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          1 year ago

          I’m not really sure what you’re saying. There were no white people before the USA?