No more hyphens.

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

I'd also like to say that when you are talking about a country with as vast an area as the USA or Canada or China, you will frequently find cultural divisions within the same nation that are wider than the divisions between smaller nation-states in parts of Europe or Central America, for example. People in western Washington State who have lived here for a generation or more (west of the cascade mountains) generally have more in common culturally with people in western British Columbia than they do with people in DC or Miami. Similarly, Tibetans and Uighurs have less in common with their "fellow" Chinese than they do with, say, most of Kyrgyzstan.

Red State vs Blue State seems to have a lot to do with this IMO.

[East Coast Hustle]

I dunno about that. WA is a blue state and has more in common culturally with Montana or Idaho than it does with Mass or NY.

[Payne]

and then, of course, you have to note that many conquered territories of far-flung empires have retained and developed their own culture as much or more than they have adopted the culture of their overlords.

Or, of course, the example of the Mongolians and assorted other "barbarians" invading China, conquering them, and becoming as Chinese as any of their vanquished foes...

That may have little point in this thread, but the idea of it has always intrigued me.

[Mangrove]

As an Italo-Greco-Irish-Japanese-American. I second everything the OP says.

I'm a United States of American. It sucks at times, but I can't really do anything about it, now can I?

There's no more hyphens because Suu took them all!

And yes, there's not a lot you can do about it. Everywhere you go people are going to say 'Who's that American woman in the Star Wars costume?'

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Having lived in the US, the UK and Canada (can't speak for Australia), I would say they are not as homogenous and you'd think.

Also, if they do exhibit similarities, it owing to common language coupled with the fact that the USA is a former British colony and Australia & Canada are both Commonwealth Nations.

They're not completely homogeneous, and there are many subcultures, but one of the main reasons there is so much commonality is for exactly the reason you state... which is why using  the commonalities among these countries as an example of how cultures really aren't that different from place to place is not a very convincing example.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

I'd also like to say that when you are talking about a country with as vast an area as the USA or Canada or China, you will frequently find cultural divisions within the same nation that are wider than the divisions between smaller nation-states in parts of Europe or Central America, for example. People in western Washington State who have lived here for a generation or more (west of the cascade mountains) generally have more in common culturally with people in western British Columbia than they do with people in DC or Miami. Similarly, Tibetans and Uighurs have less in common with their "fellow" Chinese than they do with, say, most of Kyrgyzstan.

Red State vs Blue State seems to have a lot to do with this IMO.

No, what you have is red v blue counties.  Basically, you have thousands of tiny tribes that are "ideologically" opposed to each other, except that neither tribe would be able to give you a logical explanation of WHY they are different, if actual facts are examined.

This is, of course, intentionally instilled in them by the "liberal" media...and, like the fucking PRIMATES they are, the population willingly swallows it all.

UNNNNNNNG!

Goddammit, I fucking HATE PEOPLE.  And one fine day, I will kill you all.

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

I'd also like to say that when you are talking about a country with as vast an area as the USA or Canada or China, you will frequently find cultural divisions within the same nation that are wider than the divisions between smaller nation-states in parts of Europe or Central America, for example. People in western Washington State who have lived here for a generation or more (west of the cascade mountains) generally have more in common culturally with people in western British Columbia than they do with people in DC or Miami. Similarly, Tibetans and Uighurs have less in common with their "fellow" Chinese than they do with, say, most of Kyrgyzstan.

Red State vs Blue State seems to have a lot to do with this IMO.

No, what you have is red v blue counties.  Basically, you have thousands of tiny tribes that are "ideologically" opposed to each other, except that neither tribe would be able to give you a logical explanation of WHY they are different, if actual facts are examined.

This is, of course, intentionally instilled in them by the "liberal" media...and, like the fucking PRIMATES they are, the population willingly swallows it all.

UNNNNNNNG!

Goddammit, I fucking HATE PEOPLE.  And one fine day, I will kill you all.

That brings a tear to my eye,
Beautiful...

