Nativism in America- Can immigrants fully assimilate?

[ladislav]

This is my essay about nativism and the question whether those born and raised in other countries who immigrated to the US can fully assimilate into American culture. And this is my opinion:

No, they cannot at present time. Not with the way the US identity is seen by most people. Not without the American culture being changed in certain ways.

An American in popular culture is a person from the USA. By birth.

Those others can try—and many do, with sincerity, persistence, and even love for their adopted country—but full assimilation still remains out of reach.

Ask any naturalized citizen who’s lived in the U.S. for decades, and they’ll tell you: the questions never go away:

"Where are you from?"
"No, I mean... where are you really from?"
"Where do you come from, originally?"

It’s always asked in the present tense—even after 10, 20, or 50 years. Because in the American imagination, a foreign origin never fades. You're always from somewhere else. Citizenship is rarely, if ever, part of the question or the answer.

That’s the heart of the issue. American identity, while outwardly framed as inclusive, is shaped by a persistent undercurrent of nativism—an unspoken belief that to be truly American, you must be born here, preferably to American-born parents, and fit a set of cultural expectations: accent-free English, an “American-sounding” name, looking like the majority or a familiar minority, and behaving in ways aligned with mainstream norms. Deviate from any of these, and your Americanness becomes suspect. Or disappears completely.

Even those who do everything “right”—embracing American values, speaking fluent English, paying taxes, serving in the military, raising families—often carry an invisible asterisk next to their identity. At best, they’re “model immigrants.” At worst, they're reminded during times of tension: “Go back to your country.”

There is one major exception: individuals born abroad to U.S.-born parents, particularly on military bases, diplomatic posts, or corporate assignments. For them, birthplace is a technicality. Their lineage and institutional ties grant them full, unquestioned Americanness.

Americans often claim moral superiority over countries like Japan, France, or Germany, saying, “You will never be Japanese or French unless you’re born of their blood, but anybody can become an American” The implication is that the U.S. is different—more open. But in practice, America isn’t so different. It simply replaces ethnic nationalism with a nativist one. Here, being American means being born here. Everyone else stays “foreign,” no matter how long they’ve lived here or how much they’ve contributed.

It is true that in Japan, France, or Germany, belonging is more explicitly tied to shared ancestry, physical features, and cultural heritage. Ironically, being born there often means little without those markers. Yet Americans often overlook that you can become a citizen in those countries—and sometimes even be accepted more fully. In France or Germany, naturalized citizens may be eligible to become President or Prime Minister. Meanwhile, in the U.S., naturalized citizens are permanently barred from the presidency—even if they arrived as infants and lived as Americans in every way.

Nativism in the U.S. runs deep. It’s not an accident—it’s a structural feature of how Americanness is defined, socially and legally.

So let’s be honest: assimilation in America isn’t just about how well you adapt. It’s about whether society accepts you. And that acceptance is filtered through race, language, origin, and above all—birthright. Were you born into the American story, seen as a native son or daughter from the start? That’s the dividing line.

This doesn’t mean immigrants can’t find a certain degree of belonging. Many do. Many build communities, live meaningful lives, and help shape American culture. But full assimilation—the kind where your Americanness is unquestioned—is reserved for a specific group: those born and raised here, or born to American parents abroad under special circumstances.

Despite this, nativism is rarely discussed. Most Americans repeat the “nation of immigrants” mantra while subconsciously holding different beliefs. And most naturalized citizens are too busy working, raising families, and surviving to challenge this norm. There is no large, sustained “We are Americans too!” movement. Not yet.

But is the situation hopeless? Absolutely not!

One of America’s greatest strengths is its capacity for change. Public opinion can shift. And if naturalized citizens and allies were to organize—through peaceful protest, public educational campaigns, media engagement, and storytelling—they could influence that change. It may not be immediate, but the next generation could grow up in a country where Americanness is defined more by character and commitment - and ultimately, your citizenship- than by birthplace.

Most Americans are good people. The nativism they exhibit is often unconscious. They’ve been taught not to be racist—now it’s time to teach them not to be nativist.

With over 24 million naturalized citizens in the U.S., this is not only possible—it’s powerful. It just needs someone to start.

One crucial issue such a movement could address is the “natural-born citizen” clause in the Constitution. This rule excludes naturalized citizens—no matter how long they've lived in the U.S.—from ever becoming President. It means they are not true citizens but just step-children. Challenging this clause would be a bold and meaningful step toward redefining what it truly means to be American

[Shemp]

Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Justin Bieber, Peter Jennings, Henry Kissinger, etc, etc. List is endless. @ladislav, this is one of your dumber posts.

[ladislav]

Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Justin Bieber, Peter Jennings, Henry Kissinger, etc, etc. List is endless. @ladislav, this is one of your dumber posts.

My answer was re : can they assimilate fully.

Those above assimilated partially, which is possible. But there is always the " Where's he from?" factor. They are still not called Americans in popular discourse and are called by the names of their countries of origin.
And there have been constant yellings of " deport!" directed at several of them, and Elon Musk is still being called an " immigrant".

They are step kids and will be reminded of it immediately once a real American ( born here) gets angry.