(10-31-2015 02:36 PM)Warlord Wrote:  Again, not being a dick with this line of questioning, because when my wife and I have children, this will be a real issue for them, but...

I want to ask, how long does one have to live in another country until a past nationality is just that, a past nationality.

Chinese, German, Italian, Irish, Scottish, British, etc... are all nationalities, not races. When I hear people say something like "I'm half-German on my father's side", I wonder what exactly that means to them. Because it certainly doesn't mean dual citizenship.

At most, all it can really mean is ethnically they identify as one of these. But again, ethnicity has nothing to do with either race or nationality, but culture, behavior, beliefs, etc..,

Ethnically, I think most people who claim to be Irish, African, German, etc... are actually primarily American. Think about it this way - what makes an American-born baby (whose parents were also American-born) Irish? He doesn't speak, read, or write Gaelic. He probably knows little to nothing about Irish history or politics. He probably doesn't even know his great grandparents, or where exactly they hailed from.

The identity issues in the U.S. absolutely fascinate me. I just wonder why we have that divide - Why are some Americans completely satisfied to just call themselves Americans, while others feel compelled to iterate or propagate this notion of difference, though nationally and indeed ethnically/culturally they are full on American.

Because in the end, should you go back to claim the heritage you think you have, you won't be accepted anyway. To the true German, Irish, Scot, British, Italian, etc.., you'll simply be an American.