CNBC, what is your definition of an American?

CNBC's
Rovell: NYC Marathon Winner Is Only "Technically" An American
Henry Blodget|Nov. 3, 2009,


An insidious form of nationalism is threatening the very core of what makes
this country great.


There has been an outcry of protest that Meb Keflezighi is not really the
first "American" to win the New York
marathon since 1982--because he was born in Africa and moved here when he
was 12.

Never mind that Keflezighi is an American citizen.

Never mind that he's lived in the United States for 22 years.

Never mind that he has raced for the United States in the Olympics.

Never mind that every single person in this country who doesn't happen to be
a Native American either came here from somewhere else or is descended from
someone who did.

One of the most surprising advocates of this position is CNBC's Darren
Rovell:

It's a stunning headline: American Wins Men's NYC Marathon For First Time
Since '82. Unfortunately, it's not as good as it sounds.

Meb Keflezighi... is technically American by virtue of him becoming a
citizen in 1998, but the fact that he's not American-born takes away from
the magnitude of the achievement the headline implies. Given our
disappointing results, embracing Keflezighi is understandable. But
Keflezighi's country of origin is Eritrea, a small country in Africa. He is
an American citizen thanks to taking a test and living in our country.

Nothing against Keflezighi, but he's like a ringer who you hire to work a
couple hours at your office so that you can win the executive softball
league.

Nothing against Rovell, but this is seriously disturbing.

Since when did we define who is and isn't an American by their "country of
origin"? [which is apparently defined as where, through no fault or glory of
their own, someone happens to have been born].

The greatest strength of this country is that people can *choose to
become Americans. It's that act of will--the decision to take action
to change your circumstances--that has made this country the most vital and successful on earth for the past 200 years. It is also what can pull us out of our
current economic slump and re-light our competitive fire. It is what can
save us from becoming, say, Japan.

Let us not wreck the magic of what makes America great by suddenly
dismissing every American citizen who didn't happen to have been born here
as only "technically" American. They're not "technically" American.
They're *American*. And the rest of us are lucky to have them.