Years ago my Dutch mother-in-law asked one of my teaching colleagues from The American School of the Hague the following question:"What are you?"
Henry and his lovely wife were both of Italian descent and had dark hair and olive complexion and had been stopped once or twice at immigration when traveling, according to Henry. As there were over 45 nationalities represented at the international school where we taught, what we were or what country we came from was never an issue.
My MIL had met this particular family before at our son's first birthday some ten years earlier. So now she was ready to ask the big question, "What are you?"
And Henry answered Ma's question just the way I expected he would.
"I am an American."
Henry and his lovely wife were both of Italian descent and had dark hair and olive complexion and had been stopped once or twice at immigration when traveling, according to Henry. As there were over 45 nationalities represented at the international school where we taught, what we were or what country we came from was never an issue.
My MIL had met this particular family before at our son's first birthday some ten years earlier. So now she was ready to ask the big question, "What are you?"
And Henry answered Ma's question just the way I expected he would.
"I am an American."
Hello, Linda
ReplyDeleteI have been absent in the spring of this year, and missed your boyfriend post completely. I'm so sorry, and I apologize.
I don't see Americanus as the name of a separate species; you have separated "us" by type face. Americans reach from the top of Canada to Tierra del Fuego. And all of us scattered around the globe. All of us are Americans, born in America, naturalized citizens, dreamers, people of good will. With all the rest of us, I'm an American.
I fear our status is changing, diminishing. It's up to the rest of us to change that. You have a good day.