<p>In a way, I agree with the original poster. I am first generation here in the US. My family is Polish, and I have an EU passport. It always irritates me when an American will come up to me and claim they are Polish when in fact they can not name a city in Poland other than Warsaw. </p>
<p>I think that there is a distinct difference beween “of Polish orign” and actually Polish.</p>
<p>What’s the big deal?</p>
<p>They are likely talking about their ethnic make-up/backgrounds and not their nationality (two distinct concepts).</p>
<p>Usually when someone else in America asks me about my heritage, I assume they mean from what decent my family is from. </p>
<p>All of my grandparents grew up in Italy. My mom came from Italy. So I answer Italian since most of my family is from Italy.</p>
<p>If I was in Spain and someone asked me what I was, I would say American, not Italian. I just think other Americans are interested in knowing other’s ancestry make-up, not that they too are from America, as thats usually assumed.</p>
<p>The notion that Americans are being pretentious when mentionin gtheir irish or Polish ancestry is amusing to those who know Amricans much better than the original poster. If anything, the average American is pretentious about how much better America is than any other other country! I have never heard an American of any ancestry mention it other than in a factual or comic (“I am Irish, so you know I like to drink!”) way.</p>
<p>Generally, Americans complain when someone they regard as American seems to have a higher regard for the naiton of his descent than America.</p>