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Everyone is entitled to having their own beliefs. Some people keep them to themselves. Some like to blare them out every chance they get. And others have views so unconventional, they completely go against the status quo.

When not every opinion is greeted with open arms, we’re lucky to have the internet where we can spark a discussion with complete strangers. There’s an Instagram account dedicated to sharing some of the best posts from the popular subreddit called Unpopular opinion. From electric vehicles to stuffed animals, members of this community have something to say about virtually any aspect of life.

So get ready to dive into some of the best posts this account had to offer. Upvote the ones you agree with, and, if you want to stir some emotions, share your own disputable views in the comments below. Psst! After you’re done, be sure to check out Part 1 of this post right here.

#1

What Are Your Thoughts On This Situation?

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Ruby Margene
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I agree, too many times people feel entitled due to their age. You don't owe anyone anything. Congrats on the souvenir and the story you will be able to tell your friends and family.

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Sometimes, we're discouraged from expressing our unpopular opinions because of the adverse reactions we might get from the people around us. Whether we’re talking about politics, religion, or popular culture, sharing our deepest beliefs can make someone feel pretty irritated. 

However, while some end up scratching their heads from confusion, others see a like-minded person and gladly show their support in heated discussions. After all, a controversial point of view does not instantly mean that it’s uncommon. When you push your fears of being the odd one to the side, it’s much likely you'll encounter others sharing the same thoughts as you. 

Brandwatch, a digital consumer intelligence company, was on a mission to investigate the most popular unpopular opinions on social media. They looked at consumers’ mentions from January 1 to June 30, 2020, excluding news, retweets, and shares. Results showed that 1.6M people shared their controversial beliefs in this period. Also, there were 34% more mentions during the lockdown compared to the four months prior. 

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#5

Do You Agree ?

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BC_Animus
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Greed and narcissism... it's sad, but it's human nature. The majority of the people out there are fake as heck, and will do things like posting videos of themselves crying on the internet as PR moves, to help promote and enhance their brands, to help them gain those clicks, likes, follows, and subscribes. Even more sad is that there ARE the odd few out there who honestly have no one and no where else to turn to, and are using the internet to reach out. But those odd genuine few are usually buried and overshadowed by all the loud popular influencers out there, with their TikToks and viral videos and their memes.

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#6

Thoughts? 🤔
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Caro Caro
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Harassment is the right word. What happened to Diana and other famous people with the paparazzi actually haunting them, spying and giving no Fu*ks. But here's a thought: Who the hell buys those rag mag's is an accomplice bc if they stop buying that filth then the paparazzi will (nearly) go away or at least be way less.

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#7

Do Your Parents Use This Argument ?

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Otter
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Speaking as someone who was out on their ass at 18... basic parenting, including food, clothing, and sleeping indoors.... isn't nothing. Not when you consider what it's like to do without any of those.

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When it comes to the topics people touch on, the top ones were about characters in pop culture, TV shows, dislike of fandoms, and books. People shared their complaints about some of the bestsellers of the century and aired their grievances about how some shows have become outdated. For example, 34K mentions called out Friends "for being hugely popular, despite some aspects not being acceptable today." 

The researchers also looked into Reddit, where 958K users shared their gripes. "It seems like lockdown got to Reddit users, too. Posts to r/UnpopularOpinions increased 105%." They found that many of these mentions touched on things that happened on the platform itself. Most of them were focused on sports players, subreddits, and seeing change as not being good. 

#8

Death Penalty Isnt A Good Punishment. Its An Easy Way Out And You Cant Prove Anybody 100% Guilty
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KJ
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why censor the word murder, not like we all can't figure out what it says, strange BP.

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#9

What Are Your Thoughts On Male Birth Control ?

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dean tirmizi
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I read a quote before, wouldn't it be safer to fire blanks at someone than fire bullets at someone with a bullet proof vest

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So while it can be fun to share your controversial views online, they also let others say opposing views, have heated discussions, and see things from different perspectives. Anna Akbari, P.hD., is a sociologist, writer, and speaker who shared her thoughts on why unpopularity isn’t necessarily a bad thing in a piece on The Psychology Today

She explained that if we want to be happy, successful, and feel of service, we don’t actually need to appeal to the masses. "See, we’re complicated beings, each with our own unique experiences, full of biases and contradictions and, hopefully, a point of view," she wrote. "Having a point of view is a good thing, even when that view isn’t universally embraced."

#12

Has Someone Ever Pushed Your Face Into A Birthday Cake ?

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Shelp
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've discovered this trend on the Internet and honestly, I absolutely do not understand it

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#13

Thoughts? 🤔
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Devil's Advocate
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You ruined it with "sure they're cute" because that's the whole point, they're NOT cute, people have just been trained into thinking they are. People need to realise that inbred dogs with serious health problems are the exact opposite of cute.

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#14

What Are Your Thoughts On This?

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Got Myself 4 Dwarves
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

100% - the cheater is the one at fault - unless the people they cheated with is also someone who you have a relationship with then it's equal blame as they both owe you loyalty. I've never understood the blame being passed to the person they cheat with, and it's usually women who blame the other woman when their guy cheats - I sure there's a patriarchal link to all that that could be deciphered but seriously, they're just a shitty person if they knew he was involved with someone - if they didn't then they're just as much a victim in it all. This idea that men can't help themselves if offered sex has to stop - you don't accidentally have sex - yeah, you may regret it after but you totally know what you're doing while you're doing it.

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While we can wholeheartedly stand by one issue, we can also not see eye to eye on another. "Agreeing to disagree on most things in life is fine—assuming it doesn’t restrict the liberty or human rights of others. It’s when we start to think that we need to agree on everything all the time to merely function together that we get into trouble," Akbari mentioned. 

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Needless to say, popularity isn’t essentially bad. Lots of things that are commonly and generally accepted by our society are considered as "safe". Akbari explained that we don’t have to immediately or categorically reject the popular stuff but rather "selectively embrace it, or at least occasionally challenge it."

#17

Do You Think Free Therapy Is A Good Idea ?

