Time to Eliminate the Hyphen

A quote attributed to Teddy Roosevelt has been making the internet rounds over the past several weeks. It is provided below. Before printing it here, I researched it. He actually did write this on January 3, 1919, three days before his death, to the President of the American Defense Society. Americanization was a favorite theme of his after his Presidency.

I like the quote because it is right on point to the most dangerous threat this country has faced from within for a long time. My wife was born and raised in a little town outside of Mansfield, Ohio. When she first came with me to Youngstown to live, she was continually asked "What are you?" She always replied "an American." When pressed, she would add "from Mansfield." It took her awhile to realize that Youngstown locals wanted to know her ethnic extraction. (It is German, English, Irish, Welsh, with a touch of American Indian. Anyone want to open a Casino?)

All four of my grandparents were from Italy. But I am not Italian. I am an American. My ancestry is the Mayflower and the pilgrims, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, the Civil War, the 4th of July, baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet. I cannot name one Italian leader. I know nothing about the history of the country, other than they fought with us in WWI and against us in WWII. I suppose I would like to visit Italy sometime, but Great Britain is first on my list where I can see the roots of American Culture and the American language.

I was at a party a week ago, and all at my table were "Italian"-Americans. They wanted to send me an Italian newsletter. The men were kissing each other on both cheeks like they were some sort of Italian godfather. Discussion of Italian traditions went on ad nauseum. My advice is the same I give to the Irish on St. Patrick's Day. If it is so wonderful over there, go back. Only problem, they can't go back because they aren't from there. They are from here.

I admit that there are large segments of my ethnic background in my life. Certainly the food I eat reflects my grandparents' country of origin. I use certain Italian words in my vocabulary from time to time, but mostly because there is no English equivalent that expresses the nuance I am trying to achieve. We celebrate holidays a certain way, but over the years that has been changing. My son's "Italian" blood is now diluted to half.

When my mother was growing up with her 6 brothers and sisters, it was forbidden to speak Italian in their house. They were only allowed to speak English, except, of course, when my grandmother was pretending to be the maid to fight off door to door salesmen and door pounding religious zealots. My grandparents wanted to make sure that their children could make it in the United States as Americans, not as Italians living in America. Towards the end of my Dad's life, I could see him reverting to the old Italian ways both in his manner of speaking and some of his attitudes. I wonder, however, how much of that was his looking for the comfort of his mother and father during a difficult period of his life. I finally gave up telling him to knock off the Italian expressions, both verbal and with his hands.

There is nothing more dangerous to the United States than dual allegiances. In this politically correct world where we are supposed to celebrate diversity, we should instead be looking for commonality among the American people of all ethnic origins, and bringing everyone within the fold of the American flag and what it stands for. It is time for Americans to lose the hyphen. It is time for modern day immigrants to decide if they want to be an American, or something else. If it is something else, go back. Is that burning desire to be an American that was so evident in all of my grandparents still here today? And for the those of us who are now 3rd and 4th generation, enough already. The boat left Italy in 1902.

For your consideration, Teddy Roosevelt:

"In the first place we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag, and this excludes the red flag, which symbolizes all wars against liberty and civilization, just as much as it excludes any foreign flag of a nation to which we are hostile...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."