What exactly is the definition of an "Unhyphenated" American?

[Bullet Sniper]

Now when it comes to ethnicity and culture in the United States, I notice that there is a long-held conception that the average "white" American is usually of English descent (hence the term "White Anglo-Saxon Protestant"?) or other British descent (Scottish or Scots-Irish). And "English" along "Irish", "German", and "African-American" are still to this day listed as the top four specific ancestry groups in America's population. But when I look at the US Ancestry maps, I thought that "American" would only be a nationality or a very broad national identity irregardless of race or color (despite the popular stereotypical image of an average American being "white" to the perception of those who live outside the West) in contrast to narrowly-defined ethnicities like German, Italian, Irish, Chinese, Japanese, Gujarati Indian, Russian, Tibetan, Ashkenazi Jew, Arab, Assyrian, Mayan, etc. But what I didn't know was that "American" itself is actually an ancestry label of its own for Americans who want to choose to report that in their US Census. And when I looked up what an "unhyphenated" american was on google, obviously the term didn't meant Native Americans (as that would at least be the closest thing you would have to a person who can technically be defined as "pure American" from only an ethnicity perspective), but "Americans" whose ancestors most likely originated from England like the Pilgrims during the 1600's or is otherwise of any unspecified white European ancestry, but either way chooses not to identify themselves with any country outside of the United States due to being in this nation for too many generations. And i think I read somewhere that president Theodore Roosevelt was an example of this and that most of Trump's voters are of this "group".

But on the other hand, I have a friend from real-life who is of Hispanic descent (he told me he was 3/4 Puerto Rican, 1/4 Ecuadorian, but looks fairly pale and caucasian) and he told me a few times that he would rather consider himself an "unhyphenated American" or more specifically an "unhyphenated New Yorker" without any "ethnic" descriptors attached. And from that vantage point, I was also under the impression that "unhyphenated" American could really mean someone who is an American citizen that is thoroughly assimilated into US society, culture, and language (English), and thus only considers themselves "American" above all else and doesn't identify with anything else, regardless of whatever their race, ethnicity, and origin is.

So in your opinion and interpretation, what do you think people really mean when they say "Unhyphenated" American? What defines the identity at its most basic level exactly? Why was there so much criticism and marginalization in history towards those who choose to "hyphenate" themselves, whether of European background or not? Why do some Americans dislike the idea of a "hyphenated" identity? Why is there an "American" ethnicity? What gives people the incentive to choose "American" as their ethnicity, even if they're not Native Indian? Why do some ethnic groups like French-Americans, German-Americans, or Dutch-Americans don't openly talk much about their ethnicity in America unless asked, unlike the Italians, Irish, and Chinese?

bonus question: What defines an "Unhyphenated" Canadian, Australian, New Zealander, or even British in those respective countries? How do those equivalent labels differ from America's in this case?

[Shawn Hopkins]

Doesn't exist.

[Jabare]

is this a Trump thing? this feels like a Trump thing

[Tami]

Every American either came from or has ancestors who came from someplace else, with the exception of Native Americans [I'm not gonna get technical]. White Americans usually trace their ancestry back to Europe, but not always. Anyone who claims that, by virtue of being White, they are non-hyphenated Americans, is badly misinformed.

Like Shawn said, the term Doesn't exist.

[Shawn Hopkins]

is this a Trump thing? this feels like a Trump thing

It's definitely racist.

[Tami]

It's definitely racist.

Unless you use the term as applied to everyone, as in We are all Americans. That I can get behind. But, as far as race [et. al.] goes, yeah it's very wrong.

[Shawn Hopkins]

Unless you use the term as applied to everyone, as in We are all Americans. That I can get behind. But, as far as race [et. al.] goes, yeah it's very wrong.

Well, if you're going to say that one racial or ethnic group is the "true" Americans, then you're saying everyone else is not. If that's not racist, I don't know what is.

[Tami]

Well, if you're going to say that one racial or ethnic group is the "true" Americans, then you're saying everyone else is not. If that's not racist, I don't know what is.

I agree with you.

[Orujo-man]

Basically it was used that term to distinguish between Americans born in U.S.A. and the Americans who came from abroad or had strong ties with the own customs of their place of origin. It was feared that in the First World War these turned against the interests of the United States.

Of course this term is a huge irony considering that the U.S.A. is a country of immigrants and natural unique in that area are Indians Native Americans and perhaps the ancestors of some American peoples before the Spanish conquest, now called Latinos.

[Bullet Sniper]

is this a Trump thing? this feels like a Trump thing

Don't turn this into a Trump discussion thread. I'm just here to explore the origins and definitions behind words that people use in historical contexts.

[codystarbuck]

But on the other hand, I have a friend from real-life who is of Hispanic descent (he told me he was 3/4 Puerto Rican, 1/4 Ecuadorian, but looks fairly pale and caucasian)

So, all Latinos are dark and brown? I have news for you, there is great ethnic diversity in Latin American countries too, including people directly and ethnically descended from the Europeans. Like European, Latino or Hispanic is less a definition of race, than it is of origin. It is used as a racial term, though somewhat incorrectly.

As far as I'm concerned, American is anyone who is a citizen of the US (native born or naturalized) or is living here and identifies with the culture, whether they seek citizenship or not. After that, whatever anyone wants to classify themselves is fine by me.

[Moon Ronin]

At a point in history were we want to get rid of labels we argue what is the best label for people. I'm kind of tired of having to keep up with the trend of what some one is call because the last one is now offensive. When are we going to get to the point were there are just Americans and no hyphen or what ever will be needed?

[KOSLOX]

It's what people with euro-American ancestry tell everyone else, when they don't want them to claim their own heritage, right before running off to an Irish-American, Italian-American, German-American, etc type of event.

Essentially it's BS used to enforce assimilation and reinforce the traditional power dynamic.

[Shawn Hopkins]

Don't turn this into a Trump discussion thread. I'm just here to explore the origins and definitions behind words that people use in historical contexts.

You mentioned Trump in the OP.

[Bullet Sniper]

You mentioned Trump in the OP.

FYI, I merely brought him up as a minor example to give citation to the use of the term "Unhyphenated American" as an ethnic label. *does a bad Sgt. Gunnery Hartmann impression* Thank you very much.