Asian Posers: You guys are 100% American

[Alarick]

Re: Asian Posers: You guys are 100% American

This is Hawai'i Hobart. Only naive transplants from the ContUS would go around claiming to be American. In Hawai'i, you are your ethnicity. Thanks for proving my point.

Wow, you make it sound like it's a bad thing for people in Hawaii to call themselves American.
Why is that?

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Asian Posers: You guys are 100% American

Wow, you make it sound like it's a bad thing for people in Hawaii to call themselves American.
Why is that?

If you're Kanaka Maoli and from Hawaii (duh) then you aren't American. Only Native Americans can lay claim to that. If you're anything else but live in Hawaii sure you can call yourself American, but you'd piss off a lot of native Americans out there.

It's not a bad thing...just the wrong thing to say and expect those natives to accept it. That's why I say that for all things considered I'm as USA as it gets because I don't dare call myself an American because I have no native American blood or ethnicity in me, just as I wouldn't dare call myself a Hawaiian because I'm not native Hawaiian or Kanaka Maoli.

[beaker]

Re: Asian Posers: You guys are 100% American

This is Hawai'i Hobart. Only naive transplants from the ContUS would go around claiming to be American. In Hawai'i, you are your ethnicity. Thanks for proving my point.

"Ethnicity" is an illusion. Superficial bubkus.

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Re: Asian Posers: You guys are 100% American

Polynesian is my race.
Hawaiian is my ethnicity and my culture.
Chinese is in my ancestry.
American is my nationality.

Acknowledging all of this isn't bubkus, it is perspective.

[beaker]

Re: Asian Posers: You guys are 100% American

A meaningful "ethnicity" for me would be something along the lines of tree-hugging suburban metalhead D&D geek. Human race.

[Alarick]

If you're Kanaka Maoli and from Hawaii (duh) then you aren't American. Only Native Americans can lay claim to that. If you're anything else but live in Hawaii sure you can call yourself American, but you'd piss off a lot of native Americans out there.

It's not a bad thing...just the wrong thing to say and expect those natives to accept it. That's why I say that for all things considered I'm as USA as it gets because I don't dare call myself an American because I have no native American blood or ethnicity in me, just as I wouldn't dare call myself a Hawaiian because I'm not native Hawaiian or Kanaka Maoli.

See, i am Native American, and it does not bother me (or any other Native American i've met) when people who are born in the good'ol U.S of A call themselves American.

We differentiate ourselves by the Native in Native American, or by our tribe, in my case Coushatta.

And all though i can't speak for everyone, to me the whole distaste for calling one's self an American when they where born in America (Native or not) gives the impression that the person is being disrespectful towards their country, is unpatriotic and ungrateful for what their country has given them.

If you where born in America, you are American, can't change that anymore than you can change the color of your skin.
But that's just my $0.2...

A meaningful "ethnicity" for me would be something along the lines of tree-hugging suburban metalhead D&D geek. Human race.

Holy Zombie Jesus!
There are other D&D geeks on this rock?
Freakin cool.

[Whitepoint3rchum]

Re: Asian Posers: You guys are 100% American

Okay Cooooooool!!!!!!!!!! I Guess You're The Last Samurai Than! :d

ROFLMAO!!!

[HulaHoney]

Re: Asian Posers: You guys are 100% American

[QUOTE=Hobart;114806]I am 100% Caucasian (Italian, English and German). I feel I could confidently say that I am lot more Asian than most of you posers that are actually just Americans that look Asian.

Hobart...you can NEVER be more Asian than us "posers" as I can NEVER be more Caucasian then you. Even though many of us Asian American "posers" do not speak, read or write the language, our hearts and souls are Asian...our ways, our spirit, our thoughts, things that are unspoken and examples, which have been passed on from generation after generation. Yes, you can learn to read and write the language and even know the customs inside out, but your way of thinking will never be Asian.

By the way...how come if we Asian Americans are so American, why are we not recognized as Americans? We are always challenged, there's always a distinction "you Chinese, Japanese, Filipinos etc. or your people". Bet your American-ness" have never been challenged. In many non-Asian eyes, American and Caucasian are of one there is no distinction...


Hula Honey

[HulaHoney]

Re: Asian Posers: You guys are 100% American

[QUOTE=Babooze;114997 You contradict your self saying one one hand you are more Asian then us and than on the other saying you are 100% Caucasian. Which is it? .[/QUOTE]

Good point Babooze...you made me LOL...yes which is it????!!!!!

PS: Hobart: I not Hater...just want to get the record straight...

[MadAzza]

Re: Asian Posers: You guys are 100% American

If you're Kanaka Maoli and from Hawaii (duh) then you aren't American. Only Native Americans can lay claim to that.

Everyone born in the United States, or who lived in a territory when it became a state, is American. That is a fact. And native Americans aren't any more American than anyone else.