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Veronica Sjöberg
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, it really should be free. I have been in therapy on and off for years and it has been free (/paid by taxes). It's due to mental health issues so free healthcare = free mental healthcare. I learned a lot and cope much better. I wish it was available to all who needs it. To hear that people live with anxiety, ptsd, depression etc and can't afford therapy to learn how to cope better is really, REALLY sad.

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#18

That Annoys Me Too!

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ZAPanda
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't use those sites anymore. If you want me to subscribe, or permit adverts in my ad blocker, or click a cookie thing every time, I just bounce. Enjoy your bouncerate and zero ad revenue. ALSO. PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD stop with the f*****g animated adverts. They drive my poor ADHD ass crazy. I can't stand it.

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However, if your views are not clinging to the mainstream popular or if they tend to stir some unexpected or even rude reactions, "don't despair. You don’t need to bend toward conformity, and you may even be able to cash in—financially and socially—on stepping outside the conventional bounds."

She mentioned two rules that people who tend to lean into unpopularity should remember. The first one is that you should actually believe what you’re saying or doing. "Disagreeing for the sport of it is annoying and, rightfully, no one likes or respects you if you do that. So stop it," the sociologist advised. 

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#20

Do You Agree With Op ?

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Thundercuss
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In many cases I would agree but in many I would not. For example If an employee of mine turned out to be a KKK member, or they were videoed ridiculing a disabled person I would fire them without hesitation.

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#21

Do You Agree With This Opinion ?

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Vorknkx
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As someone who breaks up spaghetti before boiling them - I agree. Now give me those judgemental looks :P

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#22

Are Your Going To College ?

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Ember
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I agree completely. The world will always need woodworkers, metal workers, plumbers, electricians etc, not young people with huge financial debt and very little practical skills.

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#23

What Are Your Thoughts On This?

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Katiekat
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Retired teacher here, so let me weigh in on the realities. For elementary school kids, I'd overwhelmingly vote yes. Younger kids want to please the teacher; they want to be around the teacher, around other kids, in class. HOWEVER, as someone who taught middle and high school for 26 years, this does not work at all. By that time, there are a lot of kids who are looking for any way to leave the classroom. Yes, there are times they need to use the bathroom, but quite often they also want to socialize. There have been groups in certain years (not all by any means) that texted and met up in bathrooms and fought, too. It helps if a teacher has a sign in/out pass, or gives a certain number of tickets per month. Other children who don't have to use the bathroom COULD give a classmate a ticket if they felt generous.

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"The second rule is to embrace your unpopular opinions with the knowledge and grace that not everyone shares your point of view," she continued. This rule can be quite tough since we humans have a general tendency to want others to agree with us. After all, it makes us feel heard and valued. 

However, following this guideline "starts with a promise to both give up convincing other people to buy into your less popular opinions and to stop shaming them for their own thoughts and actions." 

#24

Is There A Labour Shortage Where You Live ?

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Vorknkx
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My previous boss (who was an absolute jerk!) used to say "there's a line of people waiting to take your place, if you quit." I did quite eventually. Seven years later and... my place is still unoccupied. And not just mine - two other people also quit from that office, and replacements could never be found. Or someone would start and then quit a month later due to the conditions. I guess the line of people for my spot turned out to be a bit too short ;)

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#25

Do You Agree With This Opinion ?

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Devil's Advocate
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Or, stop suing everyone for making mistakes. Yes there are serious negligence cases, but they're a lot less common than the cases where "negligence" is claimed, but it's just an honest mistake. Americans really need to stop that s**t.

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#26

Do You Agree ?

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The Scout
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We have to get rid of the phrase "unskilled labour". A janitor needs practical skills far above average (at least a good one does), and the working conditions of courier drivers or fastfood workers require a great deal of stamina and resilience. In any job you can go from beginner to master, working your job better or faster. Even more important, the economy absolutely depends on the jobs we tend to call "unskilled". Usually, in any company, if a middle manager is absent for some days, work continues more or less as usual. If the cleaning lady is absent, you notice the problems after a day or two the latest.

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#27

Do You Like Cats ?

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Joey Wood
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love my cats and would do anything for them, but they ARE little assholes.

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After that, it’s all about trusting yourself. If you believe that some things are just not right, don’t be shy and share your views with others because, chances are, there are people out there just like you. According to Akbari, there is value in dissent. "There’s often truth at the fringes and insight in unpopular perspectives. Greatness comes neither from blindly following nor from knee-jerk rejecting."

"Many of our greatest historical figures held really, really unpopular opinions. They did stuff that made people cringe or even retaliate against them. Going against the grain takes guts. And that courage is admirable, even if we disagree with what they’re saying or doing—but only when executed with integrity from a place of personal honesty," she wrote.

#30

Do You Think It’s Normal To Go Through Your Partners Phone ?

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Thee8thsense
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you don't trust your partner, then you don't trust your own choice of partner.

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#31

How Do You Think About This Situation ?

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Luther von Wolfen
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We switched my kid to a Montessori school because they got to 6th grade and there was no AP option so they were just sitting there bored. It costs a good bit, but I have no reason to think public schools will be better for my kid than they were for me.

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#33

What Are Your Thoughts On Apps From Company’s ?

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Rijkærd
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some establishments also bombarding one with promotional messages after using their service once...like damn, now you giving me a reason not to use your product again...

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#34

Thoughts? 🤔
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Victor Botha
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'll probably be downvoted, but this also applies to the African American label. Your distant ancestors were from Africa,you were born in the US therefore you are American. You don't hear people of Asian or African ancestrysaying they are Chinese English or Ghanian Scottish,they are English or Scottish or just plain British.

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Becky Moore
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I kinda think this too. A lot of American people like to identify as Irish-American or Italian-American especially. Even if they've never even met a relative from those countries. I used to live in America and it's one of the only countries that seems to be like that? As if just being American isn't enough? I'm British (English/Welsh & Irish background) and have an Irish passport but I'd never say I was Irish-English. That sounds stupid anyways :P Anyways this is just my opinion, please don't downvote me as it upsets me :P

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Andy Acceber
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's because of racism and xenophobia. Over the generations, the U.S. has seen a lot of immigrants. Generally, we hate whoever is newest with overwhelming rage. (300+ years of this, and we Americans still haven't learned.) In the past, immigrants often tried to set themselves apart from other immigrants by making it clear they weren't, for example, Irish-Americans, they were [insert country here]-Americans. After hearing that for years and years, now it's just common.

