A question to the Europeans…

I know it’s a running joke that some U.S. born citizens like to identify with their European roots (even if they go back generations) but are generally not accepted as such in Europe. But how do you feel about the first generation—the children of immigrants here, from your countries ? Do you see them as having the right to claim the European identity of their parents even though they’re personally U.S. born ?

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DiStefano · 46-50, M

Not all Europeans see this as a joke...I am European and I do not see it as a joke, but a rather good attitude to be inquisitive about ones own background Maybe it is the way we (Europeans, but even US Americans) are brought up: the national state and what it means are decisive. Hence, US Americans are not regarded as having to have that claim and are not regarded as Europeans anymore. However, there are also differences: after all, in Germany even descendants of Germans who moved to Russia in the 17th and 18th century and came back after the fall of the USSR in the early 90s, were recognized as Germans. However, in Imperial Russia and the USSR, they were - like all peoples within Imperial Russia and the USSR - always regarded as their own group, as Germans (whereas in the US they became Americans). And when they came back in the early 90s, they received citizenship. For me personally, US Americans of European descent could become citizens of my country again. I do not mind at all and would be even happy, too.

bijouxbroussard · F

@DiStefano That’s very interesting, I didn’t know that. 🙂

DiStefano · 46-50, M

@bijouxbroussard Yes 😀 For instance, for German Americans their European identity all changed in 1917 (when the US entered the First World War), when German Americans adopted English surnames, because they were afraid that they might be labelled as spies and traitors in WW1. And I think there was some pressure on them. They wanted to be seen as loyal Americans.

bijouxbroussard · F

@DiStefano That I do remember learning about. And during WWII there were some instances of internment of German-Americans (Italian-Americans, too), though not to the extent as was done to Japanese-Americans.