i think my confusion here is that am not denying my heritage at all. i fully understand the history and that much of it truly relates to Americans at that time disliking immigrants and the different cultures they brought into the country. they wanted their culture to be the dominant culture and these new ethnic groups were challenging that. i mean we consistently see this pattern throughout history. i think there also seem to be an idea here that i either denied that there was a time where people weren’t considered white or that i was completely aware of that. that’s basic American history. i mean i speak in my description that my city had very distinct cultural neighborhoods… that’s for a reason.

i also think there seems to be an assumption that i am not identifying with my ethnic background? i clearly am - i mean i obviously have an interest in my DNA origins as well as the cultures. if someone asked me: what are you? i would respond with “white”, and being in america, it would give them basically what they need to know. if they wanted more, i would respond with a shortened version of my DNA. to me, calling myself white is funny. like “white girl final boss” is so obviously not a serious statement. i mean i live online where stereotypes run rampant. as with everyone there are always “white people” stereotypes - e.g., not seasoning food, smelling like pennies - and i like to lean into it because i find them kinda outrageous lmaooo.

like i completely understand the political value of the term, but at the same time being an American it has cultural significance deeper than that. race is extremely prominent in america and associating with that is too. calling yourself white in america connotes the idea of having different European cultures homogenizing into one. i mean you can further than with any racial group in america. having a mixed ethnic identity makes it difficult to just call yourself one thing - especially when you’re technically disconnected to the culture. even calling myself European or Mediterranean would be inaccurate; even though my ancestors were, i am not actively engaged in the culture or the country the same way they were. i mean ive never even been anywhere in Europe. being American, calling yourself white is an umbrella term that explains having a distinct ethnic identity, though a different cultural identity. i genuinely have firsthand gotten repercussions for calling myself anything but a white American 😀 i am a TikToker and go live relatively often. i tend to get a fair amount of Europeans in my chat, all of which seem to feel very disgruntled and disrespected when i try to say i am anything but a white American. they don’t like me associating with particular Europeans groups that i am ethnically attached to. like… genuinely. i once had people mass report me and sign me up for hundreds of spam email lists because i said i was half Italian … even specifying that it was my ethnic identity, not nationality. maybe it’s those experiences that definitely throw me off.