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buttonpusher
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There's probably more Americans identifying as Irish than there are actual Irish.

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Mark Johansen
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Reminds me of a co-worker of mine whose parents immigrated from Italy. He said he once asked them, "Why don't we keep Italian culture? Why don't we speak Italian at home and eat Italian food?" And he said his father replied, "If we liked Italian culture, we would have stayed in Italy."

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Urbangirlatl
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You get one generation born in the US, then quit that shiz. My great grandparents (and earlier) immigrated to the US, and literally NO ONE ELSE cares where they came from.

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Ember
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I’ve never understood why Americans do this either. Why claim heritage of a country you know nothing about, have never been to and have no clue about the customs and/or people or language?

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Pezor Zass
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

why do you assume that they know nothing about the culture? Something like 30% of Canadians have at least one foreign-born parent. I guarantee you, these people know their heritage well.

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Jo Choto
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Post genetic testing, I have found that many Americans who calls themselves Irish/Italian/whatever, were completely wrong about their origins All of the white Americans I knew that claimed Cherokee or some Native heritage had none. Like a certain American politician who kept claiming Native heritage, she had 1 percent, which is going back around 8 generations or so. I also remember that Skip Gates did a bunch of DNA testing in the southern states and found a whole bunch of white racists who had a significant amounts of black heritage which tickled me.

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Brian Stanton
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Native heritage rarely shows in dna! Look it up! Thats rarely how it’s determined, more so by tribal affiliation and records

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Leo Domitrix
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My mother identifies hyphenated, but her parents are from another country, she spoke that language (still does), was raised in that culture as much as America, so.... I give first-generation people a pass on this.

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Mir Adwari
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Totally agree. They can usually physically touch the person from that previous country. After that just say I'm American but my ancestry is from X, Y and Z. People have no problem with the curiosity and desire to retain old customs and cultures either. Be who you are but be happily of the country you are born in.

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Om
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's as if most Mexicans still identified ourselves as being from Spain lol

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Barbara Gonnelli
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I agree. My mother is Belgian, my father Italian. I was born and educated in Italy. I am 100% Italian. I act and think like any Italian. My great grandmother was French, but my mother never said that she is French! People moved a lot in Europe: invasions , migrations, etc. If I go further back I will maybe find some Danes (mom) or Longobardic (dad) ancestor, and before that Gaul (mom) or Roman, and before Etruscan (dad) till the African ancestors that we all humans share. The Americans that I met were all really and only Americans. Color and grandparents origin did not make any difference. They had a very similar out take in life, same way of thinking, education, values. But of course mine was a small sample of people and I may be very wrong! Please do not get offended but to many of us you are all very USA people with nothing of European. Maybe for Americans from other continents it is different?

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Hime
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This always gets my mother going. My grandmother came over from Mexico when she was 16. She did not pass on any culture, religious beliefs, or language from her origins. She instead adopted all American ideals, culture, and nothing but English was spoken in her home unless her mother or sisters came to visit. When my mother confronted her about this lack of passing on her culture/beliefs/language my grandmother said, I came to America to be an American and that's what I did. I researched my genealogy with my aunt but it was all done out of fun and curiosity. Neither one of us really did anything with it but sit at the table and drink too much while laughing about our wild speculations as to why some of the ancestors had soooo many kids. Good times had by many I suppose.

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Mir Adwari
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sounds sensible!! I think it's great to be curious about culture and heritage - just why claim to be something that got left behind (and probably for a reason).

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Brenda
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Morgan Freeman said he isn't an African American - he's simply an American. That's what we all are

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Anjelika
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Through my mothers side I have Jewish Turkish and Greek ancestry even though it makes me interested in their culture history etc I don't identify by that nationality its kind of weird when people do that 😅

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Mattewis88
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm a white African, my family has been here since the 1700s. The German in me has been diluted - nothing left.

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Leodavinci
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ever watch "Finding Your Roots"? Most Americans are mutts regardless of what they think their ethnicity is.

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Pezor Zass
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Aren't they always talking about heritage, not nationality? I mean, nobody thinks that they're German American, therefore they are also a citizen of Germany. They're talking about the culture they grew up in, which is a blend of birth country and heritage. To say that i'm Canadian because i was born in Canada and therefore have the same culture as my Haitian Canadian neighbours is silly. We share some culture, but other parts are very different.

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Carrie Laughs
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, and heritage is not nationality. It is culture and custom. Saying you are Irish-American is claiming two nationalities and that might be true for some who do have dual nationality of course. They have the right to say that and are a distinct group. If someone wanted to move to Ireland and claim citizenship there are strict rules to follow. You couldn't just go there and say I'm Irish based on any distant relative. You would have to prove that ancestry was recent enough and THEN make an application requesting to be granted citizenship. So unless you have a dual passport and can move freely between the two, you can't claim to be Irish-American. It is a legal distinction. You can of course say you are American with Irish Ancestry. Keeping the customs from that heritage isn't what people are disputing or bothered about.

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Just saying
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

By making a distinction between American (I presume meaning white) and African/Asian American, aren't you putting an additional psychological barrier to belonging in?

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Tom Spade
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I understand your point. But the Romanian runs thick in me, and our family is well aware of our heritage, and our last name is rare and originated in what is now county Alba in Romania. We definitely don't claim to be Romanian/American as we were not born there, but our ties still exist, our surname is our right to claim descent.

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Dill
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't think anyone should have a problem with that. I think people have every right to be proud of their heritage. To keep their customs and culture if they so wish. Officially, we tend to belong to the country we are born in and that's an inescapable fact.

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Got Myself 4 Dwarves
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've never understood this myself - I was born in Scotland to Scottish parents with Scottish grandparents, I'm Scottish - technically my mother was also Canadian as she was born there and has dual nationality - but I don't consider myself Canadian in the slightest. Neither does mum really, she's a Scottish person who happened to be born there when her parents had an extended stay over there for a few years. Anytime I talk to an American I get the my great great granny twice removed's aunties, cousins pet fish was from Scotland so I've got Scottish heritage - then the accents start - oh dear lord please stop that! Oh and the do you know the "Mackenzie's" -thats their clan - just stop! Maybe it's the lack of history and roots for white Americans - all their ancestors came from elsewhere and at most it's just a few generations removed - maybe in the next few generations it'll stop being such a big thing to them?

