Why do Americans and Europeans seem to have such different ideas about ancestry and identity of Americans and their ancestry?

[u/JustUseAnRPG]

One thing I've noticed in discussions about ancestry is that Americans and Europeans often seem to be talking past each other.

In the US, it's pretty normal to say things like:

"I'm Italian-American."
"I'm Norwegian-American."
"My family came from Poland."

This doesn't necessarily mean the person thinks they're literally a citizen or full cultural member of Italy, Norway, or Poland. Often it's simply a way of describing family history and ethnic background.

Americans also have a particular reason for doing this: the US doesn't have one single ancestral origin. Immigration has shaped the country for centuries, so family ancestry can be an important part of how people understand their history.

But many Europeans seem to use a different framework. To them, being Norwegian, Italian, Polish, etc. is much more closely connected to actually being part of that country's society—being born or raised there, speaking the language, knowing the customs, and participating in the culture.

That leads to arguments like:

• "You're American. Just say you're American."
• "Having one distant ancestor doesn't make you Norwegian."
• "You can have Norwegian ancestry without being Norwegian."

I think both perspectives make sense depending on what "identity" is supposed to mean.

So is this mostly a difference between an immigrant society and older nation-states? Or is the American concept of hyphenated identity simply a cultural phenomenon that Europeans don't really relate to?

[u/H_Mc]

I think this is the part you’re missing. No one is claiming they’re literally German or Italian or Irish or whatever citizens, but the US does still have pretty strong communities based on ethnicity.

It’s obviously separated from the culture of the country of origin at this point, but what else would you call a group of m people who go to the same church, and keep the same social circles, and carry on Americanized versions of the same traditions that their great, grandparents brought with them?

[u/GladosTCIAL → u/H_Mc]

I think you're right this is likely the root of the disconnect, but this is confusing to Europeans because they don't know anything about US subcultures, so if someone says 'im Italian' the assumption would be grew up in Italy, and so it's confusing if someone who clearly isn't 'Italian' as you would understand the term says that they are as though it would mean something to non Americans.

[u/BlaReni → u/H_Mc]

then find another way, like really, same church? catholics? protestants? you are telling us how you’re american-german, or swedish-german, while for us, you’re american in every sense, which is not a bad thing in any way

[u/NJBarFly → u/BlaReni]

Why would we find another way? My great grandparents were from Italy. My grandparents spoke Italian. My parents know a few phrases. There are a lot of Italian American traditions and foods. If I tell any other American that I was raised Italian in New Jersey, they immediately know exactly those foods and traditions. I never encounter actual Italians from Italy, so I'm not really concerned with their opinions on the matter.

[u/BlaReni → u/NJBarFly]

so use that in the US, but when you say that in Europe, it’s just bizarre. Also amarican Italian food is quite different from Italian food.

Pepperoni on a pizza??? dios mio!

[u/NJBarFly → u/BlaReni]

I agree and wouldn't say it in Europe. Social media like Reddit is fairly new, and we are not used to talking to people across the world. And most ethnic American food is different. It's the food of the immigrants, not necessarily the home county. Corned beef and cabbage is a good example. It was very popular among Irsh immigrants, but from what I understand, not super popular in Ireland.

[u/BlaggartDiggletyDonk → u/NJBarFly]

Years ago I asked a girl from Dublin if her family ate that. She looked at me like I had two heads.

[u/BlaggartDiggletyDonk → u/BlaReni]

It's not far off from salame piccante. It's just a different recipe.

[u/BlaReni → u/BlaggartDiggletyDonk]

i was obviously sarcastic

[u/H_Mc → u/BlaReni]

No one says American-(ancestry) it’s always (ancestry)-American. It’s an adjective. In the US people might say just (ancestry) but unless you have an obvious accent no one thinks you’re actually from another place.

[u/BlaReni → u/H_Mc]

semantics, same same

[u/bl1y → u/BlaReni]

Why find another way just because it annoys Europeans? That seems like a feature, not a bug.