Can American be an ethnicity?

[Damião de Góis]

I think so, considering they have been a country since 1776. That's older than some european countries.

[Tooting Carmen]

I think so, considering they have been a country since 1776. That's older than some european countries.

+1. Having said that, how many Americans (whether White or Black) can trace their ancestors to the US during its early years?

[Phenix]

+1. Having said that, how many Americans (whether White or Black) can trace their ancestors to the US during its early years?

Almost everyone because of marriages with older colonial stock.

[Tooting Carmen]

Almost everyone because of marriages with older colonial stock.

Oh really? Factor in all the descendants of Irish (who were immigrants distinct from the original British colonists), French, Dutch, Germans, Scandinavians, Italians, Greeks, Jews, Poles, Russians, Japanese, Koreans, Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipinos, Asian Indians, Mexicans, Central Americans, Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Colombians, Venezuelans etc. that there are in the US, and I doubt that is the case at all. In fact, African-Americans are longer-standing than most White Americans are.

[Dragoon]

Three takes on this:

a)No because its too many races, and ancestries, multiculti, etc

b)Yes, you could argue the Americans who have lived for a long time, have created their own ethnicity (like on the census give options for it) **

c)You could argue all or most Americans loosely make a ethnicity but this would be a weaker argument.


** When we remember that many European ethnicitiess started from different tribes, groups, and the such, you could argue the same for Americans.
These Americans would be like a proto or beginning of an ethnos.

[Marco94]

Almost everyone because of marriages with older colonial stock.

I really doubt it. There are lots of exclusively recent immigration background, from Hispanics to Asians, Italian-Americans, Jews, etc.

For instance, 17% of the population is Hispanic, and 6% Asian. Among whites there are loads of unmixed (with colonial) individuals.

[Phenix]

I really doubt it. There are lots of exclusively recent immigration background, from Hispanics to Asians, Italian-Americans, Jews, etc.

For instance, 17% of the population is Hispanic, and 6% Asian. Among whites there are loads of unmixed (with colonial) individuals.

Economic integration of recent European immigrant waves is an indication of inter-cultural marriages, most Levantine Americans are also mixed with European Americans, let alone Irish and Italians. Blacks are all mixed, with generally 25% Euro genes from British Isles mostly.
For late waves of Hispanics your point is valid I must say, because of cultural reclusion and closeness to Mexico as most of them are Mexicans. Asians can inter-mix greatly depending on ethnicity, Japanese are more open to race-mix than Chinese, but as I wrote earlier, let time do its job.

[Phenix]

Oh really? Factor in all the descendants of Irish (who were immigrants distinct from the original British colonists), French, Dutch, Germans, Scandinavians, Italians, Greeks, Jews, Poles, Russians, Japanese, Koreans, Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipinos, Asian Indians, Mexicans, Central Americans, Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Colombians, Venezuelans etc. that there are in the US, and I doubt that is the case at all. In fact, African-Americans are longer-standing than most White Americans are.

A man has 1024 ancestors prior to 10 generation or 250 years (as you like) if no incest happened, one million if you count back to 20 generation.
Most Americans don't have a direct link to colonialists of 17th century, of course, but they can find some secondary affiliations here and there.

[Tooting Carmen]

A man has 1024 ancestors prior to 10 generation or 250 years (as you like) if no incest happened, one million if you count back to 20 generation.
Most Americans don't have a direct link to colonialists of 17th century, of course, but they can find some secondary affiliations here and there.

African-Americans (especially those with substantial White-colonial admixture) are probably the closest thing to an 'American' ethnicity.

[KMack]

Oh really? Factor in all the descendants of Irish (who were immigrants distinct from the original British colonists), French, Dutch, Germans, Scandinavians, Italians, Greeks, Jews, Poles, Russians, Japanese, Koreans, Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipinos, Asian Indians, Mexicans, Central Americans, Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Colombians, Venezuelans etc. that there are in the US, and I doubt that is the case at all. In fact, African-Americans are longer-standing than most White Americans are.

Turns out, they’re pretty darn good. Although there were only about 130 passengers on the Mayflower, and the number of individuals who left descendants is significantly less, it is estimated that more than 35 million individuals living today are direct descendants of those individuals. https://familyhistorydaily.com/genea...w-to-find-out/

From the original Mayflower voyage to the USA. BTW lots of Black have this ancestry also.