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Show - . - . I I I Are You a 100 % American7 Atnerican American ? , r rI I By ELMO SCOTT WATSONHIS ' WATSON 'VATSON VATSON WATSON1HIS I 1HIS HIS is the time of year when most of us are likely hkcly to toI tc tcfW Igj gj gjHIS glory in our Americanism . r I . June 14 , Flag Day , is just past and stolid indeed indeedII II IIS fW/ fW fWis } \S S \ Sis , / is the citizen who d1dn't d1dnt didn't didnt dicm-i dicm i ' - find nna a few iew patrio patriotic paniun lc thrills . .i i . " ( < _ ' , chasing chasmg up and down his spine spme at the sight of thea the"Star the ? J , "Star Star " Spangled Banner " displayed d1splayed everywhere . a July 4 is at hand . True , the old- old oldfashionedFourth old-fashioned old fashioned oldas1noned - as1noned as1nonedFourth _ . . . _ _ _ . _ _ . . . . , . > > .1 1 i i- i i.i - wIth wIthIts - . . . < .i i . > Its ,4 4 fltirf-iiroinnrt fltirf iiroinnrt - ' oratory rfpntnrv and andIts andits nnrl nnrlJLUlUUl Fourth JL-UlUUl JL UlUUl - of Ui . July ifwy celebratlOn celebration I-I.J&MA.I IIJMA.I I I.J&MA.I IJMAI - . . & . * . * * - - flag-wavmg flag wavmg flag-waving waving , . , - - - ' inftt infttits " its invocation of the spirit of "the the " he-r-r-ro-o-o-es he r ro o es - - - - - - of 76 IS ISpretty ispretty ispretty pretty much a thing thmg of the past . Yet there is something somethingabout somethingabout somethingabout about that da day ) ' which still has the power to stir the souls of this th1s modern generation generatlOn . ' be an anAmerIcan anAmerican anAmerican I t IYes tYes | Yes , it's its great to AmerIcan . And what prouder prouderboast prouderboast prouderboast boast than that a person is a a100 , " 100 % American " " ? I IBut I But wait Walt ! How many Inany of us uscan uscan uscan can say that and be speakIng speakIngthe speakingthe speakingthe the literal hteral truth ? I Granted that you were born bornhere bornhere bornhere here and are therefore legal legal- legally legally legally - ly a citizen of the Uruted United UrutedStates UnitedStates UnitedStates States , i . i . . e . an American American.JYour AmericanJYour . jYour Your father and mother , no nodoubt nodoubt nodoubt doubt , were also born here hereand hereand hereand and perhaps their fathers and andmothers andmothers andmothers mothers before them . But Butwhen Butwhen Butwhen when you begm begin tracing your yourancestry yourancestry yourancestry ancestry back a few genera genera- generations generations generations - tions , what do you find ? j I $ Somewhereback Somewhere _ , . back the1 theie e you youcome youcome youcome come across the he name of an an- an ancestor ancestor an ancestor - cestor who was born in m England Englandor or France or Germany or Italy Italyor Italyor : or some other European country countryand countryand countryand I and came to this tins country as an anI anCCmumgrant an"immigrant an"immigrant animmigrant . CCmumgrant "immigrant immigrant " . . " No matter if he heor heor or she did come over on the May May- Mayflower Mayflower Mayflower - flower or on one of the ships that thatbrought thatbrought thatbrought brought Capt . . John Smith's Smiths ' col- col colOnIsts colonists col colonists - - onists to Virginia , they'ere they \\'ere 'ere ere were were"immigrants \ were"immigrants wereimmigrants 'ereccunmlgrants \ ' ccunmlgrants "immigrants immigrants " " just lust the same . . So Sowhere Sowhere Sowhere where does that leave you youwIth youwith youwith wIth your boast of being bemg " 100 per perI percent percent percent I cent American , " especially If Ifancestry ifancestry ifancestry ancestry is 1S taken into mto account9 account account9The ? The Only Real "Americans Americans " . " I Of course , if you happen to toI tobe tobe tobe I be an American Indian you can cantrace cantrace i itrace trace your ancestry back far f farenough a r renough ! enough on this contment continent to qual qual- qual1fy qual- qual qualify qualify - - ' ify 1fy as a one-hundred one hundred - - percenter percenterin I Iin in this respect . . But there are areonly areonly areonly only a few thousands of you who whocan whocan whocan can . . As for the rest of us--we us we us-we uswewho uswewho - us - wewho who have white wrute skins skills , or black blackor blackor black"or blackor or " brown or y yellow ellow e11ow - - - we're were ' all alldescendants alldescendants alldescendants descendants ofuImmigrants of uImmigrants "immigrants immigrants "immigrants"who immigrantswho " " who came over here at one tIme tImeor timeor timeor or another during durmg the last fourN four N , N - - yfey ( ? 2:1 2:1b : b r ( + ry ? - . , . , b bE E - ! # ! Y YA Ya Yy Yr A YY a r y Y ' THE AVERAGE AMERICAN AMERICANcenturies centuries and immediately began helpmg helping beganhelpmg beganhelping themselves to the lands landsof landsof landsof of theunatIves the "natives natives unatIves " " Not only that , but the earl1est earliest earl1est"ImmIgrants earliest"immigrants earliest"immigrants earliestimmigrants "ImmIgrants ImmIgrants " " tacked a name on onto onto onto to theseunatlves these "natives natives unatlves " " v/hich v hich whIch / wasn't wasnt wasn'ttrue wasn'ttrue wasn'ttrue wasnttrue ' true at all Christopher Colum Colum- Columbus Columbus Columbus - - bus , the Italian Itahan , , believing behevmg that he hehad hehad hehad had sa sailed ed far enough west to toreach toreach toreach reach the islands near the ASiatic ASiaticcountry Asiaticcountry Asiaticcountry country of India , called the cop cop- copper copper copper - - per skinned inhabitants mhabltants of those thoseIslands thoseislands thoseislands Islands IslandsuIndIans "Indians Indians uIndIans " " Those who whofollowed whofollowed whofollowed theyknew followed him , even though they knew that he was mIstaken mistakendidn't mistakendidnt , I IdIdn't dIdn't dIdnt ' do anything anythmg about correct correct- correctmg correcting correcting - ing mg this tlus error in m nomenclature nomenclatureSo So SoulndIans "Indians Indians ulndIans " " they have been to tothIS tothis tothis thIS day . Moreover , v/hcn v hcn when / you call your your- yourself yourself yourself - self anuAmerIcan an "American American uAmerIcan " " just remem remem- remember remember remember - - ber that you're youre ' ' doing domg it because becauseback becauseback becauseback back backm backin m in 1507 a German geograph geograph- geographer - - er named Martin Martm Waldseemullersuggested Waldseemuller Waldseemullersuggested Waldseemullersuggested suggested that the newly-discov newly discov newly-dIscov- newlydIscovered newlydiscovered newlydiscovered - - - - - ered continent contment be called "America "Amer Amer "Amer- "AmerIca "America " - ica " for Amencus Americus Vespucci , m an anItalian : anItalian mItahan Itahan Italian a'cplorer acplorer e ' plorer . . But giving gIvmg gtvmg you that name namehasn't namehasn't namehasn't namehasnt hasn't hasnt ' been the only contrIbutIon contributionof of peoplesto other lands and other peoples to your every-day every day - - life We in tlus this tlus"land this"land this"land thisland "land land " of the free and home of the thebrave thebrave thebrave brave " Let's Lets ' ' examine e"Camme eCamme " a typIcal day typicalday in m your life We and see how well wellthIS wellthis wellthis thIS " 100 per cent Amencan American American"characterization Americancharacterization " chdracterlZat chdracterlZaton characterization appliesYou're apphesYou're on applies apphes You're Youre ' awakened m in the morn morn- mornmg morning morning - ing mg by a clock , which was in- in in - < , vented m Europe in medIeval medIevaltImes medievaltimes medievaltimes tImes , you throw back an eider eIder- eIderdown eiderdown eiderdown - down qu quilt t , first made m In Scandi ScandI- ScandInavIa Scandinavia Scandinavia - navia , and jump out of a bed bedwluch bedwhich bedwhich wluch which is bu built t after exactly the