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Starbelly Eleven
Community Member
2 years ago

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Don't take your ancestry for granted. You said yourself "I was born in Scotland to Scottish parents with Scottish grandparents, I'm Scottish," lucky you! Americans are seeking that connection because America itself is an amalgamation of many, many cultures. We want to feel connected to something, so instead of being a b!tch about it, how about talking to that person with a little Scottish in their background? Maybe share something with them? Really, you don't realize how lucky you are.

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Chris B
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In Great Britain it seems to almost be the opposite - second generation immigrant families are British.

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Gary's Mind
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love to study my heritage, and talking to people about theirs. But, I never claim that as my nationality. When we lived in the US, my German wife was still German. I have been in Germany for about 20 years, I'm still American. And, as for my heritage, my ancestors on both sides of my father and one side of my mother came to the British colonies in the 1600s so I'm as American as you can get outside of being Native, my mothers grandfather is the exception, coming from England in the early 1900's.

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Clark
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've never understood this. Eileen Gu was born in America, raised in America and trained in America but is representing China. Andy Ruiz Jr., knocked out Anthony Joshua and was applauded for being the first Mexican heavyweight boxer. Dude was born in America, raised in America and other than starting his amateur career in Mexico, he trained in America. I don't get this "I'm Irish," because grandma is from Ireland. I don't always like what America does, and we have a dark past, but I'm proud to be an American, and anyone should be proud of their nation of birth.

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Joey Marlin
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hear, hear. Though, don't feel bad about the dark past. Most countries have them and it is not the fault of the people today. We can only do our own best.

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Carbon Buildup
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you are born in a country, that is what you are. If born in the USA, you're American! Accept it and be proud!

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GaeFrog
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah everyone is 3 percent Italian it doesn't make you special karen

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Izzy Curer
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I really don't understand the hatred for this. Among other americans, the terminology doesn't come across as saying you're literally from those places. It's a paraphrase for 'of x heritage'. For one thing, groups of immigrants brought their cultures to America, where it had a large impact on different regions even as it became something distinct from its country of origin. The Pennsylvania Dutch are an example of this. Irish is actually another good example. Irish Americans, who were usually Catholic, had distinctive red hair, lots of children, etc, were heavily descriminated against in early America. I've even heard it put that they were basically the 'black people' of their time, meaning that they were a minority with fewer socio-economic opportunities, and that they were quite literally not counted as 'white' by the protestant majority. So, knowing where your great grandparents lived and what race they were gives people a better understanding of what their lives were like IN AMERICA. Record keeping was poor and photos were not always available. Some Americans are not close with their families, and in a large country where everybody is just sort of the same without any real culture, I imagine being able to tie themselves to their heritage gives them some sense of belonging. I remember when my grandma got really into researching her family's history because she didn't know much about who they were. If it makes someone happy and it's not bothering you in anyway, being annoyed by it honestly just makes you sound like a jerk.

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Random person
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What if your parents are from [country], and you've been to [country], still have ties to family in [country], celebrate traditions specific to [country], and other similar stuff, then is it okay to call yourself [country]-american?

joeymarlin avatar
Joey Marlin
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You were born in that country so, officially, you will be of that country. I personally think there is little wrong with saying you are [country] American when you are the first generation born but if you had children? Not so much. Then you say our ancestry is xxxx. Just my opinion though!

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j_m m_j
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

history lesson time......according to you, if born in say Germany or France or wherever then you're a German or Frenchman or etc......I absolutely guarantee you that somewhere on the history there are ancestors from different countries, or nationalities that mame up the Heritage, you're exactly like Americans, , whether you like it or not n.btw, you'd be surprised to know that allot of Americans are.Irish, German or whatever bc alum of their.ancestors cave from the same country, no-one is a pure bred anything, only the f*****g Germans thought they were the master race, the world corrected that

joeymarlin avatar
Joey Marlin
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's the point they are making though. That we are of the country we are born in and our ancestry may well be anything. People born in the US are Americans with Irish, Dutch etc ancestry. My ancestry is from many places. I am officially of the country I was born in regardless.

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Mark Savoie
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I was in a tour group a few years ago. There was a man born in Romania who hs now a citizen of Israel. To me, he was a Romanian-Israeli. His birthplace and his nationality. There was a couple born in China but now American citizens. I refer to them as Chinese-Americans, and tgeir teo children - born in tbe United States simply as Americans. Same with the woman born in China who us now a Canadian citizen. She is Chinese-Canadian. Her Canada-born son, however, is simply Canadian.

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Nazda Pokmov
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

People do this as they still cling to the racist code of where did you come from?

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v
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The American experiment started falling apart about 30 or so years ago when claiming to be a hyphenated American started becoming just a thing with no validity behind it. By the very nature of it the person claiming it is putting their adopted heritage/culture/identity before their born heritage/culture/identity. Eventually, sometime in the mid-90's, society started believing America is a melting pot of cultures so there is no single American identity. Look where we are now. We're now a country of factions easily turned on one another by a politician or some asinine social media post.

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Lucas
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Many countries are melting pots - stacks of immigrants from many different nations. The people born in those countries will call themselves the nationality of that country - that is what they legally, officially, are. They may still celebrate their cultural heritage but that has no bearing on their nationality.

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Joey Wood
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

American here. We're almost all mongrels over here, my ancestry has Scottish, English, Irish, Dutch, Cherokee and gods knows what else. And if I wanted to get petty, I'm royalty (decended from Robert the Bruce).

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Mir Adwari
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Most people are descended from Royalty - a lot of them f-ucked around like rabbits I'm afraid!

