My parents were from the Phillipines, while I was born and raised in Los Angeles.
That being said, I think that if you were born in America, you are American. By adding the prefix, it makes it seem like those groups are different in a way, and not the proper American. But if everyone was just American, then maybe we wouldn't be so divided anymore. I mean, is a black person who was born in America, is he African? I think it would be better to just call him black if you want to identify him by color.
I guess you can say calling someone "African-American" or "Asian-American" signifies their heritage. But I also think it unfairly ties people down to that heritage. Someone could choose to have no ties to their past, and be into activities and hobbies that break away from the stereotype of their culture, yet you would still use the prefix by the American title?
What do you think?
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