> There is nothing, quite literally nothing, that you could say that
> would _approach_ the level of offensiveness of the implication that
> immigrants aren't real Americans.
That isn't what I was implying, and you know it.
I could spend 20 years in america, and I'd never be american, even if I took
citizenship.
> If you think so, then that's the
> symptom of a profound misunderstanding of what it means to be an
> American, or just simple racism.
Lighten up. Stop playing the racism card. This is e-mail. There's no race in
plain text. There certainly isn't from me.
> I was born in the United States. My
> parents were immigrants - and I am what they are, of course. My
> mother would slap you if you told her that she wasn't a real American,
> or that the papers she's published weren't a product of American
> science.
Why would I ever say that to her?
You've just illustrated my point. It's how *you* feel about your identity
that's important.
Now, look at what I wrote again. Then look at AGB's biography again. He
moved to Canada aged 23, then on to the States several years later. Did he
ever take US citizenship? I have no idea. If he didn't, then you're as
guilty of misrepresenting someone's identity as you accused me of being. If
he never took US citizenship, then he was still a Scot. If he did, then fair
enough, he was American *if he would call himself American*.
You're transferring what you feel about citizenship and national identity to
a man who died 80 years ago, and was from a country where you *never*
renounce your nationality. For a comparable situation, look at how many
people claim to be "Irish-American". Just because you don't see yourself as
"Indian-American" doesn't mean that everyone feels the same as you. I was
born in England, my dad in Wales. I feel as Welsh as I do English, and my
red jumper and dragon flag come out whenever Wales play.
I don't think about racism, because I don't think about race. A lot of the
time I don't notice race. You may well have been the target of racism, but
you should damn well know from what I've posted here over the years what I
think of bigotry.
Charlie
