If you are of European descent…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, that's racism applied to yourself. And worse, if you apply it to others, you would bar any current immigration as well.

As a French multiethnic national living in the US on a visa and hoping to get a green card and citizenship, I utterly reject your premise. Countries NEED immigration. Just not too much too fast, as it creates cultural integration tensions and shortages in public services. But immigration and mixing of cultures is a GOOD thing.

As I mentioned, I am multi-ethnic. What does your reasoning lead to concerning mixed-race people? Do you think they don't belong ANYWHERE?

So. Maybe think a little before you post.

I think you are misreading my post. I’m not saying anyone should feel this way, only that I do.

I feel no connection to this country. I’m fourth generation on both sides, but have no sense of roots here. I know people who trace their family in the US to native tribes that predate colonization, to Spanish families who settled in the western US back when it still belonged to Spain, or when it was Mexico. I know people whose story of belonging in the US is traced to ancestors who were enslaved in the US, which I think makes them deserving of belonging in a way I am not.

I’m not anti-immigration. People should immigrate if the want or need to, I understand the value of immigration.

But I did not choose to immigrate to the US and don’t feel like I have a place here. I wonder if living somewhere that I have deeper roots might offer more belonging on some level, even if it meant learning a new (to me) language and culture.

You are a lonely drama queen. You feel like you don’t have a place here because you aren’t connected to a community. My husband is second generation and I’m third generation American. It’s laughable you think you will “belong more” in a country you don’t speak the language of and didn’t have any exposure to (via a parent or grandparent]. You are crazy or a troll.

I forgot about how if you, personally, have not experienced something, then it must be fake or overblown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, i feel a yearning to return to my ancestors’ land. It’s not guilt but I definitely don’t feel great or proud about being descended from colonizers. I wish my family had maintained Irish citizenship through the generations.

Just move out of Montgomery County. That would be a good start.

I don't live in Montgomery County, or even the east coast. Not sure what your point was here.

[Anonymous]

You sound depressed. Honestly, after years as an expat, I’ve met people who move to be happier. The ones who relocate to be closer to family, or career opportunity, or to be immersed in a language and culture they’ve always loved seem to do well. Then there are the people who relocate because they have a deep-seated notion that this new location is somehow going to make everything better…and they end up miserable. OP, make sure you are actually running to something and not away from something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The country no longer exists. What should I do?

The place does.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, i feel a yearning to return to my ancestors’ land. It’s not guilt but I definitely don’t feel great or proud about being descended from colonizers. I wish my family had maintained Irish citizenship through the generations.

Well if it makes you feel any better the Irish were not “colonizers”.

All European settlers/immigrants in the US are "colonizers" in the sense that they have created and maintain a colony of white people here that displaced and oppressed native populations. You can be a colonizer without being in charge of the place being colonized. Europeans came to the US and took over and are still basically in charge. And imposed their language and culture. That's colonization.

How were the Irish colonizers in this way, where the Chinese were not?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, i feel a yearning to return to my ancestors’ land. It’s not guilt but I definitely don’t feel great or proud about being descended from colonizers. I wish my family had maintained Irish citizenship through the generations.

Well if it makes you feel any better the Irish were not “colonizers”.

Mine were, on one side.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, i feel a yearning to return to my ancestors’ land. It’s not guilt but I definitely don’t feel great or proud about being descended from colonizers. I wish my family had maintained Irish citizenship through the generations.

Well if it makes you feel any better the Irish were not “colonizers”.

Mine were, on one side.

Good for them! Brave souls to come to a new land and live long enough to have kids (many died).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So don't own slaves or colonize other countries. See how easy it is to take responsibility for you own actions? Frankly, I applaud my Scandinavian ancestors for finding a better life here.

OP said that her ancestors came here on a whim. I know the famine and brutality that my ancestors fled from when the came here, so yes, I think they made a good choice - but OP's ancestors were just bored and decided to cross an ocean because they liked the weather. She doesn't have any reason to respect any decisions that her ancestors might have made - so she's unhappy.

She really has no idea why they came here. She's projecting her political views on dead people. Shameful.