thesame thesame thesame same pattern as those orIgmated originated originatedin orIgmatedin in Persia or Asia Minor Mmor . You Youglance Youglance Youglance glance out of the window wmdow to see seewhat seewhat seewhat what sort of day it's its ' going gomg to tobe tobe tobe be and you're youre ' lookmg looking through throughglass throughglass throughglass glass , first made by the anCIent anCIentEgyptIans ancientEgyptians ancientEgyptians EgyptIans . You take off you y yournight-clothes yournight clothes o u r rmghtclothes rnightclothes mght-clothes mght clothes night-clothes night - ( if it's its ' pajamas you youv.eart youwear youwear v.eart veart v.eartthey wear . , , they originated orlgmated among the theEast theEast theEast East Indians ) and make a dash dashfor dashfor dashfor for the bathroom . There you step across a floor floorof floorof floorof of glazed tile , made by a process processthat processthat processthat that originated orlgmated in m the Near East Eastrun , run some water m in a bowl of por por- porcelam porcelam porcelain - celain celam ( first made m China Chma wIth wIththe withthe withthe the Mediterranean artisans of the theBronze theBronze theBronze Bronze age contributing contrIbutmg the art artof artof artof of enameling enamelmg on metal metal ) ) and start startbrushmg startbrushing startbrushing brushmg brushing your teeth-a teeth a teeth - a European EuropeanpractIce Europeanpractice Europeanpractice practIce that didn't didnt ' extend to toAmerIca toAmerica toAmerica AmerIca until late m in the Eight EIght- EIghteenth Eighteenth Eighteenth - eenth century . Next you begm begin begmstlrrmg beginstirring begmstirring stlrrmg stirring up some lather from soap soapwhIch soapwhich soapwhich ( whIch was mvented invented by the an- an anCIent ancient an ancient - cient Gauls ) and start to shave shavea , a rite first practiced by theheathen the theheathen theheathen heathen priests of ancient Egypt Egyptand Egyptand Egyptand ( and we don't dont ' dare tell you the thereason thereason thereason reason for this rite ' ) . Your razor razorblade razorblade razorblade blade is made from steel , WhICh whichis IS an iron carbon alloy dIscovered discoveredin dIscoveredm m in India or Turkestan . Having Havmg finished shaving shavmg , , you youhop youhop youhop hop into mto the bath tub WhICh WhIChwas whichwas whichwas was invented mvented by the ancient Ro- Ro Romans Romans Ro Romans - - mans and after you've youve ' fimshed finished fimshedyour finishedyour finishedyour your bath , you'll youll ' probably dry dryyourself dryyourself dryyourself yourself with a Turkish towel towel.If towelIf . . If your home is steam-heated steam heated steam-heatedthe steam heatedthe - , the only truly American inven mven- mven mvenbon mvention invention - - tion bon m in it is the radiator but , of ofcourse ofcourse ofcourse course , it's its ' made of iron , the use useof useof useof of which goes back to an anCIent anCIentASiatIc ancientAsiatic ancientAsiatic ASiatIc industry mdustry . Garments From Many Lands . Now that ) you're youre ou're oure ' finished wIth wIthyour withyour withyour your ablutions ( that's thats ' from a Lat Lat- Latm Lat- Lat Latin Latin - - in m word meaning meamng "to to " wash washyou " ) you start to get dressed You put puton puton puton on close fitting fittmg garments whose whoseform whoseform whoseform form was first established establ1shed by the theskm theskin theskin skm skin clothing clothmg of nomadic tribes on onthe onthe onthe the Asiatic steppes centuries ago agoYour agoYour agoYour Your shirt is made from cotton cottonfirst , first domesticated m in India ; your yourscarf yourscarf yourscarf scarf is made from silk whIchthe whichthe which the " Chmese Chinese hine " first " ' made ' ' and " your " coat , vest and trousers are vool wool wooltaken , wooltaken vooltaken taken from an animal ammal that was a anative anative anative native of Asia Minor Mmor . Of course courseif , If