 in the united states, the term hyphenated american is an epithet commonly used from 1890 to 1920 to disparage americans who were of foreign birth or origin, and who displayed an allegiance to a foreign country. it was most commonly used to disparage german americans or irish americans (catholics) who called for u.s. neutrality in world war i. former president theodore roosevelt was an outspoken anti-hyphenate and woodrow wilson followed suit.john higham, strangers in the land: patterns of american nativism, 1860â1925 (1955) online text p 198 the term "hyphenated american" was published by 1889, and was common as a derogatory term by 1904. during world war i the issue arose of the primary political loyalty of ethnic groups with close ties to europe, especially german americans and also irish americans. former president theodore roosevelt in speaking to the largely irish catholic knights of columbus at carnegie hall on columbus day 1915, asserted that,  president woodrow wilson regarded "hyphena
Anti-immigration_politics_in_the_United_States Ethnic_groups_in_the_United_States Identity_politics