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Jules Marten-Feldmann
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As a Canadian who had lived in Europe for over a decade, I used not get why this bothered people over here, it seemed so normal to me to identify with one's heritage, but now I get it. It's confusing and annoying. "Oh, your Irish! Beautiful country where are you from? What's that? You've never actually been to Ireland?🤨"

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Meghan Elizabeth
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is a dumb one that I see from euros a lot. There's a difference between nationality and ethnicity. When American say that are 'Irish' they mean they are ethnically Irish, not that they are from Ireland. And as this guy writes, when confronted with that they double down with "well you should say that you're an American of Irish Heritage". Broski, you already understand that what they're saying your just being salty because you don't like the fact that there are more people of "Irish Heritage' in America than there are in Ireland. And wow, a country of immigrants talks about where their ancestors came from more than countries with stable ethnicities. What a shocker.

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Ralph Watkins
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In the meantime when I meet tourists & immigrants to the US many of them will ask me where my family came from. My DNA results tell me I am one percent Sardinian. That confuses them since most of my DNA is very northern European. (UK & Ukraine).

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Marnie
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

American of Irish descent. That pretty much covers it.

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Theresa Walker
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have similar issues with these kinds of attitudes. I see things this way....If you were born in and of African parents and you moved to and became citizens of the USA, THEN you have the right to call yourself an African-American. However, it should be noted that Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, and many others -Are- In Africa. THEY would also have the right to call themselves Aftrican-American. Ask yourselves this....Would 'God' care what we call ourselves and each other? No? Then why should I? As for me? I am a Human Being; THAT is my race. I am American; THAT is my ethnicity. And, I am a child of God. Why would I want to be anything else except being a better person than what I was yesterday.

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Artchangel
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I learned pretty quick it was a lot safer to say I was Canadian than from the US when traveling alone as a woman in Mexico. So safety says otherwise.

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RoseAnne Hutchence
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I always find it interesting to hear about people's cultural backgrounds and some of the traditions they continue to honour. Favourite family recipes are a good example, as are dances, handicrafts, special occasions .... Our family history is important in the bigger context (mass migration from various countries for any number of reasons) as well as the day-to-day, and help define us (to ourselves, if no one else).

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Cass Malone
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Naw cuz see my Grandmother and Mom are from Germany, therefore I AM GERMAN! Also it's called a bloodline. The only true Americans are the ones that were here before Columbus got lost.

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backatya
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

First they are proud of their heritage. Next most people want to know what their heritage is so they say it along with American. Since American is not a real heritage

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Birma Gustafsson
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The African American label, to be honest, has a rather special origin though. The Africans who were transported as slaves to America were not asked if they wanted to become American, they were just there as possessions and labourers. That an African American calls themselves that is up to themselves, and how their feelings are about their own heritage. And I think we're all interested in our own backgrounds, to see how our ancestry has migrated through the ages and the geography, and I think we can all agree that no matter where we've been during our human adventure, we all started out in Africa.

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Riley Quinn
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The US government actually enforces this ridiculous "nationality" bs via the Census. You're asked what nationality, and if you answer as I did, American, then expect a lot of hemming/hawing and dead air. Why? American isn't offered as a response.

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Christopher Kopperman
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's an interesting hold over to the rampant racism in America. It used to be very very important to know what kind of American you were. Now people take pride in this tribalistic BS while at the same time they claim to be against racism. You can't keep perpetuating that humans can be split up into different groups by physicality or ethnicity and claim you aren't racist. That is the original definition.

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Melissa Powell
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My husband and I were in France and about to step into a cathedral and a priest came out. He asked if we spoke English and we said yes. He asked if we were Americans and we said yes and he said you speak American.

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malenchki
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah I have a friend like that. She says she's Australian because her great aunts cousins sister lives there or some s**t and then does Australian accents and says that she can't help it because she's part Australian (she has never been too australia either)

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dizasterdeb avatar
Rosie Hamilton
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not the people born there - need to stop treating people based on the actions of their ancestors. Literally not their fault.

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Milan
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I partly disagree. I am Hungarian born Slovak. Born and live my whole life in Slovakia. My mother tongue is Hungarian, at home we speak Hungarian. Studied Slovak schools though (even we have Hungarian schools in Slovakia). My official nationality is Hungarian, but i have Slovak citizenship (here in Slovakia you can define your nationality how YOU feel/want). I have a remote heritage also in Hungary. So by my opinion yes! you can choose your nationality how you want for f*ck sake! ☺️

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Alex Luiz
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But that's different - you actually speak Hungarian at home, your official nationality is Hungarian. It's not like Irish Americans speak Irish at home and have Irish passports.

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Thomas Sweda
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I’m an American, and I agree, but ! Remember, many Americans still have, or remember, family members that were born in another country. Conversely, how far back would most Europeans, or English, etc. have to go to find an ancestor who was born somewhere else? Or even know that they had “foreign”ancestors?

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Alex Luiz
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But the point is that we don't claim to be Irish because we had one Irish grandad who died before we were born! If that were the case I could out-Irish any Irish-American, but an actual Irish person would be horrified at me making that claim because I didn't grow up in Ireland, and while I have a basic understanding of British history I have not experienced what it is to be an Irish person! And neither have 'irish' Americans!

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Kai David
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Culture Clubs used to be prevelent back in the day. Grandparents belonged to the German American club. Parent's belonged and we belonged. We spoke the language, etc. But by my generation, fewer of us spoke the language and after the grandparents paßed on, it was no longer an obligation to be a member. My kids speak the language because we still have a home in Berlin and travel there often. My generation and my kids generation are completely americanized.

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Ireland Cook
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is a genuine question for someone not from America to answer because I'm confused now hahah What if my great great grandparents were both from Switzerland? I never met them but their son (my great grandpa) died when I was 13. I visited him every Sunday, he spoke fluent German, (I speak broken German and continue to learn). I've celebrated Swiss holidays, eat and make Swiss/German food, and know both Swiss and German Folklore and cultural norms. However I have never been to Switzerland, and only been to the Berlin airport. Am I no longer allowed to say I am Swiss because I was born in America?

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Dill
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What does it say on your passport? It's the officials that tend to have the real say on this matter after all! Born in America you are, according to the laws of your country, American. Or am I about to learn that the US happily labels its passports Swiss-American etc? You do have swiss heritage. That's something you should enjoy and celebrate.

