When can someone be called a Native American?
After living in the United States for
many years, when can someone be called a Native American?
The answer is:
Never based on how long you live there.
The term Native Americans refers to the
Indigenous peoples whose ancestors lived in what is now
the United States before European colonization. It is an ethnic,
cultural, and often tribal identity—not something acquired by residence
or citizenship.
Depending on your situation, the appropriate term would be:
- If you become a U.S. citizen, you are an American
or U.S. citizen.
- If you have lived in the U.S. for many years but are not a citizen,
you might be a U.S. resident or permanent
resident (if you have a green card).
- If you were born in another country, you can also describe yourself
as Chinese American, Taiwanese
American, Indian American, etc., depending on
your background and citizenship or identity.
So, no number of years living in the U.S. makes someone a
Native American. That term is reserved for members of the
Indigenous peoples of the Americas.
If you meant a different phrase, such as “native
speaker” or “native-born American,” let me
know, and I can explain those as well.
|
| That’s an interesting distinction, and in everyday English people
often use terms that are less precise than the legal definitions. |
| Here’s how these terms are normally understood in the United
States: |
| * American – Anyone who is a U.S. citizen, whether
by birth or naturalization. * Native-born American or
native-born U.S. citizen – Someone who was a U.S.
citizen at birth, |
| usually because they were born in the United States or acquired
citizenship at birth through U.S. citizen parents. This is a legal term
used in some contexts. |
| * Naturalized American – Someone who was born a
citizen of another country and later became a U.S. citizen through
naturalization. * Multi-generational American – Someone
whose family has lived in the United States for several generations.
This is an informal expression and doesn’t have a fixed number of
generations. * Old-stock American – A historical term
for families whose ancestors settled in the U.S. generations ago, often
before the late 19th century. Today, this term is uncommon and can carry
political or exclusionary connotations, so it’s generally best
avoided. |
| ### Is there a term for families that have lived in the U.S. for a
long time? |
| There isn’t an official one. People may say: |
| * “My family has been in America for six generations.” * “I’m a
fifth-generation American.” * “My ancestors have lived here since the
1700s.” |
| These descriptions are clearer than trying to use “native
American.” |
| ### “Native-born American” vs. “Native American” |
| The difference is important: |
| * Native-born American = born with U.S.
citizenship. * Native Americans = member of one of the
Indigenous peoples of the United States. |
| Because “Native American” is so strongly associated with Indigenous
peoples, Americans generally do not use it to mean
“someone whose family has lived here for many generations.” |
| For example: |
| * ✓ “She is a native-born American.” * ✓ “He is a seventh-generation
American.” * ✓ “Her family has lived in the U.S. since colonial times.”
* ✗ “He is a Native American” (unless he is Indigenous). |
| So if your interest is in ancestry rather than Indigenous identity,
“fifth-generation American,” “sixth-generation
American,” or “native-born American” are the
most natural and widely understood expressions. |
以下是繁體中文版本：
您的問題很有意思，而且這兩個概念在英文中確實很容易混淆。
1. American（美國人）
American 指的是
美國公民，不論是：
- 出生即具有美國國籍（Birthright citizenship）
- 後來歸化成為美國公民（Naturalized citizen）
只要具有美國國籍，都可以稱為 American。
2. Native-born
American（美國本土出生公民）
Native-born American 或 native-born U.S.
citizen 是指：
出生時即具有美國國籍的人。
通常包括：
- 出生於美國本土（依據出生地主義）
- 或出生於國外，但出生時即因父母身分取得美國國籍。
它的重點是：
天生就是美國公民，而不是後來才歸化。
例如：
- John was born in California.
- He is a native-born American.
如果某人來自臺灣，移民美國二十年後取得美國國籍，他就是：
Naturalized American（歸化美國公民）
而不是 native-born American。
3. Native American（美洲原住民）
這個詞意思完全不同。
Native Americans 專指：
美國的原住民族（印第安人、阿拉斯加原住民等）。
例如：
- Cherokee（切羅基族）
- Navajo（納瓦霍族）
- Apache（阿帕契族）
- Sioux（蘇族）
因此，
Native American ≠
出生在美國的人
這是許多非英語人士最容易誤解的地方。
4.
家族已經住在美國很多代，英文怎麼說？
英文通常不會說：
❌ Native American
而會說：
第五代美國人
Fifth-generation American
表示：
曾祖父母以上就已經在美國。
例如：
I’m a fifth-generation American.
第七代美國人
Seventh-generation American
表示家族已經在美國生活了數百年。
例如：
Her family has been in America for seven generations.
多代美國人
Multi-generational American
表示：
家族已在美國生活許多代。
這個說法很常見，也沒有政治敏感性。
家族已在美國生活很久
英文也常直接說：
- My family has lived in America for over 200 years.
- My ancestors settled in America in the 1700s.
- My family has been here since colonial times.
這些都是非常自然的說法。
5. Old-stock
American（歷史名詞）
以前還有：
Old-stock American
意思是：
家族很早就在美國定居（通常殖民時代）。
不過今天這個詞已較少使用，而且有時帶有政治或排他性的意味，因此一般不建議使用。
最後整理
| 英文 |
中文 |
是否常用 |
| American |
美國人（美國公民） |
✅ 最常用 |
| Native-born American |
美國本土出生公民／出生即為美國公民 |
✅ 正式用語 |
| Naturalized American |
歸化美國公民 |
✅ 常用 |
| Fifth-generation American |
第五代美國人 |
✅ 很自然 |
| Multi-generational American |
多代美國人 |
✅ 很自然 |
| Native American |
美國原住民 |
⚠️
僅指原住民族，不能用來表示家族住很久的美國人 |
| Old-stock American |
美國老家族後裔 |
⚠️ 歷史用語，現今較少使用且可能帶有敏感意涵 |
總結
如果您的意思是「祖先已經在美國生活很久，但不是原住民」，最自然的英文是：
- I’m a fifth-generation
American.（我是第五代美國人。）
- I’m a native-born
American.（我是出生即具有美國國籍的美國人。）（如果您是在美國出生並具有美國國籍）
- My family has lived in the United States for
generations.（我的家族已經在美國生活好幾代。）
這些都是美國人日常最自然、也最不容易造成誤解的表達方式。
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