Thank you for clarifying it for me, Leah. I don't buy it. The whites of my generation (I turned 68 today) were often called Irish-American, German-American, English-American, ad-infinitum. We eventually dropped the hyphenation. I began using African-American in an attempt to be civil and sensitive, and to not offend the angry young black men (mostly) who wanted a special name to set them apart from being plain old Americans. I remember searching constantly for the "right" term to call my Black, Latino, or Asian friends and fellow citizens.

Honestly? You're all American, at least to me. I'm also Mississippi born and raised, until the age of five when the army began moving the family around the world. After that I became pure army brat. These days I'm a retired engineer, and on a personal journey to explore the Deep South through my writing. God Bless.