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Tenacious Squirrel
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is the same to some extent in Australia. It is bizarre to me (as a European, from Europe).

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Laura Silverstein
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My mom and her entire side of the family is Hungarian…born there, lived there, etc. however I was born here (USA) and lived here my whole life…heritage-wise I’m Jewish so I’d be a Jewish American. Nationality abs heritage can also be different from each other

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Gin
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Isn't this fundamentally different though. Being Jewish is a faith and your ancestry. You aren't claiming to be Hungarian American, which would tally with this post. There are Jewish people in other countries who would describe themselves as 'Jewish *country*'. Absolutely nationality and heritage can be different, that's largely the issue. The confusion of culture and nationality that is going on in the comments. Culture, customs and so forth can be passed on down the generations and people should keep these things alive. However, nationality is where you are born and live. That can change of course, people do move permanently to other countries and nationalise there but, again, that's not really what people are talking about here. Hope that makes sense 😕

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MyOpinionHasBeenServed
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I find this unfair. My family still practices and embraces our heritage but we know our nationality is Canadian. That doesn't make our bloodline any different. Having only one known ancestor being Indigenous doesn't count as claiming to be fully Canadian and stripping all of our other cultures. I'm not saying we get married with full traditional wedding garb, but we technically could, or that we're Ukrainian or Irish like we came from those lands. We, or at least I, will say it like "Well, my mom's side is x and y, my dad's side is z. I'm third generation on that side and about 4th generation on the other side". I know it's a longer explanation but when people ask.... I have had grandparents very much practice and observe the cultures and traditions of their parents, and they would like those traditions and cultures passed down through the family tree. I don't see what is so wrong with that.

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Lucas
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Literally no-one is saying there is anything wrong with practicing and embracing heritage. That is not nationality. You can celebrate and retain the culture of your ancestors. That's lovely, not a problem. Calling yourself the nationality of a country you were not born in, never lived in, don't intend to live in - that's the issue. You don't have dual nationality - though some people do and they can use both. Those who ARE of those countries find people saying eg 'Irish-American' generally find it offensive, it's claiming to be something you are not. What does it say on your passport? THAT is your nationality. Explaining your ancestry can be a detailed affair and that's okay - for most of us it's longer than a couple of words. Culture and nationality are different.

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Mckyla Earl
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I can't say for others, but for me I think my desire to claim heritage stems from my love of history. America is a fairly new country, and a hodge podge one at that. I'm not even sure what our culture is. Capitalism? Glorifying war and the military? Hollywood? A country of opportunities and colonized for religious freedom? Our history is basically genocide of the Native Americans. Europeans have their culture steeped in folklore and history that goes back thousands of years. I don't know. Maybe I romanticize other countries.

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Ren Karlej
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why do people in the US not recognise that mass immigration happens in other countries? Has for centuries and STILL is happening. Culture is not nationality. I don't personally remember 1000s of years of folklore. If I emigrated to another country my roots and ancestry would still remain the same. People in the US can look back at their ancestry and keep customs if they wish. Doesn't alter the nation you are born in and therefore belong to.

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Stephanie Rohweder
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Americans don't have a lot of strong ties to the land itself and we're purely an immigrant country. We like to know where we come from. It's nice for the Europeans to comment that you're all Scottish and Irish and British but you also have thousands of years of history to work with. We don't. We have a couple hundred years at best and in the grand scheme of things, that's a drop in the bucket.

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Frankenfrog
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Here are plenty of second and third and even fourth generation immigrants in various European countries who don't go around identifying themselves as xxx German or xxx Spanish. It's purely a desperate attempt at attention from Americans

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tiktokism
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It’s because we are almost all colonizers who are benefiting from genocide, to put it bluntly. We’re not from here and we know it.

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Remi Flynne
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You were born there though I assume? You, yourself ARE from there regardless of how it came to be. The country has existed for a long time now, nearly 250 years is coming up to TEN generations. Older than quite a few other countries now. Even if you were only 2 or 3 generations in you are still American. You might have strong cultural ties and customs you keep but that is so very different to nationality. People are saying 'it is just a shorthand' way to describe but how lazy do people have to be to struggle with 'i am American with x ancestry?' Particularly as it is often more than one country but two or three. Everyone already knows that Americans WILL have other ancestry after all, it won't be a shock! What Americans forget is that it is often the case for people in Europe to have mixed ancestry too.

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Lulu Lemons
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'd say if you're practicing the culture then its fine, as I know people whos family haven't lived in India for generations but they still consider themselves (area I cant remember) Indian and practice traditions from that area. If you don't practice the traditions I personally don't think you have much of a leg to stand on.

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Rosie Hamilton
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Practising a culture has zero to do with it. You are born in a country and your passport will show you are OF that country. People from India might identify as Sikh, Hindu etc and practice those customs. They could say they are Sikh American etc. They would not be Indian (or area you can't remember) American, but they would have that Ancestry. Certainly after first generation people need to accept that they are the nationality that their Government would insist upon on legal documents. It's reality. That doesn't mean that their culture and customs would cease to be important to them, that's so very different to nationality.

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Ruth Watry
Community Member
2 years ago (edited)

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African American (being replaced with Black) reflects that fact that they many were kidnapped from Africa and forced to come to the US as property - forced to give up their language - their traditions

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Rosie Hamilton
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They are unlikely to have been. I suspect you mean their ancestors!! Still American, just further segregating them still today.

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Shaista Afridi 🇦🇫
Community Member
2 years ago

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i disagree with this; im british but i have afghan, pakistani, kazakh and tajik anscestors and i dont whitewash myself and call myself just british cos that's kinda erasing my heratige. just cos u have one anscestor with that heratige, that doesnt mean their blood magically disappears

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Alex Bailey
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

British doesn't = white. What gave you the idea that it would whitewash anyone? Besides heritage is NOT nationality. You explained it here "I'm British with afghan, pakistani, kazakh and tajik anscestors" (sic) and people understand it perfectly. You didn't say I'm Afghan-Pakistani-Kazakh-Tajik-British. THAT would be ridiculous.

