Hyphenated-Americans: 'Our Allegiance Must Be Purely to the United States'

I’m an American of Croatian descent.  I’m not a ‘Croatian-American’, often referred to as a ‘Hyphenated-American’.  Never will be.  Don’t want to be.  This may not seem like a big deal to some, but for me it’s pretty darn important.

Examples of ‘Hyphenated-American’ titles include Japanese-American, Native-American, Mexican-American, Asian-American, African-American, Irish-American, and Italian-American.  I find such titles unnecessary and potentially destructive to the fabric of our Nation.  I am not alone in my feelings.

In 1915, former President Theodore Roosevelt expressed his concern at a gathering of the Knights of Columbus in NYC:

“There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism….But a hyphenated American is not an American at all.  This is just as true of the man who puts “native” before the hyphen as of the man who puts German or Irish or English or French before the hyphen.  Americanism is a matter of the spirit and of the soul.”

I’ve been to Croatia once while deployed with NATO forces.  Seemed like a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there.  I feel no particular attachment, emotional or otherwise.  I don’t speak Croatian, am not intimately familiar with its culture and traditions, am not particularly up-to-date on its political, social and economic underpinnings, and can go weeks, months and even years without giving Croatia much thought.  Why then would I wish to be called a Croatian-American?

Don’t get me wrong.  I’m proud of my Croatian roots.  But, America always get the place of honor with me.  Darn it, I’m unabashedly proud, thankful and blessed to be a citizen of the greatest country in the world.  I will not, can not, split my loyalty between two countries.  There shall never be a question that my loyalty and allegiance belongs to America.

America is my home, where my heart is and my family resides.  It is the country I love, the only country.  It is the country I am willing to die for should it be necessary.  Surely, I can not say the same about Croatia.

Few Americans wish to be considered ‘Hyphenated-Americans’.  The vast majority are happy with simply being called an American.  To them, being an American is enough.  It brings great pride and satisfaction.  Why, then, does a small minority insist otherwise?

Apparently, those preferring the ’Hyphenated-American’ title feel some need for the added security or confidence gained from identification with another country or region of the world.  Sadly, their American identity alone, for whatever reason, fails to adequately satisfy that need.  And that, my friends, is something we all should be concerned about.  There, perhaps, lies a far greater problem begging our Nation’s attention.

It’s time to chart a new course.  Let’s begin emphasizing our common interests and common American heritage rather than the things that make us different.  Respect for diversity is a good thing, but not if done at the expense of our Nation’s best interests.

Let’s always put America first.  Rather than ‘Irish-American’, let’s instead say ‘American of Irish descent’.  ‘African-American’ changes to ‘American of African descent’.  ‘Mexican-American’ becomes ‘American of Mexican descent’.  And so on.

As President Roosevelt so wisely said, “Our allegiance must be purely to the United States.”  I couldn’t agree more.

America…land of the free and home of the brave.  There can be no other.  There is no other.  God bless America!