"We Are All Immigrants"

[sj5 4]

its offensive for others

[Alex & Rachel 78]

I know I've said this a dozen times, but I fully expect that once I gain British citizenship sometime in the future, I'll still never be considered British....I'll always be "the American married to hubster", or "the American". So what gives?

It's your accent. Lose the accent and you'll be considered British.

Will I be considered British if I join the Ministry of Silly Walks?

That depends. What does the bunny in your avatar have on his head?

[DeadPoolX 9]

I know I've said this a dozen times, but I fully expect that once I gain British citizenship sometime in the future, I'll still never be considered British....I'll always be "the American married to hubster", or "the American". So what gives?

It's your accent. Lose the accent and you'll be considered British.

Will I be considered British if I join the Ministry of Silly Walks?

That depends. What does the bunny in your avatar have on his head?

It's the Magical Pancake of Doom™

[Sister Fracas 5]

At the moment I think I'll probably always feel British because England is where I have spent all of my formative years - I was born here, attended school here, gained all of my qualifications here and have friends and family here. However, who knows how I'll feel once I've lived for longer in the US than in the UK and am completely out of touch with all aspects of British life?

awww, I hope it DOESN'T happen though. Won't you have ANY ties to Britain? I can't imagine losing all fondness for a place, even with any/all faults.

I know I've said this a dozen times, but I fully expect that once I gain British citizenship sometime in the future, I'll still never be considered British....I'll always be "the American married to hubster", or "the American". So what gives?

It's your accent. Lose the accent and you'll be considered British.

Will I be considered British if I join the Ministry of Silly Walks?

That depends. What does the bunny in your avatar have on his head?

It's the Magical Pancake of Doom™

Pancake Bunny!!! I Pancake Bunny!

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Native Americans are people born in America. The Cherokee prefer the term Indian, while I prefer First Nations People.

Very well put --- First Nations People.

As far as taking pride in the country I live in: that is not a given nor it should be. I am here because my husband wanted to come back to HIS country, that's that. Free allegiance for me is just not happening. I abide by American laws and do my legwork every day -- but national pride in my opinion stems from a long standing relationship with a homeland; not a "well, now I live here so I am proud of it". My mind does not work that way.

Nessa said it: people will always be offended by this or that, it's human nature. Sometimes we need to just get over ourselves and grow a thicker skin - I do it everyday when reading racism on VJ. It's a public forum, after all, and we are all entitled to our opinions.

[Ban Hammer 12,841]

My thoughts: everybody will get offended by something someone said, it's the way it is. If we start a thread about every little thing someone might be offended, we'd need a special forum just for that.

I agree with that definition of immigrant, btw. "a person who leaves one country to settle permanently in another"

i'm offended

[Alex & Rachel 78]

At the moment I think I'll probably always feel British because England is where I have spent all of my formative years - I was born here, attended school here, gained all of my qualifications here and have friends and family here. However, who knows how I'll feel once I've lived for longer in the US than in the UK and am completely out of touch with all aspects of British life?

awww, I hope it DOESN'T happen though. Won't you have ANY ties to Britain? I can't imagine losing all fondness for a place, even with any/all faults.

Oh, I'll always have my family and friends; I am quite close with them! I just meant I'll be out of touch with British news, politics, etc. Plus I'm going to be trying very hard not to lose my accent.

Native Americans are people born in America. The Cherokee prefer the term Indian, while I prefer First Nations People.

Very well put --- First Nations People.

As far as taking pride in the country I live in: that is not a given nor it should be. I am here because my husband wanted to come back to HIS country, that's that. Free allegiance for me is just not happening. I abide by American laws and do my legwork every day -- but national pride in my opinion stems from a long standing relationship with a homeland; not a "well, now I live here so I am proud of it". My mind does not work that way.

Nessa said it: people will always be offended by this or that, it's human nature. Sometimes we need to just get over ourselves and grow a thicker skin - I do it everyday when reading racism on VJ. It's a public forum, after all, and we are all entitled to our opinions.

Sorry; I really meant that those who have lived all of their lives in the same country should perhaps try to take more pride in that country. Basically I find it odd that someone will cling more fiercely to the rights and ideals of the country a grandparent came from (for example) than in the country that has birthed and nurtured them.

[DeadPoolX 9]

Sorry; I really meant that those who have lived all of their lives in the same country should perhaps try to take more pride in that country. Basically I find it odd that someone will cling more fiercely to the rights and ideals of the country a grandparent came from (for example) than in the country that has birthed and nurtured them.

I think some people have a very romanticized idea of some other countries. Although to be fair, it wasn't that long ago that many foreigners thought the same of the United States too. "Streets paved with gold" anyone?

[Kez/JWolf 6]

I find it so funny when a Born and bred American tells me they to are Scottish.... When I ask where they come from in Scotland, The reply I get is oh I have no idea it was my Great Grandmother who was born there!!!!!

They are no more Scottish than the PLAD they claim is their Clan Cloth....

Kez

[mawilson 2,133]

We're from France!

[almaty 19]

We're from France!

hey, that dude is sanita's driving instructor

[Fandango 1,439]

No, we're really not.

If America was in a competition with Italy (my ancestry), you'd see my red, white, n blue, baby!

[peejay 327]

I noticed recently that a few people had "We Are All Immigrants" banners on their signature. I see the value of this being placed there as it reinforces the struggle we're all going through during this process of relocating to the USA as permanent residents.

In the spirit of camaraderie, people would take that statement to be pretty innocuous. However, Americans who cannot identify themselves with their past roots, have taken offense to the statement of them being "immigrants". I see their point. An immigrant defined by Webster's is "a person who leaves one country to settle permanently in another". Although they came from immigrant backgrounds, people born here, raised here, and settle here are technically not immigrants.

Just thought about it more, and I can see how some people can be offended when people use the "we're all immigrants" line.

Any thoughts?

The USA definitely has a tradition of generous immigration policy at certain periods in our history, but I would hesitate into buying into the notion that "we are all immigrants" or "we are a nation of immigrants". The USA had very little immigration from 1924 to 1965. I was born here and I am not an immigrant. My wife is an immigrant. Some of my ancestors were immigrants at some time in history. So what?

Most often I have seen the two quoted terms above selfishly and deceptively used by proponents of mass uncontrolled immigration (both legal and illegal) as some sort of justification of more of the same bad policy. Just because yer ancestors wuz immigrants is no reason to allow bad, detrimental, and stupid immigration policy in 2008. Anyone and everyone in unlimited numbers should not be allowed to immigrate to the USA just because they want a better deal. That is no rational for sane immigration policy.

Reasonable immigration is a good thing...too much immigration is a bad thing. The numbers are way too high now and need to be reduced back to saner levels. If present immigration trends (both legal and illegal) continue we will have 400+ million in the USA by 2050. Why go there? Why should we? Certainly not because "we are all immigrants" or "we are a nation of immigrants".

[Sister Fracas 5]

I guess I need to turn signatures back on so I can see this "we are all immigrants" stuff...

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Native Americans are people born in America. The Cherokee prefer the term Indian, while I prefer First Nations People.

PC BS