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Angel
Community Member
2 years ago

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If it's socially acceptable for people to identify as basically whatever they want now, then why cant people identify as whatever ehnicity that their ancestors were? It makes more sense to me because ancestry is a fact and in a persons dna. Why does anyone even get offended about this?

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Gin
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Read the answers - there are plenty of explanations. Those nations own those nationalities.

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Dani Alexander
Community Member
2 years ago

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Personally for me, it’s how connected with the culture you are. I was born in Australia (my mum was my dad wasnt) but I am very very arab. I speak the language fluently, I know it’s history, I eat it’s foods and follow it’s culture and religions and have load of family over there. I am so involved so I think myself Australian but I am dominantly (my country) so for me, if you claim to be from that country but know nothing about it and it doesn’t affect your life and values, then it doesn’t matter

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purple zebra
Community Member
2 years ago

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Since barring those from Native American backgrounds, everyone else’s family came from somewhere other than America we hold onto those other nationalities. It would be too cumbersome to constantly say, second generational American from such and such original nationality so we just use the original nationality. Otherwise we would be saying we descend from native Americans which would be incorrect for those who do not have that ancestral lineage.

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Gin
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But not wrong to say 'I'm American'. You are born in America. It would say American on your passport. You can hold onto the HERITAGE but you are not the nationality. You don't have to explain the 'second generational' aspect - certainly wouldn't be apparent from saying the 'original' plus current nationality eg Irish-American anyway (so not sure why that got included). Also, there ARE going to be genuine Irish-American's - people who emigrate in this generation, people who have dual nationality. So it would be incorrect when considering people who DO have that current right to use those terms. You would be American with Irish Ancestry - and if you seriously find that two long to say then that's laziness beyond belief. You don't own the nationality, it's your heritage. Stop offending those nations - they actually DO mind.

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Elizabeth Amador
Community Member
2 years ago

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There's no threat to Americanism for people to embrace more than one culture. Knowing about a person's two cultures helps us understand that they might look at something differently than someone who's only American. An American who's family has been here for at least 3 generations has cultural differences with recent American immigrants. Is English their second language? Are they accustomed to certain foods? Do they feel differently about how respect is demonstrated? Do they celebrate any different holidays? Do they have different social etiquette norms? I will always take my shoes off if I'm going into my Vietnamese friends' house. I won't serve pork to my Muslim friends. If a Mexican friend invites me to a party even though I don't know the host it's fine. Just bring food. I need to dress more conservatively and formally than my norm when going to a Coptic Christian church. My South Sudanese friends have gone through so much in their lives before they came here as refugees. On and on

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shodokai
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2 years ago

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whew... at least you're not bitter about it.

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Banjocricket
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2 years ago

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What a strange thing to work yourself up over.

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Beck
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2 years ago

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I guess it is because our roots are not that deep yet. My grandfather came from poland as a baby in the 30s. Our country is still new so its is hard to have deep american roots unless you are native American.

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Barbara
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am Italian and my country is around 150 years old. We have a lot of history, but not as one united country. I think your country it is not that young any more.

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Tracy Wallick
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2 years ago

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When we say we're Irish, German, etc., in the US that's just verbal shorthand for saying "of X descent" or "X-American". In fact, unless you say you're FROM said country, we're going to assume you mean that you're referring to descent.

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Remi Flynne
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What about people with dual nationality who can legitimately claim to be German-American? They then have to give a longer explanation when they are literally German-American and all the others are not. They can't say I am from Germany if they aren't. The only Americans who can say they are from Germany would be people who have emigrated and naturalised or the dual national who was born there but, that won't always be the case. These categories actually exist and it ends up making life more difficult for those groups when explaining who they are. So verbal shorthand is actually inaccurate, confusing and a poor excuse. Hardly a hardship to say American with German ancestry.

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Susun Wilson
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2 years ago

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I've identified as 1/4 Norwegian, born American, I've met many relatives from Norway & my family upholds & partakes in many Norwegian traditions I was raised with. How is that wrong?

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Liam Walsh
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You can identify your heritage and celebrate it, that's not wrong. Not a single person has said it is. However, it doesn't alter your nationality. If you are born in America you are American. You may have Norwegian heritage but countries don't put that on passports. Nationality is a legal status.

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Daniel Marsh
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2 years ago

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You're way too upset with this nonsense. "American of Irish extraction" takes too long to say. Saying such things is common in areas of high recent immigration; the "Murkin" trope evolved PRECISELY because Americans DO quit tracing extraction after a few generations.

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AmericaHomeofTheNotFree
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2 years ago (edited)

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It's because Americans have no history to be proud of or much history at all so we steal it from other cultures.

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NsG
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2 years ago

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It's because the US is such a melting pot of cultures that it seems to tip so far in that direction.

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Kendra Miller
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2 years ago

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My parents say we are Irish Canadian. They are both 3rd generation Canadian. They have no ties to Europe at all besides genetically. It's especially weird because we were only there between getting chased out of England because we supported the wrong king and the great famine. When asked I like to say my heritage is a European mutt but I am 100% Canadian. BUT I don't devalue people who say they are both. Some people's lives and identities have been shaped by that other culture. To refer to themselves as both is a way of paying homage to their own history.

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September
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2 years ago

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I've said this before: Come now u/Flagllll, it's only been a couple hundred years. We still have boxes to unpack 😉 I identify as, Irish-American. I do so for two reasons. 1. My people come from Ireland. They migrated to the United States in 1934, where they mostly worked as farm labor until my mother's generation. My mother being the first in the family to get a university degree. 2. People do identify their heritage and roots by saying "Nationality-American" and it gets tiresome in the current political environment to hear people tell me they are African-American, Mexican-American, Chinese-American, etc, etc but you're White. Why do they get roots and I have to be a color? I'm not White, I'm Irish-American and if anyone doesn't like that they can GFY. I have been to Ireland several times and have been learning Irish Galic through DuoLingo. Not that either of those facts matter.

