Whos an Immigrant?

The other day I was minding my own business fishing for lobbies, when all of a sudden some kid came up and asked who was an American there. I simply replied "I am", because I am proud to be an American, and he responed back saying well you know your an immgrant too. I first laughed and then said,"and what basis do you have to say this? I was born in America, therefore I didn't immigrate there." He just kept saying that all Americans were immigrants and so on and so forth. I got kinda sick of it so I signed off but I figured I'd ask the general public on sythe. Do you think that All Americans, besides the Natives are immigrants? The dictionary defines an immigrant as a person who migrates to another country, usually for permanent residence. Technically I didn't migrate here from another country, I was born here.

 

Tectonically we are. But no, we are not.

 

I was born here aswell, but my ancestors came from about 7 dif. countries...

 

Yes my ancestors came from many different countries as well, that doesn't make me an immigrant though... at least thats not how I define an immigrant.

 

It sounds like this person is just now learning about America's history. That's like saying I'll race you to the post and If I were to lose, "I win" anyway because I touched it yesterday.

Eh, technically I am an immigrant If I were to go back about 3 generations. My grandmother's parents moved here from Poland. I'm Greek, Irish, Polish and German. =/

Most people define immigrants as "Mexicans", or people of Latino related ethnicity at least here in North Carolina. I believe the Great Migration consisted of Latino, Chinese and few African American..

 

yup its good being british, we have been enjoying tea here since the dawn of time

 

Im native american so im not an immagrant........

I believe if you were not born here, you are an immagrant....

 

Yep, that's exactly what I believe, however some people still believe that just because someone's ancestors were immigrants, that makes all of their offspring and generations to come immigrants.

 

justafan - White people are saying the same thing about Mexican people.

 

I don't doubt that some white people in America are saying that about Mexicans. I happen to live in an area where I see many people of all different races, who I consider to be Americans because they were born here. Thats partly why I don't like calling people African-Americans, or Asain-Americans, or whatever. I just consider them Americans...

 

Right down to the basics, the only people who aren't immigrants are the Africans because human genealogy tells us that humanity started in Africa and then later expanded to the rest of the world.
So 5 out of 7 continents are full of immigrants (Considering Antarctica to be completely uninhabited).
My parents were born in Canada, my Grandparents were born in Canada, and all the way up to my Great-great-great grandparents we were born in Canada.
However, my Great-great-great-great grandparents immigrated here from France and Ireland. (France on my father's side, and Ireland from my Mother's side)
My friends say it's a pretty odd genealogy since my mother was English Canadian and my Father was French Canadian.

 

I'm an immigrant from south africa, I immigrated to Australia like many to have a better chance at life, to be able to sleep at night without a gun, to go outside and play in the street and to have a job.

There is nothing wrong with being an immigrant because we all are in one way or another.

 

If this theory of his is true, then yes, just about everyone in the world will be an immigrant.

However, your ancestors who actually made the immigration are the immigrants, not yourself.

 

To some degree, yes, all Americans besides Native Americans are immigrants. However, for practical purposes, if you're born here, you're not labeled as an immigrant.

 

no affence but if some basterd said i was an immigrant id fuck his ass up

2nd of all no mother fucker from a diff country has the right to come to america and tell me (you) that ur an immigrant when u were born in america. in my mind there all dumb fucks. tbh

ps sorry for foul language just stating how i feel and btw they have no right there immigrants them selves so if were immigrants that makes them piles of shit? i think not.

 

I like to think of it as, if you're born there then you're not an immigrant. Simply for practical reasons and because you didn't actually 'migrate' anywhere.

Don't forget about mexicans also, they were here natively as well.

 

You couldn't be more wrong. First let me start off with the real definition of an immigrant: a person who travels to another country to establish pernament residence willingly. African Americans were not brought here willingly at ALL... If you think that traveling cramped in the base of a sailboat starving for three months is immigration... you have a serious thinking problem.

Secondly, everyone (except african americans and native americans) who has ancestors who moved here from another country is an immigrant. You inherited that title from your ancestors. Get over it, it really is not that bad to move to another country to better oneself.

 

I am!!!!!!!!

 

Actually Native Americans came to the Americas across the Bering Straight which was a large land mass that connected Russia to Alaska.
Many scientists believe that the humans who went across the Bering Straight were simply trying to follow herds of animals.
So they did come here willingly. Which makes their ancestors, immigrants.

 

I was only speaking of African americans when discussing the slave trade, not native americans.