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If you were born in America and your passport is American, you are an American. What does Tiger Woods say these days? I am Asian-African-American? African-Asian-American? American-African? Lets not complicate the issue. Tiger Woods is an American.

My grandparents came from Italy and my name is seldom pronounced correctly, but my parents are American. I am an American. I have pride in my Italian-bloodline and inspired-heritage, but I never go to Italy and say I am Italian-American. They would first ask me where I was born in Italy, before moving to America. Hmmm! I then have to go into the entire immigration story from day one. Unnecessary redundancy. Italians have many Romanian and Albanian Immigrants. The children born in Italy are Italian! They are absorbed into the Italian language, culture, politics, education, although they are descendants from other lands.

Quite frankly, anyone can define themselves as anything, but I am calling you an American, if you were born in America. At least, be proud to use American, before the hyphen.

The other side of this issue is not so much who call themselves African-American etc, it is people who define other people as color. Just say "American." The problem we still face today is that the word American, usually defines a white person. Not only in our own country, but in the eyes of other countries. Europeans and Asians, in my experiences still think the typical American has blonde hair and blue eyes riding a surfboard. This is not "California dreaming." this is "dreaming!"

Learn more about this author, Salvatore Oliva.
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