Essentially Being Called an “Exotic-American”

I never understood why Americans who aren’t white are always referred to as “country of ancestral origin”-American. Unless your family has tribal roots in North America going back thousands of years, we are all from different countries, originally. Why do certain “groups” need a special prefix?

Like the term “African-American” for the kid whose family has lived here since before most white people.

Or “Chinese-American” or “Mexican-American”—even if they weren’t even born in China or Mexico.

I mean, only white people get to be plain old “American”.

When was the last time you heard a teacher say in a simperingly sweet voice, “we must be careful to respect little Johnny Smith, because he is a ‘European-American’, and he is part of a different culture.”

I’m not some exotic spice. I’m just as plain, boring and American as you are.