The Eternal Immigrant
Feb 3, 2024 4:38:34 GMT -5
Post by Radrook Admin on Feb 3, 2024 4:38:34 GMT -5
The Eternal Immigrant
No, I am not referring to someone who is constantly immigrating from country to country. I am referring to people who are considered immigrants in some countries regardless of whether they have been born there or not. For example, black Africans people or white Europeans living in East Asian countries are always perceived in that way, regardless of their time of residence.
So it's generally a matter of whether one blends in physically with the general population or not. Now, in the United states, this becomes a bit more complicated because of the variety of people who have established residence here. For example, we have Chinese Americans, Latino Americans, Arab Americans, African Americans and European Americans.
However, blacks are not automatically considered immigrants. Instead, they are assumed to have been part of the history of the USA mainly because of slavery. However, apart from blacks, the expected appearance of an American had been a person of North European appearance, because such persons were the vast majority and still remain the majority.
So anyone deviating from that norm, such as southern Italians, Native Americans, East Asiatic, etc. are usually considered immigrants and the question of "Where are you from?" is one typical reaction.
Yes, such persons are forced to hear that intrusive annoying question their entire lives regardless of whether they were born in the USA or not. In fact, the question is asked even if they speak perfect English, and if they say that they are from one of the States, such as New York, New Jersey, Virginia, or Massachusetts, then the question is immediately followed by
"No! No! No! I mean, originally!"
If they say that they were born in the USA, then the question will be.
"Where are your parents from?"
If they respond that their parents were born in the USA as well: then they ask about ancestry.
"So where were your parents' parents from?"
In short, they are considered an immigrant no matter how much time they have spent in the USA, or even if you were born here. As a consequence of that assumption, you are also imagined to be extremely deficient in understanding and speaking English. They are also assumed to be consuming the food typical of people of the ethnicity which your appearance indicates to them considers popular. They are also assumed to be bilingual, although unable to able to speak the language the language of their parents. My foster kids were like that. Unable to speak Spanish although able to understand it.
As for Latinos who look Mestizo, these are frequently imagined to have illegally crossed the border via the Rio Grande from Mexico, although their family might have been in what is now considered the United States far before the Jamestown colony was established or the Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth Rock on the Mayflower.