y is it in this country we have to refer to someone as their ethnicity?

[AllaN01Bear]

such as black american, whit american. aint we all just americans ? im sorry but that dosent compute .

[WhiskeyGrinder]

1. Who is saying you have to?

[Ocelot II]

2. You don't have to, but sometimes it's relevant,

as wrt police shootings, for example. It would be nice if race and ethnicity never had to be mentioned, but sometimes it does.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

3. I, for one, am deeply offended when people call me Whit(e) American, its like my true heritage

and culture is totally being ignored!

Henceforth, to everyone ... it's Drunk American, please!

[cinematicdiversions]

8. I believe the preferred term for Drunk Whit American is Irish. NT

[mopinko]

4. sorta a central theme of the whole shibang, we're all from somewhere else.

and even those of us who are 2nd gen- i dont so much have pride in my irish roots as just see myself as very like my ancestors. learning my own history was affirming. parts of me dont fit in here, but the same parts got an ancestor sent to botany bay.

race is sorta different thing, and til it doesnt matter, it will matter.

[bucolic_frolic]

5. Generally

it only applies to non-wasp citizens, or at least non-western European. People will say just about any (enter your ethnicity-American), but you'll never hear English-American, French-American, Dutch-American, Swedish-American for example.

[Gaugamela]

6. It's generally considered racist to identify someone by their race or ethnicity if it's

not relevant to the conversation. So it’s fine to say that Barack Obama is the first Black US President. But it’s racist to say “I was on my way to work and this Black guy ran a red light”.

[Caliman73]

7. I am American, born and raised. Lived in California all my life.

When people ask me where I am from I say, The United States, they ask again, "no where are you from?" I say, California, "No, I mean from originally?"

That is why I am Mexican-American. People (White people) who look at me, assume I am not American.

Color blindness is not a virtue in my opinion. I would love to be seen as merely "American" but that is not up to me.

[LakeArenal]

9. Well, as DNA test show, most of us are part everything

My dad is “all” Irish. Except he’s black Irish
Having dark hair and darker not porcelain skin. Why? Because his DNA says he’s part Italian from the occupation of Ireland by the Romans.

[abqtommy]

10. Some people are programmed to hate any ethnicity/skin color/culture except their own.

They cause a lot of problems by constantly identifying people they consider to be
enemies.

Then others of us are programmed to be inclusive and accepting and don't cause as many problems. It's definitely a people problem and a people solution. The more of us
that are part of the solution the fewer problems there are.

That's my core view on the matter. It's OK to dislike anyone if they speak or behave
in a negative/non-productive manner but that can't be determined at first sight.