[lit-ideas] Hyphenism

 
In a message dated 7/30/2004 4:13:54 PM Eastern Standard Time,  
Robert.Paul@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
There is  a nonce category of people living in the US called 'Asian 
Americans.'
It  was more or less invented by younger US citizens from Asian countries  in
order to try to gain political clout similar to that of African  Americans, 
and
Hispanic Americans. ... Gesundheit.
-----
 
Interesting that R. Paul drops, as he should, the hyphen.
 
Cheers,
 
JL
 
----
 
"hyphenated"
 
Applied to persons (or, by extension, their activities) born in one country  
but naturalized citizens of another, their nationality being designated by a  
hyphenated form, e.g. Anglo-American, Irish-American; hence, to a  person 
whose patriotic allegiance is assumed to be divided. Also in extended  use. 
orig. 
U.S. 

1893 _FARMER_ 
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-f.html#farmer)  
& _HENLEY_ 
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-h2.html#henley)  
Slang III. 386/2  Hyphenated American, a 
naturalised citizen, as  German-Americans, Irish-Americans, and the like. 1900 
Daily  
News 15 Aug. 3/1 My opponents were of the  hyphenated My oppoDutch-Americans 
and Irish-Americans  predominating. 1904 Westm.  Gaz. 3 Jan. 3/2 American 
politics, where men who  call themselves Irish-Americans, German-Americans, 
Dutch-Americans, and so on,  are contemptuously referred to as â??hyphenated 
Americansâ??
. 1907 Nation (N.Y.) 7 Nov. 410 Some of  these hyphenated  American journals. 
1915 Lit.  Digest 4 Sept. 462/1 Hyphenated residents will  continue to insist 
that American newspapers should be strictly neutral. 1948 Manch.  Guardian 
Weekly 3 June 7/1 â??Hyphenated  â??Hyphenate undigested immigrant stock. 1965 
_B. 
SWEET-ESCOTT_ 
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-s5.html#b-sweet-escott)
  Baker St. Irreg. i. 37  It was thought that, with the 
whole of western Europe under Nazi  domination, hyphenated Americans might 
provide recruits for work in occupied  territory. 1973 Times 17 Oct. 6/8 This 
did 
not  go down well with the Greek community here [sc. in the U.S.], or with  
other groups of â??hyphenated Americansâ??.

 

"Hyphenism"

The state of being a hyphenated American; the attitude or conduct involved or 
 implied by this. 

1930 P. W. SLOSSON Great  Crusade (1931) xi. 288 The years..so  marked by 
hyphenism and the echoes of Old World  feuds.






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