European American
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| White, European American or Euro American | |
|---|---|
    |
|
| Total population | 215.3 million 74.7% of the US population |
| Regions with significant populations | All regions |
| Language | Predominantely English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, others |
| Religion | Christianity, Judaism, others |
| Related ethnic groups | Europeans |
A European American, or a Euro-American, is a person who resides in the United States and is either the descendant of European immigrants or from Europe him or herself.[1] They are classified as White in the United States Census, 2000, along with Americans of Middle Eastern and North African ancestry.[2]
Contents |
[edit] Use
The term European American is more narrow than White American in that these terms in their official usage include Americans of European, North African, and Middle Eastern ancestry. The term is different than Caucasian American, White American, and Anglo American. [3]It should, however also be mentioned that the term "European Americans" is sometimes wrongly used as a synonym for White Americans. According to the Texas Association of Museums, "European American," White American,Caucasian American or Anglo are terms that vary in their preference depending on the individual and their descent. [4], Anglo is a term commonly used in the southwestern US, because of that term combines a number of distinct ethnicities under a single rubric with origins in England. The term also has a more specific reference than either White American or Caucasian American since both of these terms include a larger group of people than is acknowledged in Europe. Also, whereas White American and Caucasian American vary in the peoples they include, European American has a more specific definition and scope. According to the opinion of one social scientist, the term European American has increased somewhat in use but White American, Caucasian American and Anglo continue to be equally preferred depending on the descent of the given individual(s) or group to which the term refers. [5]
[edit] Origin
The term was coined by some in response to the increasing racial diversity of the United States, as well as in recognition of this demographic diversity moving more into the mainstream of the society in the latter half of the 20th century. As a linguistic concern, the term is often meant to discourage a dichotomous view of the racial landscape. Margo Adair suggests that the recognition of specific European American ancestries allows certain Americans to become aware that they come from a variety of different cultures.[6]
[edit] Population
| Ancestry | 1990 | 1990 % of US population | 2000 | 2000 % of US population | Percent change from 1990 to 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North European | 108,762,804 | 39.9% | 74,700,988 | 30.1% | decreased 26.0% |
| West European | 74,874,596 | 30.5% | 57,988,801 | 18.6% | decreased 14.8% |
| East European | 16,545,509 | 6.7% | 14,071,153 | 4.9% | decreased 15.0% |
| South European | 17,953,611 | 7.1% | 20,242,412 | 7.1% | decreased 12.7% |
 Armenian |
308,096 | .1% | 385,488 | .1% | increased 25.1% |
 Austrian |
864,783 | .3% | 730,336 | .3% | decreased 15.5% |
 Belgian |
380,403 | .2% | 384,531 | .1% | decreased 8.4% |
 British |
1,119,140 | .4% | 1,085,718 | .4% | decreased 3% |
 Croatian |
544,270 | .2% | 374,241 | .1% | decreased 31.2% |
 Czech |
1,296,369 | .5% | 1,258,452 | .4% | decreased 2.9% |
 Danish |
1,634,648 | .7% | 1,430,897 | .5% | decreased 12.5% |
 Dutch |
6,226,339 | 2.5% | 4,541,770 | 1.6% | decreased 27.1 |
 English |
32,651,788 | 13.1% | 24,509,692 | 8.7% | decreased 24.9% |
 Finnish |
658,854 | .3% | 623,559 | .2% | decreased 5.4% |
 French |
10,320,656 | 4.1% | 8,309,666 | 3% | decreased 19.5% |
 German |
57,947,171 | 23.3% | 42,841,569 | 15.2% | decreased 26.1% |
 Greek |
1,110,292 | .4% | 2,451,109 | .9% | increased 3.9% |
 Irish |
38,735,539 | 15.6% | 30,524,799 | 10.8% | decreased 21.2% |
 Italian |
14,664,189 | 5.9% | 15,638,348 | 5.6% | increased 6.6% |
 Lithuanian |
811,865 | .3% | 659,892 | .2% | decreased 18.7% |
 Norwegian |
3,869,395 | 1.6% | 4,477,725 | 1.6% | increased 15.7% |
 Polish |
9,366,051 | 3.8% | 8,977,235 | 3.2% | decreased 4.2% |
 Portugeuse |
1,148,857 | .5% | 1,173,691 | .4% | increased 2.2% |
 Russian |
2,951,373 | 1.2% | 2,652,214 | .9% | decreased 10.1% |
| Scandinavian | 678,880 | .3% | 425,099 | .2% | decreased 37.4% |
 Scotch-Irish |
5,617,773 | 2.3% | 4,319,232 | 1.5% | decreased 23.1% |
| Scottish |
5,393,581 | 2.2% | 4,890,581 | 1.7% | decreased 9.3% |
 Serbian |
116,795 | negligible (no data) | 140,337 | negligible (no data) | increased .2% |
 Slovak |
1,882,897 | .8% | 797,764 | .3% | decreased 57.6% |
 Slovenian |
124,437 | .1% | 176,691 | .1% | decreased 16.9% |
 Spaniard |
360,858 | .1% | 299,948 | .1% | decreased 16.1% |
 Swedish |
4,680,863 | 1.9% | 3,998,310 | 1.4% | decreased 14.6% |
 Swiss |
1,045,482 | .4% | 911,502 | .3% | decreased 12.8% |
 Turkish |
83,850 | negligible (no data) | 164,738 | negligible (no data) | increased 40.2% |
 Ukrainian |
740,723 | .3% | 892,922 | .3% | increased 20.5% |
 Welsh |
2,033,893 | .8% | 1,753,794 | .6% | decreased 13.8% |
| Total | 210,181,975 | 84.2% | 171,801,940 | 60.7% | decreased 18.3% |
[edit] References
- ^ Ohio State University. Diversity Dictionary. 2006. September 4, 2006. [1]
- ^ Greico, Elizabeth. US Census Bureau. 2001. September 4, 2006. [2]
- ^ Lee, Sandra S. Mountain, Joanna. Barbara, Koening A. The Meanings of Race in the New Genomics: Implications for Health Disparities Research. Yale University. 2001. October 26, 2006. [3]
- ^ Texas Association of Museums. 2003. September 4, 2006. [4]
- ^ Skirble, Rosanne. New Voice of America. 2001. September 4, 2006. [5]
- ^ Adair, Margo. Challenging White Supremacy Workshop. 1990 November 5, 2006.[6]
- ^ Brittingham, Angela. Ancestry 2000:Census Brief. 2004. October 30, 2006. [7]
[edit] See also
| Demographics of the United States |  |
|---|---|
| Demographics of the United States • Demographic history Economic - Social Educational attainment • Household income • Homeownership • Immigration • Income quintiles • Language • Middle classes • Personal income • Poverty • Religion • Social structure • Unemployment by state • Wealth |
| European Americans |  |
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