I understand the cultural grouping that happens when large migrant communities form. What I don’t understand is why Americans portray themselves as Dutch when coming to the Netherlands. Their customs, language, culture, and nationality are different. They’re not Dutch whatsoever.
Use it to identify yourselves within the USA, that makes sense. Don’t use it to claim being part of a culture that you know nothing about.
What I don’t understand is why Americans portray themselves as Dutch when coming to the Netherlands.
Do they, though? Are there really that many Americans who think or try to pretend they are actually Dutch, instead of Americans who are have Dutch ancestry?
It honestly sounds like they are just trying to connect by sharing a commonality and something that is (probably) important to them in some way. It’s an expression of appreciation. Even if the cultural traditions carried on in the US are different than in the modern-day country–so what? It doesnt make those cultural traditions less important to the people who celebrate them. I fail to understand what is wrong with acknowledging or appreciating where those traditions originated.
Is it just a matter of semantics and an objection to the label itself “(whatever nationality)-American”?
I understand the cultural grouping that happens when large migrant communities form. What I don’t understand is why Americans portray themselves as Dutch when coming to the Netherlands. Their customs, language, culture, and nationality are different. They’re not Dutch whatsoever.
Use it to identify yourselves within the USA, that makes sense. Don’t use it to claim being part of a culture that you know nothing about.
Do they, though? Are there really that many Americans who think or try to pretend they are actually Dutch, instead of Americans who are have Dutch ancestry?
It honestly sounds like they are just trying to connect by sharing a commonality and something that is (probably) important to them in some way. It’s an expression of appreciation. Even if the cultural traditions carried on in the US are different than in the modern-day country–so what? It doesnt make those cultural traditions less important to the people who celebrate them. I fail to understand what is wrong with acknowledging or appreciating where those traditions originated.
Is it just a matter of semantics and an objection to the label itself “(whatever nationality)-American”?