hyphenated american

1 definition found

hyphenated american - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Hyphenated American \Hyphenated American\
     An American who is referred to by a hyphenated term with the
     first word indicating an origin in a foreign country, and the
     second term being "American", as Irish-American,
     Italian-American, African-American, Asian-American.
     Used in reference to Americans of foreign birth or ancestry.
     When used of Americans of European ancestry, it is often used
     to refer to those who have a strong attachment to the
     ancestral country or its culture. It implies that the
     individual is imperfectly assimilated into American culture,
     and is sometimes used derogatively.
     [Webster 1913 Suppl.]