[The Good Reverend Roger]

I'd also like to say that when you are talking about a country with as vast an area as the USA or Canada or China, you will frequently find cultural divisions within the same nation that are wider than the divisions between smaller nation-states in parts of Europe or Central America, for example. People in western Washington State who have lived here for a generation or more (west of the cascade mountains) generally have more in common culturally with people in western British Columbia than they do with people in DC or Miami. Similarly, Tibetans and Uighurs have less in common with their "fellow" Chinese than they do with, say, most of Kyrgyzstan.

Red State vs Blue State seems to have a lot to do with this IMO.

No, what you have is red v blue counties.  Basically, you have thousands of tiny tribes that are "ideologically" opposed to each other, except that neither tribe would be able to give you a logical explanation of WHY they are different, if actual facts are examined.

This is, of course, intentionally instilled in them by the "liberal" media...and, like the fucking PRIMATES they are, the population willingly swallows it all.

UNNNNNNNG!

Goddammit, I fucking HATE PEOPLE.  And one fine day, I will kill you all.

That brings a tear to my eye,
Beautiful...

Yeah, I got my fucking hate back.

[indifferent betty]

I can totally see the OP's point here. It would seem to me that such cultural/racial references would only really apply if you were actually raised using said cultural/racial ideals.

America, like England is a nation populated entirely by peoples who if you go back far enough are from other shores. The old name for the English was Anglo-Saxon, back when these islands were populated by a mixture of Angles, Saxons and Celts, which pretty much makes England a historical nation of mongrels. Over time this name was dropped in favour of English, after the land they occupied and a cultural Identity of their own developed with obvious references to their descendants cultures and a few little idiosyncrasies of their own.
With America originally being populated by peoples from England, Spain, Africa and the tribes who already dwelled there this to me makes them a country of mongrels too, but with it still being quite young as far as countries go, I kind of understand why the national identity can still be so split as to cause certain of its inhabitants to latch on to their ancestry as a cultural identifier.

I myself am a Welsh-Italian, my mother being Welsh and my father Italian, and I was raised using ideals and memes from both cultures. I have often wondered though as what to classify myself, having dual nationality in a very legal sense, but speaking neither Italian or Welsh (The parts of North Wales I was raised in are almost completely English speaking). Sure, I have an obsession with Pasta and Cheese on toast (or "Welsh Rarebit"), but are such things enough to make me either, or am I something else entirely, or maybe more importantly does it really matter at all?
Maybe, in a genetic manner of speaking, I am a Romano-Celt, but more recently I have been hovering over the idea that I am merely Human and that everything else is just another meme.

I guess what I'm trying to say (and rambling a bit in the meantime) is that the OP definitely has a point as to the irrelevancy of the hyphenated cultural identifier, but it does seem understandable that occupants of a young country would use them.

[LMNO]

I'd also like to say that when you are talking about a country with as vast an area as the USA or Canada or China, you will frequently find cultural divisions within the same nation that are wider than the divisions between smaller nation-states in parts of Europe or Central America, for example. People in western Washington State who have lived here for a generation or more (west of the cascade mountains) generally have more in common culturally with people in western British Columbia than they do with people in DC or Miami. Similarly, Tibetans and Uighurs have less in common with their "fellow" Chinese than they do with, say, most of Kyrgyzstan.

Precisely. Which is why Cram won't eat grits. It's cultural to the South, but not to the North where he grew up.

Also, he's an idiot.




LMNO
-stone ground chipotle cheese grits, bitch.

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

I'd also like to say that when you are talking about a country with as vast an area as the USA or Canada or China, you will frequently find cultural divisions within the same nation that are wider than the divisions between smaller nation-states in parts of Europe or Central America, for example. People in western Washington State who have lived here for a generation or more (west of the cascade mountains) generally have more in common culturally with people in western British Columbia than they do with people in DC or Miami. Similarly, Tibetans and Uighurs have less in common with their "fellow" Chinese than they do with, say, most of Kyrgyzstan.

Precisely. Which is why Cram won't eat grits. It's cultural to the South, but not to the North where he grew up.

Also, he's an idiot.




LMNO
-stone ground chipotle cheese grits, bitch.

NO URDOINITWRONG!

Grits+Butter+milk+sugar= Still not as yummy as Cream of Wheat