Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
Editorials & Other Articles
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Famous White Americans [View all]Bucky
(55,334 posts)63. Right. I'm probably more of Dutch stock than English, but my last name is English-origin
And yet I'm more comfortable saying "American". On the other hand, distant cousins who retained the Dutch last name by patrilineage might be calling themselves "Dutch American" despite having less Hollandaise in their bloodstream. People will (though it's random) self identify to their patrilinear roots--either claiming Italian ancestry, though they are only 25% Italian, or dismiss these roots for a lack of an Italian surname, though they might be 37% Genoan in origin and more Italian than any other nation-stock.
This is one reason why I dodge the whole trolley car and just say...
I'm an American,
as mutt as can be,
I know no Europeans
related to me
Edit history
Please sign in to view edit histories.
Recommendations
0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):
71 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
RecommendedHighlight replies with 5 or more recommendations
It is true that unless you were from English descent you were not considered white in early America
former-republican
Oct 2012
#7
That was even true in the 1870s when my paternal ancestors immigrated from Germany
slackmaster
Oct 2012
#10
My grandfather was born in 1895. Only German was spoken in the house when he was a child.
slackmaster
Oct 2012
#51
Frank discussions of race can be painful. I think it's worth it, the discipline of objectivity
Bucky
Oct 2012
#58
No, actually ethnicity is a fact. It's a social construct, but it's sociologically real.
Bucky
Oct 2012
#71