If one is 1/32nd Native American, should they be considered Native American?

[bedstuy]

Why am I being mocked and criticized and laughed at and brutally at that for my heritage?  You all do not get to decide whether I can call myself Native American.  That is not your call to make.  You guys are scum for debating this and mocking me because of it.  I ask that this thread be locked immediately.

And, it's a legitimate question in our society how people categorize themselves and claim different identities.  For example, I half-Jewish ancestry, but my dad is a Jew, not my mother.  So, some people would say I'm not Jewish at all.  Especially since I don't go to temple or participate in Jewish religious life much at all. 

I'm also 1/32 Native American.  I wouldn't dare speak for Native Americans or call myself one because my family and upbringing had nothing to do with being Native American.  On the other hand, I know a lot about what it means to be Jewish, it means something to me.  If being Native American has meant something in your life, fine.  But, don't just say, I'm Native American because my great, great, great grandmother was Native American.  And, certainly don't say it so cavalierly and in service of silencing the legitimate complaints of Native Americans.

[JerryArkansas]

Of course no.  I'm 5/32th Native American and 1/32th black, but I don't consider myself either, and nor should the government.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Why am I being mocked and criticized and laughed at and brutally at that for my heritage?  You all do not get to decide whether I can call myself Native American.  That is not your call to make.  You guys are scum for debating this and mocking me because of it.  I ask that this thread be locked immediately.

And, it's a legitimate question in our society how people categorize themselves and claim different identities.  For example, I half-Jewish ancestry, but my dad is a Jew, not my mother.  So, some people would say I'm not Jewish at all.  Especially since I don't go to temple or participate in Jewish religious life much at all. 

I'm also 1/32 Native American.  I wouldn't dare speak for Native Americans or call myself one because my family and upbringing had nothing to do with being Native American.  On the other hand, I know a lot about what it means to be Jewish, it means something to me.  If being Native American has meant something in your life, fine.  But, don't just say, I'm Native American because my great, great, great grandmother was Native American.  And, certainly don't say it so cavalierly and in service of silencing the legitimate complaints of Native Americans.

If you read my last post (I think?) in the Redskins thread, then I clearly stated that I very rarely, if ever, give written validation that I am Native American.  On ethnicity questions, I always answer Caucasian unless the questionnaire is Native American-focused.  If asked, I verbally give adherence that I am Native American, because I feel a strong bond with the Indians and I do receive tribal health care, but I never answer Native American on non-NA ethnicity questionnaires.  I always answer Caucasian.

[angus]

I always answer Caucasian.

Don't drive no big, black car
Don't like no Hollywood movie star

You want me to be true to ya
Don't give a damn what I do to ya

'Cause I'm a dirty white boy

[Mordecai]

Hey, it worked for Elizabeth Warren right?

She won a scholarship to GWU when she was only 16 so it's not like she needed to claim Native American heritage to get into Harvard.

[TDAS04]

Of course not. 

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

If asked, I verbally give adherence that I am Native American, because I feel a strong bond with the Indians

Oh?  How so?


Oh, and  you mock yourself when you're 1/32nd anything and claim to be it.

[Joe Biden 2020]

If asked, I verbally give adherence that I am Native American, because I feel a strong bond with the Indians

Oh?  How so?


Oh, and  you mock yourself when you're 1/32nd anything and claim to be it.

I am not going to deny or ignore my heritage.  My heritage from my mother's side has a lot of Indian.  That said, please re-read the post that you quoted.  I don't give written credence to my Native American heritage.  I only give verbal when asked.  Nobody is bringing that up, instead I'm being attacked for even mentioning it at all.  What am I supposed to do?  Ignore or deny my heritage?

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I'm 1/8th Cherokee, and I have never considered myself Native American anymore than I consider myself Italian or Scots-Irish, Warren jokes aside. If they say I can be part of their tribe, thats cool. If not, thats cool as well.

Angus is 100% right, as usual.

[politicus]

I don't think that being 1/32 something in itself should preclude you from identifying with that ethnic group. Denmarks most famous arctic explorer Knud Rasmussen was only 1/16 Inuit, but he spoke fluent Greenlandic, was an expert dog sledge driver and hunter and always considered himself a Greenlander. The problem with Bushie and his Indian identity is that he has no actual relation to the culture and language of those people.

[Paul Kemp]

I must say that I am curious about the "strong bond with the Indians" that he feels, though...

[New_Conservative]

It's tough for me to argue against it considering they still have Native American ties in their bloodlines, even though it's very a small influence. But, I guess someone that is 1/32 German they are not considered German, so I see the argument against it.

[Adam Griffin]

Meh, I'm 1/8 Cherokee and I don't consider myself Native Americans.

[Paul Kemp]

If I didn't use Indian health care, I would probably consider myself a plain old Caucasian American.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

I don't think that being 1/32 something in itself should preclude you from identifying with that ethnic group. Denmarks most famous arctic explorer Knud Rasmussen was only 1/16 Inuit, but he spoke fluent Greenlandic, was an expert dog sledge driver and hunter and always considered himself a Greenlander. The problem with Bushie and his Indian identity is that he has no actual relation to the culture and language of those people.

Sorry politicus, but that's just one example......My grandparents were from Cephalonia and hell,  who knows who those islanders connected up with when the ships came in  I could be 1/32 of just about anything, and I wouldn't identify  myself with it.......it's too presposterous in Bushie's case too.

[politicus]

I don't think that being 1/32 something in itself should preclude you from identifying with that ethnic group. Denmarks most famous arctic explorer Knud Rasmussen was only 1/16 Inuit, but he spoke fluent Greenlandic, was an expert dog sledge driver and hunter and always considered himself a Greenlander. The problem with Bushie and his Indian identity is that he has no actual relation to the culture and language of those people.

Sorry politicus, but that's just one example......My grandparents were from Cephalonia and hell,  who knows who those islanders connected up with when the ships came in  I could be 1/32 of just about anything, and I wouldn't identify  myself with it.......it's too presposterous in Bushie's case too.

My point was that self identification and cultural attachment/knowledge is ultimately what matters.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Uncharitable people may note that, as far as making a comparison of Bushie to Knud Rasmussen goes, Rasmussen did end up dying from something he ate.

[#CriminalizeSobriety]

imagen Bushe during Trale of tears