Members of the far right, following J.D. Vance, love to talk about “heritage Americans.” What does that term mean?
The definition appears to have two different threads. The first one is ethnic and cultural; it applies only to WASPs. The second is historical; only Americans whose ancestors immigrated during or before the Civil War need apply.
The distinction is extremely important. I’m of sturdy WASP stock, but my ancestors didn’t arrive in America until the turn of the 20th century. By the cultural test, I am a heritage American, but by the historical standard, I am not.
So which is it? If the historical test is the one that matters, virtually all black Americans, and a fair number of Hispanics, qualify. Is that what Vance really means? And why is an American whose ancestors immigrated after the Civil War better than a virtually identical one with American roots that are only 100 years old?
This will make for a fascinating discussion when Vance tries to persuade hundreds of millions of what he thinks are second-class citizens (including his wife, of course) to vote for him in 2028.