Thread: No hyphenated Americans

http://www.suntimes.com/news/commentary ... 9a.article

When my father enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1941, he did so as an American serving his nation. He never thought of himself as an Italian serving in the Army because, being born here, he thought of himself as an American. He did not think of his best friend as a Pole serving in the Army because Rudy Rudinsky was just another American doing his duty. I think he would have been amazed, more than 60 years later, to discover that a television documentary is criticized because it told the story of all American forces during World War II rather than singling out one specific ethnic group for special attention. This is where most of the men who served in World War II differ from Angelo Falcon, president of the National Institute for Latino Policy [letter, June 26]. They thought of themselves as American, whether or not they were born here. And on their graves in foreign soil, they are not identified as hyphens, but simply as Americans -- which is what they were.
The men who served in World War II may have entered the services with preconceived notions but by the time they went to war, that found more similarities than differences and the greatest of these was that they were proudly American -- and not hyphenated Americans either.

How many people of Italian or Irish or German or Jewish heritage served in the Army? Does it matter? Does it make what these people achieved more significant because they had 10 Latinos in their platoon? Does it make their achievements less significant because they had no Latinos in their platoon?

Falcon is concerned about the insult to ''his community.'' By that statement I assume that he does not identify himself as an American but as a hyphenated American, and therein lies the rub. As many an emigrant has learned, one cannot have it both ways -- either you're in or out. However, to right this terrible wrong, I invite him to fund his own documentary to highlight the contributions of his community during World War II. Meanwhile, the rest of us are content to watch a documentary that illustrates what Americans achieved as a united community during that conflict -- all of them, together, regardless of ethic origin.

Elizabeth Giangrego, Westchester

Amen, Elizabeth!

That would look great on a t-shirt:

Un-hyphenated American

Originally Posted by gingerurp

That would look great on a t-shirt:

Un-hyphenated American