[cmblfc]

I dont know what it is, but I have a lot of trouble identifying with my French heritage. My last name is French, I celebrate Mardi Gras, I am taking French in the fall but I still dont feel that French.

Granted, I'm an American, but the thing that I have always noticed is that I have always felt more attached to my mother's Italian heritage. I do love Quebec, where my family went to before they entered the US, but I always have had trouble translating that pride to France.

I am not even sure of what I am asking anyone here. Im just stating that I have a problem with identifying myself with the nation. Does any other Americans have this issue with either their French heritage or other ones?

[Douai]

I am a French-American and I don't have this problem at all.Who exactly is French in your family, and how French are they?For most Americans they have French ancestors from a long time ago.If that is the case for you then it would be very hard to identify with a heritage and culture you know very little about or have very little connection with.My dad is 100% French from Douai of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.Half my family still lives in France.I have dual-citizenship (French and American),my full name is French (Julien Laurent Delabre) and my dad spoke French to me at a very young age.I feel more French than American even though my mom is American and I live in the U.S.

[cmblfc]

Originally Posted by Douai

I am a French-American and I don't have this problem at all.Who exactly is French in your family, and how French are they?For most Americans they have French ancestors from a long time ago.If that is the case for you then it would be very hard to identify with a heritage and culture you know very little about or have very little connection with.My dad is 100% French from Douai of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.Half my family still lives in France.I have dual-citizenship (French and American),my full name is French (Julien Laurent Delabre) and my dad spoke French to me at a very young age.I feel more French than American even though my mom is American and I live in the U.S.

My dad's side of the family. My dad is half french, but my name is Christopher Michael Boulay. (Easily a french name) The problem is is that my grandfather wouldnt teach my dad French. My dad's grandparents spoke it quite a lot, but I dont remember much of it. My family lived in St. Gilles, Quebec (near Quebec City) when they came over from Boulay in Normandie in 1620.

My french ancestors are from a long time ago, but its ironic that the language just stopped right before me. That is one of the reasons I want to learn it.

Its weird, I dont feel very American at all. People get mad at me for saying that, but I dont. I usually ally with my ethnicities, even though it has been a while since my family came over.

[ilv2]

bah the notion frenchness is both artificial and absurd in any case.

[cmblfc]

Originally Posted by ilv2

bah the notion frenchness is both artificial and absurd in any case.

Well, I dont mean in the sense of citizenship, or like dying for one's nation.

I just dont feel American at all. So, I attach myself to my ethnicities for better or for worse. I just always have had a problem connecting to my french heritage no matter how hard i tried.

I love living in America, but I dont feel that I have a national identity whether it is for my name or my nation.

[ilv2]

Originally Posted by cmblfc

Well, I dont mean in the sense of citizenship, or like dying for one's nation.

I just dont feel American at all. So, I attach myself to my ethnicities for better or for worse. I just always have had a problem connecting to my french heritage no matter how hard i tried.

I love living in America, but I dont feel that I have a national identity whether it is for my name or my nation.

And so you feel that it is necessary to have one - i.e. aligning yourself with a certain group that pretends to evoke commonality - in order to establish a personal identity? Assuming that being American carries a common identity over the state citizenship one carries is exactly the absurdity that I'm talking about. The same applies with being 'french.'

[cmblfc]

Originally Posted by ilv2

And so you feel that it is necessary to have one - i.e. aligning yourself with a certain group that pretends to evoke commonality - in order to establish a personal identity? Assuming that being American carries a common identity over the state citizenship one carries is exactly the absurdity that I'm talking about. The same applies with being 'french.'

Well, yes. As a socialist, I should not be surprised or alarmed by the way I feel, but the society here promotes the idea that you hav to be a part of a group. You have to be American. If you are not American, you are un-american...i think. Thats at east what I see. A smaller group of people here instead ally themselves with an ethnicity, or ethnicities (as I do to a certain degree) but not without much criticism from the community.

I just find it odd personally that I can attach myself with my ethnicities, though I try so hard to ally with my French side, yet the one I arguably put the most effort in is the one with the least result.

[ilv2]

Originally Posted by cmblfc

Well, yes. As a socialist, I should not be surprised or alarmed by the way I feel, but the society here promotes the idea that you hav to be a part of a group. You have to be American. If you are not American, you are un-american...i think. Thats at east what I see. A smaller group of people here instead ally themselves with an ethnicity, or ethnicities (as I do to a certain degree) but not without much criticism from the community.

I just find it odd personally that I can attach myself with my ethnicities, though I try so hard to ally with my French side, yet the one I arguably put the most effort in is the one with the least result.

Okay sure. Except that socialism never viewed society in terms of ethnicity. Unless you're talking about the combinations of socialism and nationalism (i.e. the PS in France, or more extreme examples), who are the worst of the lot.

Indeed, that you find it odd that you try to identity yourself in accordance to an ethnic background or any categorized group at all simply affirms this. The feeling of being American and anti-american is plainly a farce as you pointed out, just as the the conviction that you'll eventually make a connection with your french 'heritage' would simply be buying into a repressive ideological blinder. I suppose most people are looking for that warm feeling in their tummy when they hear the star-spangled banner, or the marseillaise and clearly, one can appreciate the multitude of benefits that living in the US state or the French state can bring you. But to base one's person on a national-ethnic concept is, well, ridiculous as the concept itself.
However, to each his own...

[Catel]

Socialists and communists have never rejected the concept of nation ! Why otherwise would they talk about "Internationalism" ?

Cultural relativism is a recent, post-68 notion.


Besides, I DO feel French.

[Nanbawan]

Originally Posted by ilv2

bah the notion frenchness is both artificial and absurd in any case.

To some extent, certainly. But the actual reality and need to belong still has some legitimity.