To the "White Americans" : Are you in touch with your roots?

[Toastman]

The unfortunate (and intentional) side effect of the 'Americanization' process that took place when European immigrants came to America was that many of them lost touch with their true European history and ethnicity upon spending generations in America.

In fact, this was even more encouraged by the people already in power in american (british descendents) by changing the last name of Euro immigrants upon arriving on Ellis Island to generic bullshit names like "Johnson" and "Smith".

I have noticed that many "white americans" when asked of their nationality or ethnicity they generically say "american". When asked what their families were before that many of them don't know.

My question to you is this:

Do you know your true European roots? If so, are you proud of it? Are you more proud of the thousands of years of history you family had in Europe than the less than 300 years your family has had here?

All people are welcome to this discussion, but the reason why I am specifically asking so called "white americans" is because unfortunately it isn't as easy as simply looking at your skin tone to determine your history.

I'll answer once a few go first, or if it goes slow I'll end up answering soon, but I really am curious onto how others feel about this.

[Crash2108]

I say fuck Europe.

--Cr@sh

[General Patton]

Well, I'm a 4th generation German Immigrant (with a little Russian and Irish on the side). My family before now lived in a small town in Kansas that was a German settlement.

I've heard I have some family in the black forest region...

Other than that, not really. I don't wear lederhosen, don't speak very good German, and don't mimic any of their culture except eating sausage from time to time.

[BSK]

Originally Posted by General Patton

Other than that, not really. I don't wear lederhosen, don't speak very good German, and don't mimic any of their culture except eating sausage from time to time.

that´s bavarian not black forest. you really are not in touch with your roots if you choose the wrong ones to be yours ..

[General Patton]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lederho...ys.27_clothing
"Traditionally, lederhosen were worn by Germanic men of the Alpine and surrounding regions, including Austria, the highlands and mountains of Southern Germany, the German-speaking part of Italy's province of Bolzano-Bozen (formerly part of Austria until after WWI) and Switzerland. [http://www.marquise.de/de/ethno/bayern/lederhosen.shtml

...

German boys up to the age of about 16 used to wear lederhosen. These lederhosen were less decorated than the Austrian tracht (mainly with regards to embroidery) but retained some typical attributes like the suspenders/braces, and drop front style flap. Even today, some German and French boy scouts wear various forms of lederhosen, although in most cases they do not form part of the official uniform. Lederhosen was also used by Austrian boys as well from the 1930s to the 1960s. Nowadays they are wearing them in special cases, like in a Biergarten or on a Zeltfest. The Austrian girls are wearing the Dirndl as a part of the tracht. They are also worn by all Canadian males on the Day of Hosen"

[Zay]

Originally Posted by Toastman

All people are welcome to this discussion, but the reason why I am specifically asking so called "white americans" is because unfortunately it isn't as easy as simply looking at your skin tone to determine your history.

It's not that simple for hispanics either. I have 1 blue-eyed grandmother and some 2nd cousins in Spain, but beyond that I don't know how "mixed" I am, what part of Spain some of my ancestors are from, or what central-american indian tribe the more distant(not my grandmas grandmas, rather the settlers) Spanish ancestors raped. I can't think of anyone that can just look at their skin and know their roots.

[Toastman]

Originally Posted by Zay

I can't think of anyone that can just look at their skin and know their roots.

The only thing I meant by that is that if you are a person of color you even if you don't know the exact place your family is from, you still know by seeing that you aren't the stereotypical "generic white american" that most people try to consider themself. By being a person of color in america, you know automatically that you have a history beyond just the bullshit americanization you ancestors were subjected to.

I think that it is sad most European Americans consider themselves "white" or "american" and reject any thoughts of their ancestry before the last 250ish years.

And the idiots preaching "white supremacy" and the stupidest of all, as if "white" was a race. I don't mean to bring race issues into this, but it is relevant because in america light skinned people consider themselves white, however in Europe people are considered by their actual nationality (German, Russian, Swedish, French, etc).

By using the generic term "white", you are rejecting your true nationality and erasing it with one flawed term.

Think about it.

[Iehovah]

Originally Posted by Toastman

Think about it.

Think about this:

We fought a war against Europe to (yes, propandish, I know) liberate ourselves from our European roots. Why would anyone of American descent with ancient roots in Europe consider that their "true" nationality?

I am an American long before I'm a fucking Swede, and that half of my ancestry wasn't even involved in the Revolutionary war. My ancestors came here to make a better life for themselves, and helped build this country into what it is today. Why the hell would I care about the traditions of some other country that I have only a smattering of blood ties to anymore? Why honour THEIR traditions instead of making our own?

If people want to get all sappy and sentimental about roots in some country their "people" used to be a part of, more power to them.

However, MY "people" are THIS country. That means African-Americans, Chinese-Americans, Native American, Euro-Americans, etc - they're all my people. Not the damn swedes.

True, white is an ignorant term intended to lump people into a broad category with no meaning to anyone other than people who pretend the colour of one's skin matters. However, if your people and traditions are wholly centered on some dead assholes in another country, then maybe you should go back there.

And no, before some asshole says it, denoting your lineage with something like African-, Chinese-, or wtf'ever doesn't mean you need to gtfo.

[dagnabitt]

I believe both my Aquatic Ape and Gray Alien heritages are well represented in my cultural identity. I'm a post-modernist that cant seem to stop fucking ugly girls.

[KikoSanchez]

This is no more to the point than the fact that all humans don't say "I'm african." (Supposed origin of all homo sapien sapiens) Furthermore, I doubt any black Americans know or give a fuck if they're ancestors are from what is now Known as Zimbabwe or the Congo, they just say they're ancestors are from Africa.

But MY real opinion is this: I'm a fucking individual. How I act, believe, etc has no bearing on where my genes are from and I could care a lot less who came before me. Culture and tradition are illusory, I'd rather not imitate some conformist code of living from 1,000 years ago. I'd rather make my own. I.e. - "getting to your roots" is bullshit imo.