Is American/Canadian considered an ethnic background?

[kris]

Have we progressed enough in these countries to say that we have our own culture, and that it can be an ethnic background?

[Ssom]

I must say....Yes you have............You are far different from any other European-based culture

[replicant_008]

That's what bugs me about census forms - they ask NZ European? Nope. NZ Maori? Nope.

I definitely ain't European but there's no where to simply put down that I am a New Zealander. Bastards - my family has been here three generations and we still get treated as aliens...

What galls me the most was that the government of the day screwed 300 pounds off my grandfather so he can enter the country with his wife and kids in the 1930s and it takes 70 years to get a measly apology from the government about it - 70 years and we didn't even ask for the money back. Do you have any idea how much 300 pounds took to earn for a migrant who spoke no English or what it would have purchased in 1930?

Never mind that both my grandfather and grandmother lived here more than half their lives, they never got to vote, never got to become citizens and couldn't leave the country without a re-entry permit granted before they went and yet paid taxes all their lives here - nope they ended up being buried as foreign nationals in the country they took pride in calling home but never accepted them.

And I couldn't even describe myself as a New Zealander on the census form.

[taranaki]

I'm sorry,but it's impossible to lump such a diverse cultural mix into a single ethnic label...You can't tell me that an Amish,an Irish-American,an African-american ,a French Canadian, A Southerner and a Californian have enough in common to constitute a race.............It would be nice to think that we were all equal as identifiable citizens of our nations,but the reality is that the race boundaries have been diluted to the point of insignificance by mass migration.I choose to call myself a New Zealander,but my children can just as easily choose to identify with their English,Dutch,Maori or Pakeha descent....identification based on racial basis is a throwback to the days when regions kept to their seperate gene pools.It's a feature of the 20th century that should have been left there.

[moondog]

Personally, I tick "other" on the census forms, and write in "Anglo-Celt", which is really what describes where my ancestry lies. The thing that bugs me is that when they say "European" they clearly just mean white, even though some Europeans can be black as night That'd make census/survey people pissed off to see them putting down "European" hehe. Anyway, I wish they'd just be upfront about it, and just have an option that said "white" - if they really care about that.

As a side note, does anyone know how they work out women's "social class"? - remembering that it's 2002, of course.
















They look at their husband's occupation!!!











And if they're not married, it's taken from their father's occupation!!







And it's 2002 and we're all enlightened.

[YogsVR4]

I wouldn't say a diverse mix of people like this as a unique ethnic group. We have built some common culture but thats not the same thing.

[sarujin]

Damn Replicant, I have exactly the same views on the census forms and alot of life in New Zealand.

I see myself as a New Zealand or 'Kiwi'. Yes I'm white, and 2nd Gen European on one side, and about 4th on the other. So that doesn't make me at all european. I was born in NZ, and have never lived anywhere else. So when the government is Racist enough to try and force me into being a diferrent culture/race its incredibly insulting.

I also have a similar ancestor story like you too. My Grandad was a Danish engineer and came over some time in WWII. Of course he would of been possibly a spy working for the Nazis (as danmark had been occupied for quite awhile). So the nz government then doesn't let him live in a house for more then 2 years at a time. Incase hes setting up a spy ring, and do constant random checks on him.

sarujin

[boingo82]

I usually choose "other" or just randomly pick an option whenever asked about race.
Usually they do provide a "Caucasian" check-box but I don't use it because I really hate that word.

I am mostly German (25%) and Bohemian (25%), with the rest random European bits. I happen to be .000000010752688% Native American and an equal part African American, so I figure I can choose any option I want.

I don't think they should be asking anyhow, so why not skew their statistics?

[Murco]

Originally posted by taranaki
I'm sorry,but it's impossible to lump such a diverse cultural mix into a single ethnic label...You can't tell me that an Amish,an Irish-American,an African-american ,a French Canadian, A Southerner and a Californian have enough in common to constitute a race

Well, as long as we continue putting "african, Irish, Italian, native" or anything alse in front the American when identifying ourselves, we will never have a common culture and we will continue to be socially divided. One thing that we seem to do that makes us identifiable when overseas is be obnoxious! I've been in Europe and Asia and been embarassed so many times by fellow Americans blasting-off at the mouth when the "conveniences" of home aren't available. Once, while in England, I overheard a guy from NYC yelling at the hotel desk clerk about how he couldn't find the 7-11 to get a pack of cigarettes at 4am. Another time in Germany I was standing near an American while he made comments about the Germans walking by him at a club. I nearly clocked him myself when a German fellow grabbed him by the facial cheeks and explained to him that Germany's superior educational system made him, and most Germans, learn english.....We need to do better as a country.
Still not comfortable with being lumped in with Canada, though!!
:finger:

[higgimonster]

I would think american culture is the worlds culture. I mean that our nation has taken on many contributions from many other cultures.