it's its ' a hot day you may put on ona ona ona a linen lmen suit and linen lmen was first firstdomesticated firstdomesticated firstdomesticated domesticated in m the Near EastNext East EastNext Next you sit down on a chair chairwhich , WhICh was invented mvented m in the Near NearIast NearEast NearEast Iast East : , and begin begm putting puttmg on a apaIr apair apair paIr of shoes made from hidethat hIde hIdethat hidethat that is prepared by a process processwhIch processwhich processwhich whIch was invented mvented in m ancIent ancIentEgypt ancientEgypt ancientEgypt Egypt and cut according accordmg to pat pat- patterns patterns patterns - terns that ongmated orlgmated originated m in Greece Greece.Take GreeceTake . Take a final look at yourselfm yourselfthe yourself m in inthe inthe the mirror now Straighten your yourtIeyour yourtieyour yourtie tIe-your tIe your - your wearing wearmg it thus because becauseuway because"way because"way becauseway uway "way way " back when " the Croats Croatswore Croatswore Croatswore wore shoulder shawls NotIce NotIcethose Noticethosebuttonsonthe Noticethose those thosebuttonsonthe buttons on the sleeves of your yourcoatthey're yourcoat ' coat-they're coat they're theyre - they're theyre ' there because the thefine thefine thefine fine gentlemen of Europe wore worelace worelace worelace lace cuff's cuffs ' on their shirts srurts and anddIdn't anddidn't anddidn't anddidnt dIdn't dIdnt ' want them dripping drlppmg around aroundtheIr aroundtheir aroundtheir theIr hands . So they just lust buttoned buttonedthem buttonedthem buttonedthem them back on the sleeve buttons buttonson on their . . Now it's its ' time for breakfast breakfast.When breakfastWhen . When you sit down at the table tableyou tableyou tableyou you find before you various pot pot- pottery pottery pottery - tery \ vessels essels which you call callchmaand callchinaand callchina chma-and chma and china-and china - and that tells you what whatcountry whatcountry whatcountry country it came from . UFmgers "Fingers Fingers UFmgerswere "Fingerswere "Fingerswere Fingerswere " were made before forks , " It's Its It'strue it'strue it'strue itstrue ' true , but since smce medieval tImes timesin tImesm m in Italy we've weve ' been using usmg forks forks.You forksYou . You stir your first cup of coffee coffeean coffeean coffeean ( an Abyssinian Abyssmlan plant first dIS- dIS dIScovered discovered dis discovered - - covered by the Arabs ) with a aspoon aspoon aspoon spoon that's thats ' not much dIfferent dIfferentfrom differentfrom differentfrom from one v/hich v hich WhICh / Julius Juhus Caesar Caesarused Caesarused Caesarused used You put in m sugar , wruch which wruchwas whichwas whichwas was first . made in m India , and andcream andcream andcream cream , , * "by by " courtesy of the copy- copy copyI copyrightovmers copy-nght-ov/ners copy nght ov ners - I rlght-ovmers rlght ovmers right-ovmers right - - / " on the domestica domestlca- domestlca domestica- domestlcabon domestication domestication - - tion bon of cattle and the techniqueof techmqueof techmque technique of mllkmg-anclent mllkmg anclent milking-ancient milking ancient milking - ancient inhabitants of ofASIa ofAsia ofAsia ASIa Minor Mmor . American ( ? ) Food . Will you have some fruit frmt now nowHere's now9Here's now9Heres " Here's Heres ' an orange , first domesti domesti- domesticated domesticated domesticated - cated in m the region reglOn of the Mediterranean Medi MedI- MedIterranean Mediterranean - terranean ; a cantaloupe , fi r s t tdomestIcated tdomesticated tdomesticated domestIcated grapesdomesticated in m Persia ; grapes , domestIcated m in Asia Minor Mmor , or oran oran oran an apple ( no , not from the Gar Gar- Garden Garden Garden - den of Eden-but Eden but Eden - but from the regIon regIonwhere regionwhere regionv/here regionv here where / it was located ) . Now , how howabout howabout howabout about some cereal ? It If it's its ' made madefrom madefrom |