American ethnicity differs from United States nationality. An individual's nationality is American if he or she is a national of the United States of America. The circumstances under which a person is ethnically American are less clear.
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According to 2000 U.S census data, an increasing number of United States citizens identify simply as Americans on the question of ancestry.[1][2][3] According to the United States Census Bureau, the number of people in the United States who reported American and no other ancestry increased from 12.4 million in 1990 to 20.2 million in 2000.[4] This increase represents the largest numerical growth of any ethnic group in the United States during the 1990s.[5] The US Census Bureau says, "Ancestry refers to a person’s ethnic origin or descent, 'roots,' or heritage, or the place of birth of the person or the person’s parents or ancestors before their arrival in the United States"[6] American sociologist Mary C. Waters suggests that it may be speculated that mixed ethnicity or ancestry nominate a more recent and differentiated ethnic group.[7]
| South | Midwest | West | NE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average | 11.2% | 6.5% | 4.1% | |
| Plurality | AR KY TN WV | |||
| 10%+ | All but DE MD FL TX | IN MO | ||
| 7.2%+ | All but DE MD | IN MO OH | ME | |
| Top 5 | All but DE | IN MO OH KS IA |
CO ID OR UT WA WY |
ME |
In the 2000 United States Census, 7.2 percent of the American population chose to identify itself as having American ancestry (see Ethnic groups in the United States for a list of ancestries in the U.S.).[5] The four states in which a plurality of the population reported American ancestry are Arkansas (15.7%), Kentucky (20.7%), Tennessee (17.3%), and West Virginia (18.7%).[4] Sizable percentages of the populations of Alabama (16.8%), Mississippi (14.0%), North Carolina (13.7%), South Carolina (13.7%), Georgia (13.3%), and Indiana (11.8%) also reported "American" ancestry. In the Southern United States as a whole 11.2% reported "American" ancestry, second only to African American. "American" was the 4th most common ancestry reported in the Midwest (6.5%) and West (4.1%). All Southern states except for Delaware and Maryland reported at or above the national average of 7.2% "American", but outside the South, only Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Idaho, Maine. All Southern states except for Delaware, Maryland, Florida, and Texas reported 10% or more "American", but outside the South, only Missouri and Indiana did so. "American" was in the top 5 ancestries reported in all Southern states except for Delaware, in 4 Midwestern states bordering the South (Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Ohio) as well as Iowa, and 6 Northwestern states (Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming), but only one Northeastern state, Maine. The pattern of areas with high levels of "American" is similar to that of areas with high levels of not reporting any national ancestry.[8]
American colonials fighting under Vice-Admiral Edward Vernon in the War of Jenkins Ear, 1741, were first called "Americans" rather than "colonials."[9]