Are Americans Immigrants?

Isn't it the same with the Auzzies/Aboriginals? Yeah anyways, I hate it when Americans racially call others immigrants when technically speaking, their one themselves.

 

Yes and No. Technically, nobody is a "true" American unless you're Native American (Indian).

However, for all intents and purposes, someone who was born in the United States, lived there for their entire life, and has never even done so much as leave the country is MUCH more of an American than a Mexican who just crossed the border, wouldn't you say?

Basically, not many people are 100% true Americans, by definition. However, I'm sure most people can agree that the definition of a non-immigrant American has been changed to describe someone who was born in the country, even if their ancestry leads back to outside of the country.

Wow, that didn't make much sense, did it?

 

It depends which way you want to skew it.

Someone could say I've depended on myself all my life, and never relied on anyone. This could be true, they could've been their own boss, raised their own money, built their own house etc.

A smartarse could refute and say you relied on your mother to give birth to you.

It's basically the same thing. Sure Americans originally conquered if you like the Native American and seized their territory. However to say that therefore they're hypocritical in their own original immigration is a rather lack lustered argument.
While I don't condone the people that racially call other immigrants, immigrants they themselves are not actually immigrants. Their ancestors may have been but they themselves are not.

Relevance needs to be taken in account with everything.

 

I think he was saying that you all immigrated to america at one point (except for those indians who you've pretty much killed off/bred out by now).

 

I can understand first generational purposes for such a linkage. Ie. Father son, Mother daughter.

However I reject that on its face.

Should I call you a murderer because your great grand father was one?
No. So why should you call me an immigrant for the same reason?

While our ancestors all immigrated, I personally myself did not, and most Americans did not.

 

You refers to a family line not an individual in that context, its syaing that immigration played a significant part of your past and shouldn't be carelessly cast aside.

 

Well, to be fair, nearly everyone in the world has ancestry that traces back to other places. There's a good chance that humans were never native to America. Even the native Americans came from Russia and Asia thousands of years ago.

By definition, an immigrant is someone who moves from another country. If you were born in America, you're not an immigrant. Many of us have descended from immigrants, and many of those came here within the last 100 years. For first and second generations to call themselves Americans is totally fair in my eyes, but it irks me when people suddenly get all nationalist about immigrating muslims and Mexicans. People some to have this notion that America isn't for those groups of people, but it's intentionally for everyone. If your Irish and Italian, Russian and Polish grandfathers were allowed to come to America 60 years ago, why shouldn't someone else's Islamic or Mexican grandfather be able to come now?

 

yes I believe that. mostly because you guys are and my country is way older than yours :S

I mean let's be honest, you all got kicked out of europe way back.

expecting some hate for posting this.

 

What version of history are you reading where Americans were European exiles? The vast majority of immigrants came to America in search of better chances at prosperity, not because their country was forcing them out. Others came as a means for safety. My grandparents, for example, came to America to avoid being imprisoned during the Holocaust. America was an opportunity to Europeans, not a last resort.

 

Yes they're immigrants, they came here from another continent and took it from the Natives. If they didn't originate from this country and are living here, they are immigrants.

 

You're speaking present tense as you label them, and past tense as you support your reasonings... On top of that, if you read any of the debate already on this thread, you'd know that it's already been established that hardly any worldly nation originated from their present-day country. Not even the Native Americans. As far as we know, the only true natives are the African tribes in Africa who haven't yet been uprooted by war (like the Sudanese)

 

Never said they were the ONLY people to ever migrate to another land and settle there

 

I'm saying that Americans today have just as much right to call themselves Americans as Europeans have a right to call themselves Europeans. I'm saying that present day Americans are not immigrants, and you can't prove that they are by saying "dey moovd frum nother cuntry way bak wen" because almost every present day nation are not native to their land.

 

no thanks

 

From my point of view there needs to be a point when people stop calling them selfs Dutch or Mexican or European. As said earlier in this thread a family who has lived here 100 years is more "American" then my Mexican neighbor who just hoped the border. Look at "African-Americans" they have lived here for how long? There has to be a deciding point of i am American now i am not going to separate my self and then complain when after i separate my self that people are separating me or considering me different.

 

We've all descended from immigrants except for native Americans.

I like what you're saying though. Americans identify themselves more by their ancestry than their citizenship.

For example, if someone was to ask an American for their ethnicity they would respond with saying German, Italian, whatever rather then American.

Americans should be more unified as a people.

 

no the mexicans are

 

We all descended from monkeys, does that mean we call each other monkeys? No.

The fact is that while our grandfathers grandfathers may have immigrated, we did not, we were born here. While colloquial definition may extend this to the child of the parents that immigrated here, it most certainly does not extend to great great great grand parents.

If someone was born in America and their parents where born in America then they would say they are American.
If someone was born in America and one of their parents was born in China, then they would say their half American and half Chinese.
If someone was born in Germany, and then immigrated here then they would say they are German.

Define unity in people, as America is certainly operating as a system of people.

 

"We all descended from monkeys, does that mean we call each other monkeys? No."
So? what does that have to do with anything?

"The fact is that while our grandfathers grandfathers may have immigrated, we did not, we were born here. While colloquial definition may extend this to the child of the parents that immigrated here, it most certainly does not extend to great great great grand parents."
True

"If someone was born in America and their parents where born in America then they would say they are American.
If someone was born in America and one of their parents was born in China, then they would say their half American and half Chinese.
If someone was born in Germany, and then immigrated here then they would say they are German."

Do you live in America? Ask someone that's not the answer you'll get. It's not the answer I've gotten. People in America identify themselves by their ancestry and beliefs.

"Define unity in people, as America is certainly operating as a system of people."
Compare America to another country. Our nationalism is weak.

 

The same amount as what has to do with we all descended from immigrants.

No I don't which is a fair point I live in Australia and all the responses I get are of the above nature. However on my holiday in America we asked people something very distinct.
"Where are you from?"
This phrase implies that you know they're not 100% American.
All the people that responded where consistent with the above implication.
However when we asked.
"So where in America are you from?"
This phrase implies that you do not think they are from a place other than America.
All the people that responded where consistent with the above phrase, by stating the state they originated from.

I guess the way you word the question does make a difference, but then again maybe Australia and American culture is just completely different.

Complicated.
Your original statement cited unity, which can be described as 'oneness' which implies that America was divided. I disagreed with that statement as America as a nation seems quite more unified as opposed to Libya.
However I can't speak as I'm not from America however personally I think the lack of patriotism derives from one basic thing, and that being that our current society takes things for granted.

I grew up in a time of peace, a time where conscription is non existent, and a time where serving your country seems less favorable than it use to be. It is this degeneration of the status that leads society to become less 'patriotic' as its basically like this:

When you slept on a pillow for your whole life you take the comfort for granted.
When you then are forced to sleep on the street you realize how comfortable that pillow was.
However if you originated from the street, you realize how truly sweet comfort is.

Our society has taken for granted peace, and patriotism has therefore taken a back step.