I'm basically talking about people that were born here. Your roots? But not those necessarily born here lately. Immigration continues to happen, that's cool BUT we forget that our ancestors were immigrants at one time as well. With the exception of the Aboriginal peoples.

Did they flee famine? Oppression? Bad footwear? For whatever reason our ancestors emigrated here. But people have ties to those roots. Irish, Scots, Italians, Greeks, etc. (I went from west to east there, the Brits go without saying) The same can be said for anyone with a decent family, willing to keep on tradition.

My question is, what happens when a new/old influence gets back into your family? I'm a total mutt. Dad's side of the family- British, French and native. Mom's side? Mom was actually born in England during the war. She's a Brit. Her father on the other hand, my Canadian grandfather, his father fought in WW1, for the Germans before emigrating to Canada.

My point? If your family is old here, it's probably as muttified(trademark pending) as anyone else.

I will star and flag this one. I know how you feel referring to all the fighting about immigrants, from lets be honest...other immigrants, I hope that this get more views I think it would be good therapy for those who want to celebrate their heritage, and maybe this can open up so intellectual dialogue on the matter, of where are you from, and maybe what do you like about you heritage.

I don't know much of my family, but I'm sure that I'm a mut too. I guess besides saying that I'm a free spirit in a human form on a beautiful planet...well.... I'm Puerto Rican, Ive never had a chance to visit P.R, but I hear its beautiful.

So I hope to hear other responses, thanks for the topic, I think this would be a good change of pace.


Peace to you...

The truth is most of us has no pedigree, but are a mix of many nationalities and sometimes races.

I was born in the United States, the third generation on all sides of the family to be born here in America.

Yet even there, I don’t consider myself an American but rather instead just a human being and an earthling.

Most notions of nationality and race all have to do about ego, being superior, and divide and conquer principles.

Yes, ethnic traditions do abound on the individual level, food, clothing, religion, etc, etc, but most often than not most pure ethnics consider that as something that separates them from others, just like most people who subscribe to “I am a Canadian” or “I am a Scotsman” view their national origins in ways that formulate an identity that can be manipulated in times of war, taxation, public service etc.

Where am I from?

The planet earth, and it will probably be a very war torn and violent and harsh planet, until the day that everyone sees and says the same thing.

Starred and flagged.

I haven't heard anyone arguing about immigrants. It's the illegal ones that people argue about. My ancestors immigrated to America legally in the 1700s from England. I'm one of the lucky ones that possesses a family bible (on my father's side) with entries documenting marriages and births from 1683 to present.

I have yet to understand what this idea that we're all immigrants has to do with the debate on illegal immigration.

I have ancestors from all over the place... some of them who were Native Americans ...
does that make me except from the law?

nope





[edit on 2-7-2010 by Zeta Reticulan]

Originally posted by Iamonlyhuman
I haven't heard anyone arguing about immigrants. It's the illegal ones that people argue about. My ancestors immigrated to America legally in the 1700s from England. I'm one of the lucky ones that possesses a family bible (on my father's side) with entries documenting marriages and births from 1683 to present.

I have yet to understand what this idea that we're all immigrants has to do with the debate on illegal immigration.

I agree,

I have not yet met anyone who does not support imigrants.



Maybe those who want to help the illigals in this country

Could sponser some illigals and take them into their homes

and help them become legal citizens.

If you really want to help them, that is.

Mutt here too, and happy with that. I'm glad to not be pink-skinned all my life as my Dad has been. That man cannot tan, he just doesn't have the melenin.

I think sometimes we tend to identify with our ancestral heritage that we romanticize. I know that's true for me. I'm no MORE Scottish than I am of English blood, Caymanian, tad of German and (I think) some Cuban and Trinidadian. For a very long time I've identified with the Scottish. I like it, and it's certainly my prerogative to embrace that fraction of my idealized heritage that I choose, however unrealistic it might be to focus on it to the exclusion of the other fragments.

Highland games are great fun, especially the idiocy of finding yet another way to injure myself in the caber toss, and I also enjoyed wearing a kilt and accoutrements. Now that's entertainment.

I am an American, that is my heritage. to say otherwise would be like calling a cake "eggs" because it is a constituent of the cake. I'm an Earthling. I'm a Milky Waynut.