Nationality vs. Ethnicity

Why do people not get the difference between nationality and ethnicity. I have noticed that in both America and Cambodia, there seems to be some subconscious notion that nationality denotes only certain ethnicities and not others.

I can somewhat understand that in a country like Cambodia where more than 85% of the population is ethnically Khmer, that most people equate being Cambodian with being Khmer ... this despite the reality that there are many Vietnamese, Chinese, Cham (Muslim) and tribal groups in the country. In fact, in the Khmer language, most Cambodians literally call their country, "the Khmer country." The sad part to this is that most Khmer and even the Cambodian constitution pretty much deny that other ethnicities, even those whose families have lived in Cambodia for generations, are considered Cambodian citizens with the same rights as the ethnic Khmer. I could ask, "why do they discriminate so much?"

But, before I misjudge and say how accepting we Americans are, raised with the mentality of the melting pot or salad bowl mix of ethnicities, I must say that just the other day I heard someone ask if Condoleeza Rice was an American!!!! WHAT!!??!! Is she not the Secretary of State for the United States of America???

So as I reflect on a photo of friends, I wonder how many Americans would ask if those pictured here are American??? In fact, every single one is an American, just not ethnically European, in case that is what people are really meaning. I see ethnic mixes of Khmer, Chinese, Indian (I mean from India, in case you are thinking Native Americans which many Americans call Indian), Spanish, African and two whose mother is from Belize (not sure of the ethnicity).

I am glad when I see our country affirming the rights of all these immigrants just as it did for ALL of our own immigrant grandparents and great-grandparents in generations past. For better or for worse, the politcal country of America has been built on the shoulders of immigrants. It's a shame how we immigrant families consciously or subconsciously seem to develop our pecking orders ... we can be pretty discriminatory.

For the unfortunate honest truth is that, as the early immigrants proceeded to build the American nation state, the only true non-immigrant Americans, ethnically native to this land, were forced to get out of the way.