The Hawaiians I know are as "proud" as anyone else to call themselves American. For you to assume otherwise is just plain racist.

I can't believe you posted that.

ETA: I apologize if this comes across as rude, Craig. I'm just honestly stunned by your comments.

[MadAzza]

Re: Asian Posers: You guys are 100% American

Oh, screw it. Never mind. Post deleted.

Note to self: Don't let typical, brainless, anti-American morons get to you.

Self: Alrighty!

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Asian Posers: You guys are 100% American

Bullshit. Everyone born in the United States, or who lived in a territory when it became a state, is American. That is a fact. And native Americans aren't any more American than anyone else.

The Hawaiians I know are as proud as anyone else to call themselves American. For you to assume otherwise is just plain racist.

I can't believe you posted that.

Believe it Nancy because I did. Being born in the United States of America is another thing. You of all people should know that. Being born in the United States of America doesn't give anyone the right to call themselves American just as being born in Hawaii doesn't give anyone the right to call themselves Hawaiian.

One of the arrogance as "Americans" is that when we in the USA call ourselves Americans we are collectively calling everyone who lives from the tips of North America to South America all the same. We do not represent South Americans just as we don't represent Canadians. When we arrogantly say we are Americans we only section out that one part in the middle called The United States of America. So when travelling in Italy I am asked if I am USA as in Ooosaa. Not American because there are other countries and ethnicities that fall under the catch all wording of American just from the geographical points on this planet.

There is an indiginent group of people that can call themselves American just as there are an indiginent group that can call themselves Kanaka Maoli. You can't say that one can and the other cannot.

[TuNnL]

Re: Asian Posers: You guys are 100% American

Sad we need the non-journalist types to demonstrate logic, reason, research and objectivity for those ignorant, emotional, “think with the heart not the head” patriotic types. And we scratch our heads wondering why the public is so turned off to the news media these days...

[joshuatree]

Re: Asian Posers: You guys are 100% American

Believe it Nancy because I did. Being born in the United States of America is another thing. You of all people should know that. Being born in the United States of America doesn't give anyone the right to call themselves American just as being born in Hawaii doesn't give anyone the right to call themselves Hawaiian.

One of the arrogance as "Americans" is that when we in the USA call ourselves Americans we are collectively calling everyone who lives from the tips of North America to South America all the same. We do not represent South Americans just as we don't represent Canadians. When we arrogantly say we are Americans we only section out that one part in the middle called The United States of America. So when travelling in Italy I am asked if I am USA as in Ooosaa. Not American because there are other countries and ethnicities that fall under the catch all wording of American just from the geographical points on this planet.

There is an indiginent group of people that can call themselves American just as there are an indiginent group that can call themselves Kanaka Maoli. You can't say that one can and the other cannot.

I think this one is complicated because of what the founding fathers of this country decided to name this country. As the United States of America, calling ourselves as United Staters or USnese or whatever just sounds awkward so thus the easy reference to Americans.

As for the term Hawaiians, that's also complicated because the state's name happens to be the name of the Kingdom of Hawaii and it's native people. So it does give the rest of the residents of Hawaii a bit of a dilemma in identifying themselves abroad. It's easy and convenient to say "I'm Hawaiian" referring to what state you're from such as Californians do but then you may inadvertently insult native Hawaiians because they see it more as a distinction of their race.

Imagine if the states of Australia decided to name their country the United States of Australia instead of the Commonwealth of Australia when they federated. Talk about confusing, there would be two USAs.

[Surfingfarmboy]

Re: Asian Posers: You guys are 100% American

In regards to American non black youth embracing the culture of other races:

Like 95% of American non black youth are doing right now ? I have to say, this is a pet peeve for me.

Why is this a pet peeve, Tikiyaki? Is it because you believe that 95% of American non-black youth are embracing the customs and cultures of an ethnic group which they clearly are not part of, i.e., learning ebonics and wearing a mufi, whereas the American black youth are shunning their "identity" by not?

Or are you peeved by the fact that the American non-black youth who ARE embracing the customs and cultures of another ethnic group are wrongly doing so simply because the color of their skin? Are they guilty of shunning their own ethnic identity? Is it wrong for say a Caucasian youth from Minnesota to wear "gangster wear" from the Bronx, strictly on the basis that he/she is not the original intended market for this type clothing, i.e., he/she is white, if this style of clothing was indeed "intended" for a specific racial group?

I'm just curious. I'm a Caucasian who will soon have my hair styled in a fashion that is patently considered non-Caucasian. I don't believe though, that by wearing my hair in this style, that I'm shunning my ethnic background. Nor do I feel that it's wrong to embrace and enjoy the cultures of another race or nationality. I'm going to celebrate and enjoy the cultures of another race completely different from mine. I'm not going to define myself as Caucasian..eat like Caucasian, talk like a Caucasian, dress like a Caucasian...just because I am a Caucasian. Or someone thinks I should just because I am.