[Anonymous]

No

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, i feel a yearning to return to my ancestors’ land. It’s not guilt but I definitely don’t feel great or proud about being descended from colonizers. I wish my family had maintained Irish citizenship through the generations.

Well if it makes you feel any better the Irish were not “colonizers”.

All European settlers/immigrants in the US are "colonizers" in the sense that they have created and maintain a colony of white people here that displaced and oppressed native populations. You can be a colonizer without being in charge of the place being colonized. Europeans came to the US and took over and are still basically in charge. And imposed their language and culture. That's colonization.

How were the Irish colonizers in this way, where the Chinese were not?

They were white people moving to a white colony where people spoke the language of their homeland. Yes, the Irish did experience discrimination in the US at one point, but the white people who ran the country realized that if they just decided white people were "one of them", then they could ensure Irish immigrants would side with the white government and against, say, black people arguing for civil rights.

There is no Chinese colony in North America. The Chinese never used force to conquer the US, nor did they install a government that gave people of Chinese descent rights and privileges that other people did not have. You can't be a Chinese colonizer in the US. Only white people are colonizers in the US.

(I am a white person.)

[Anonymous]

I don't feel that way but it's completely valid!

And something interesting to think about is that while present-day Germans and Norwegians may not welcome you with open arms, what would your ancestors think? They'd probably be happy to welcome their descendants home.

[Anonymous]

There isn’t room in Europe for all of the white Americans to move there, so this idea is ridiculous. It’s also difficult to really fit in there as an American, even if you’re white.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, i feel a yearning to return to my ancestors’ land. It’s not guilt but I definitely don’t feel great or proud about being descended from colonizers. I wish my family had maintained Irish citizenship through the generations.

Well if it makes you feel any better the Irish were not “colonizers”.

All European settlers/immigrants in the US are "colonizers" in the sense that they have created and maintain a colony of white people here that displaced and oppressed native populations. You can be a colonizer without being in charge of the place being colonized. Europeans came to the US and took over and are still basically in charge. And imposed their language and culture. That's colonization.

How were the Irish colonizers in this way, where the Chinese were not?

They were white people moving to a white colony where people spoke the language of their homeland. Yes, the Irish did experience discrimination in the US at one point, but the white people who ran the country realized that if they just decided white people were "one of them", then they could ensure Irish immigrants would side with the white government and against, say, black people arguing for civil rights.

There is no Chinese colony in North America. The Chinese never used force to conquer the US, nor did they install a government that gave people of Chinese descent rights and privileges that other people did not have. You can't be a Chinese colonizer in the US. Only white people are colonizers in the US.

(I am a white person.)

We can tell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, i feel a yearning to return to my ancestors’ land. It’s not guilt but I definitely don’t feel great or proud about being descended from colonizers. I wish my family had maintained Irish citizenship through the generations.

how far back? Ireland is pretty generous with their citizenship. It's great to have dual citizenship. My spouse and kids are dual citizens of the UK. I would be able to get it if I lived there for like 3 or 4 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, i feel a yearning to return to my ancestors’ land. It’s not guilt but I definitely don’t feel great or proud about being descended from colonizers. I wish my family had maintained Irish citizenship through the generations.

Well if it makes you feel any better the Irish were not “colonizers”.

All European settlers/immigrants in the US are "colonizers" in the sense that they have created and maintain a colony of white people here that displaced and oppressed native populations. You can be a colonizer without being in charge of the place being colonized. Europeans came to the US and took over and are still basically in charge. And imposed their language and culture. That's colonization.

How were the Irish colonizers in this way, where the Chinese were not?

They were white people moving to a white colony where people spoke the language of their homeland. Yes, the Irish did experience discrimination in the US at one point, but the white people who ran the country realized that if they just decided white people were "one of them", then they could ensure Irish immigrants would side with the white government and against, say, black people arguing for civil rights.

There is no Chinese colony in North America. The Chinese never used force to conquer the US, nor did they install a government that gave people of Chinese descent rights and privileges that other people did not have. You can't be a Chinese colonizer in the US. Only white people are colonizers in the US.

(I am a white person.)

We can tell.

I can also tell you are white because I don't know any Asian-Americans who would consider Chinese immigrants to be colonizers. They'd be split on whether an Irish immigrant was a colonizer.