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M
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So basically you don't want to be called just "white" inside America so you claim to be affiliated with a culture you know nothing about. Interesting. I mean I have a great-great-great ancestor from Greece and enjoy the occasional gyros so maybe I should learn Greek on Duolingo and call myself Greek-Romanian. Sounds way cooler. But wait, my grandma was Hungarian and I live in Norway so maybe it could be Greek-Hungarian-Norwegian-Romanian. Oh but my grandma was actually half Austrian half Hungarian despite being born in Hungary so perhaps Greek-Hungarian-Austrian-Norwegian-Romanian would be best? Help me out guys, what should I do?

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Peter Korsten
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2 years ago

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Rather than criticising it, perhaps you should try to understand why they do it. Sometimes I see an American with a Dutch last name, and I think "hey, looks like they're of Dutch heritage." And so we have something in common. It doesn't mean they'll be waving the Dutch tricolour, or singing the Dutch national anthem.

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Gin
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That works both ways. Maybe people should try and understand why it's offensive to the people of those nations. Americans have explained it and explained it and we have read those explanations here in these comments and many times before. However, we STILL don't agree that it's an accurate way for people to describe their nationality. With good reason - they don't have any current claim to to those countries. They don't vote or have anything to do with the running of them. It's a claim to something that isn't theirs. No-one is trying to deny these people their heritage. They aren't trying to deny their ancestry. You can have Dutch heritage and follow the culture. However, your nationality is a different matter, it's a legal status. Nationality can be changed of course. You can move to another country and be nationalised, but that is a process. It is not about someone pointing to a long dead relative and still following the customs of a never-lived-in land.

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Starbelly Eleven
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2 years ago

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I keep having to explain this. A lot of Americans still observe and celebrate cultural practices from somewhere else, even a few generations later. We still have recipes our great grandmothers brought from Europe, cultural art that we've been taught to create by our grandmothers, music we dance to, etc. We were born in America but our families came from places where our history goes back a millennium. Yes, we could say, "I'm an American with Irish heritage," but in America, we all understand that our ancestry is from somewhere else and we like to share that with our friends. Qualifying the difference isn't necessary, it's understood. Don't like it? Don't f*****g talk to Americans.

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Charlie Taube
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2 years ago

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I agree, my great great grandmother grew up in Sweden, I am Swedish-American, not Swedish.

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Sue Grigg
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2 years ago

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What an absolutely dumb thing to be outraged about. I'll just leave it at that.

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Liam Walsh
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's okay!! Obviously Americans won't mind being told that they shouldn't keep saying their heritage is the same thing as their nationality then. It isn't, they are American of whatever ancestry. However it is a dumb thing that isn't worth being outraged about.

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Cath poop
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2 years ago

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Why do people care about this so much? This is just part of American culture, I remember being a little kid in school and the teacher asking everyone what their nationality was. It's something we're taught to care about from a young age, give us a break.

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Chris Jones
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Give YOU a BREAK? FFS! What makes Americans so special that we should give you a break? Of course other countries care, they have a strong national identity and it is theirs. We hear USA, USA enough and clearly it's strong enough when you want it to be. You can have and share the heritage absolutely, but not the nationality. You are American. "My teacher asking everyone" is up there with the least relevant reason. Stop muddling heritage and nationality.

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#35

Do You Encounter People Driving Like That ?

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Devil's Advocate
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well this is obvious, it also applies to many of the "50 years of driving and no accidents" type people... Yes Mrs Miggins, but only because everyone has done such a good job of avoiding your ass

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#36

Do You Think This Is True ?

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Nat Rich
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Currently laid on my bed, contorting myself around 3 dogs and wouldn't have it any other way.

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#37

Thoughts? 🤔
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Becky Moore
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I swear a lot, but it's very very rarely AT someone. I'm not doing it to offend people, it just comes out :P

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#38

Did You Ever Wear The Same Piece Of Clothing For 3 Days Straight ?

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Devil's Advocate
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Jeans and hoodies get washed maybe once a month (or three) unless something has got on them. You don't need to smell like washing powder, and constantly washing everything is bad for you, your clothes, your bank account, and the planet. End of discussion, downvote me all you like I think you know by now I don't give a s**t.

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#39

Thoughts?
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Ember
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My husband and I have slept in separate rooms for over 10 years (due to his loud snoring keeping me awake). We are very happy together and have no real problems in our relationship - we just both like a decent night sleep. People assume that we aren’t intimate and/or that our whole relationship is falling apart, which couldn’t be further from the truth.

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#42

Fr
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J. F.
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is probably the reason why Adblockers are a necessity nowadays

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#43

Nah I Like The Ones Without More
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NsG
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And accessable. Don't forget, these tech companies are potentially alienating swathes of their target market who are missing limbs, have neurological issues that preclude motion detection, etc.

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#44

What Do You Prefer ?

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Walter Brameld
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yup. I've been a passenger while the driver just drove around and around waiting for one of the "good" spots to become available. Finally I said, "If we had just parked in one of the far spots right away, we would have been inside the store by now."

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#45

Do You Know People Who Say This Often ?

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Veronica Sjöberg
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Urgh. My ex-husband used to say that all the time especially during arguments. "No one cares" or "no one feel that way". Well, I do. You can't decide on what to care about or feel based on your feelings and use that as the only truth. Blah.

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#46

Sounds Fun
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section And Having It #funnymemes In The Massive Increase In The #explorepage And  Allow #instagram And
creates A Larger #explore # To Be Enhanced By #meme And Other #redditstories To Be In The #subreddit Of All Questions And #redditmemes #questionsandanswers Required In #dailymemes For Questions And #answers Of All Things.
#redditphotography #redditmemesdaily #redditmemes #redditanalog #redditrepost #redditstreetwear #redditmeme #redditpost #redditposts  #redditch #redditstories

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Mattewis88
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They say money doesn't buy happiness, but I think this is it...this is the happiness money can buy.

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#48

Thoughts?
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section And Having It #funnymemes In The Massive Increase In The #explorepage And  Allow #instagram And
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#opinion #unpopularopinion #tesla #car #electriccar #electriccars #vehicle #environment

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The Penguin Bandit
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I feel like the human approach to "what to do with the waste/recycling of electric vehicles" will (and probably is) treated similar to the problem of what to do with nuclear waste, and unfortunately, our approach seems to be to sweep it under the rug and let future generations figure it out.

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#50

Do You Think This Is A Good Reason To Do That ?

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