I was born in the U.S. of A. I was raised and educated here. My ancestry is Italian. However, my father was born in Connecticut and my mother was born in Sicily and came here when she was six months old. Although my maternal and paternal grandparents were Italian, I prefer not to "water" down my own nationality with an adjective. I am an American — not an Italian American. Of course, that is not to say that I am extremely proud of my Italian heritage. 

My husband great-grandparents came here from Germany and England. He never referred to himself as a German American, an English American, or a German-English American.

I remember a long time ago, a relative of my father was going on and on about how much Italians (not Italian Americans) had contributed to society -- art, opera, science, and the like. He then asked me "What are you teaching your children about their Italian heritage?" Taken a little back, I blurted out "no more or less than I am teaching them about their German or English background." My kids are Americans through and through and their kids have another ethnic culture to enrich them along with their Italian, German, English, and French roots.

Some time ago, The Press Club of Long Island held a special program featuring minority reporters focusing on political correctness in reporting. A representative from the Asian American contingency said she resented it when someone referred to an attractive Chinese girl as a China Doll. She said this was degrading. This was followed by a Native American reporter who took umbrage with comments like "low man on the totem pole."

A black journalist impressed on us the importance of referring to people of his race as African Americans. I found this a little disconcerting inasmuch as his family has been in this country much longer than my family and yet he felt it necessary to "water down" if you will, the fact that he is an American.

One can be proud of being an American and still be reflective and proud of one’s heritage. I say, eliminate the adjectives like Cuban-American, African American, Italian American, etc.

Take a lesson from "The Boss" Bruce Springstein and sing out "Born in the US" or from country western singer, Lee Greenwood "Proud to be American."

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