Hyphens make you a semi-American

Are you a hypenated-American?

I remember talking to my friend and her son a few years ago, and someone described a person as being “black”. Her son, who was about 11 years old snapped that the term “African-American” should be used. I disagreed then, and I disagree even more strongly now.

As a caucasian white guy, I’m not offended by being referred to as “white”. What really bugs me is when people hyphenate themselves. My great-grandparents came to the United States from Italy in the early 1900′s. I don’t refer to myself as Italian-American, and I wouldn’t want anyone else to place this label on me. I’m tired of hearing about how people are Italian-American, African-American, Mexican-American, Chinese-American, or Irish-American. The common thread in all these atrocious labels is “American”. Unfortunately, many of us seem intent on watering down our American identity by holding onto something from our past that will never compare.

In the United States, we have a terrible tendency to separate ourselves into discrete, useless categories. We are fortunate to be citizens of the greatest country on Earth. When someone comes to the United States, they come here for opportunities that aren’t present in their country of origin. 100 years ago, my great-grandparents recognized this lack of opportunity and decided to come to the United States. Why would I want to attach a label to myself that is nothing but a reminder of what my ancestors were trying to escape? Something, that in my opinion, gives the impression of being a semi-American.

I have no doubt there are many who disagree with me and will cite pride in their ethnic heritage. It is a part of their identity they don’t want to lose. On a micro scale, this might be understandable to some, but on a macro scale, it has the potential for cultural destruction. When it gets to the point where we feel the need to separate ourselves from our fellow citizens, we will continue to move further away from being one nation.