Hyphenated American

The term hyphenated American is an epithet from the late 19th century to refer to Americans who consider themselves of a distinct cultural origin other the United States, and who claims to hold allegiance to both.

Hyphenated American Identities

Most usage experts recommend dropping the hyphen because it implies to some people dual nationalism and inability to be accepted as truly American. The Japanese American Citizens League is supportive of dropping the hyphen because the non-hyphenated form uses their ancestral origin as an adjective for "American."

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By contrast other groups have embraced the hyphen arguing that the American identity is compatible with alternative identities and that the mixture of identities within the United States strengthens the nation rather than weakens it.

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'European American,' as opposed to White, Caucasian, or Non-Hispanic White, has been coined in response to the increasing racial and ethnic diversity of the U.S., as well as to this diversity moving more into the mainstream of the society in the latter half of the 20th century. The term distinguishes whites of European ancestry from those peoples of Middle Eastern or North African descent. It is also meant to discourage a dichotomous view of the racial landscape, in which "Whites" are conceived as separate from the rest of the racial groups, which have hyphenated terms denoting ancestry.

Related Topics:
European American - Caucasian - Diversity - Dichotomous - Racial - Racial groups - Ancestry

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