In the midst of LaShawn Barber's Wikipedia controversy, this gem

There's a debate, of sorts, underway at Wikipedia over whether La Shawn Barber, one of the better bloggers on the right, is worth an entry. Wikipedia is a site (and a concept) that I like a lot, but it has a real problem with politically sensitive entries. This is just a minor scrap and not worth much attention really. However...in a quick comment on the entry La Shawn dropped a gem:

And they called me “African American,” which I’m not. I’m an American.

Bless you La Shawn. I'm so pleased to see you say that. I don't have a hyphen. Really would have to work hard to come up with one. The closest immigrants in my ancestry came from Ireland several generations ago, but I could never really justify "Irish-American". I've never understood the interest in hyphen's; why qualify one's citizenship? Everybody has a family history and ancestry and should be proud of that. I'm all for sharing one's ancestral culture. I just feel that adding anything to "American" is a depreciation. Why cheapen one of your most valuable assets?