I was born in Mainland China, and I feel comfortable using the term “American” to describe myself after I obtained US Citizenship. However if I were to become a citizen of the UK, or Germany, or France, I would not feel comfortable using the term British, German, or French to describe myself. Because those words are not just nationalities, but also ethnicities. Whereas there is no “American” ethnicity, so that’s why I don’t feel weird using the term. Same with “Canadian”, if I were to become a citizen of Canada.

So for people to naturalizes in countries whose demonym is also an ethnicity, do they calle themselves “British”, “German”, French", etc…? Or just “UK Citizen”, “German Citizen”, “French Citizen”?

  • Ziggurat@jlai.lu
    0·
    9 days ago

    if I were to become a citizen of the UK, or Germany, or France, I would not feel comfortable using the term British, German, or French to describe myself. Because those words are not just nationalities, but also ethnicities.

    From a french perspective, What you said about French being a naitonality and a ethnicity sounds pretty racist, like the kind of things that Le Pen thinks but doesn’t dare to say too loud. France bragg a lot about every french citizen is equal and fully french (well we do have racist cunt so it’s not fully true, but it’s not the thing people would claim in public)