Hyphenation does not mean inheritance
Quite often people of minorities blame the “majority” for creating and marketing racial stereotypes. I admit that even I will generalize people under certain circumstances. However, I have known people from all walks of life. I have a great respect for many of them and their differences from myself. I don’t believe in racial stereotyping. I don’t make judgments based on a person’s appearance. I do judge them on their actions, verbal and non-verbal. I judge a person based on their opinions. And most of all I judge a person based on what group of people they choose to identify themselves as a member.
If a person says to me I am an American. I will associate those ideals that America was founded upon and apply them to my understanding of that person. I will assume they believe in freedom from tyranny and oppression. That they believe that all people should have an equal voice (though to clarify an equal voice does not mean equal influence, there should always be the voice of justice to remind people of what freedom for ALL means). This applies to everybody. I knew a guy that didn’t even have US citizenship yet and still called himself an American. Not Mexican-American. Yes he did later obtain full citizenship, and still the last time I talked to him consider himself only “An American”.
In 1968 there was the black glove incident of the Olympics. Many people will remember it in their own ways, I personally believe in the original concept that rejected all politics in the favor of celebrating the individual. Anyhow, George Foreman was one of the athletes that the organizers of this civil disobedience exercise tried to recruit. When he won the gold in the heavyweight match instead of grabbing the Black Glove, he grabbed an American flag and declared “I AM an American”
Okay so now here is the reason for my title. When somebody hyphenates something onto the word American it does not mean that the new amalgamation somehow has all the features of the word American with a few added ones. That would be contrary to the word American.
Thus when I hear African-American, I remember that 1 in 3 African-American Men has or will see the inside of prison. Or if I hear Arab-American I will remember that the teachings of Islam do not necessarily always condemn the violence we see in this world.
So the point is if you associate yourself with a group that certain generalities apply then do not be surprised if those generalities are applied to you. I am not racist. I do not assume you associate yourself with a certain concept, but if you willingly declare yourself a member of said group then you are embracing those generalities that the group does not reject, or in some cases embraces.
I am an American, and all Americans are my brothers, white, black, yellow, red, short, tall, smart or dumb.
If a person says to me I am an American. I will associate those ideals that America was founded upon and apply them to my understanding of that person. I will assume they believe in freedom from tyranny and oppression. That they believe that all people should have an equal voice (though to clarify an equal voice does not mean equal influence, there should always be the voice of justice to remind people of what freedom for ALL means). This applies to everybody. I knew a guy that didn’t even have US citizenship yet and still called himself an American. Not Mexican-American. Yes he did later obtain full citizenship, and still the last time I talked to him consider himself only “An American”.
In 1968 there was the black glove incident of the Olympics. Many people will remember it in their own ways, I personally believe in the original concept that rejected all politics in the favor of celebrating the individual. Anyhow, George Foreman was one of the athletes that the organizers of this civil disobedience exercise tried to recruit. When he won the gold in the heavyweight match instead of grabbing the Black Glove, he grabbed an American flag and declared “I AM an American”
Okay so now here is the reason for my title. When somebody hyphenates something onto the word American it does not mean that the new amalgamation somehow has all the features of the word American with a few added ones. That would be contrary to the word American.
Thus when I hear African-American, I remember that 1 in 3 African-American Men has or will see the inside of prison. Or if I hear Arab-American I will remember that the teachings of Islam do not necessarily always condemn the violence we see in this world.
So the point is if you associate yourself with a group that certain generalities apply then do not be surprised if those generalities are applied to you. I am not racist. I do not assume you associate yourself with a certain concept, but if you willingly declare yourself a member of said group then you are embracing those generalities that the group does not reject, or in some cases embraces.
I am an American, and all Americans are my brothers, white, black, yellow, red, short, tall, smart or dumb.
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