--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Thus, biologically speaking the American…" description: "\"Thus, biologically speaking the American people are literally only half an immigrant people.\" — Samuel P. Huntington" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/samuel-p-huntington-4547_american-people_thus-biologically-speaking-the-american_3133085.png" --- # Thus, biologically speaking the American people are… ![“Thus, biologically speaking the American people are literally only half an immigrant people.” quote by Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/samuel-p-huntington-4547_american-people_thus-biologically-speaking-the-american_3133085.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/samuel-p-huntington-4547_american-people_thus-biologically-speaking-the-american_3133085.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/samuel-p-huntington-4547_american-people_thus-biologically-speaking-the-american_3133085.png) > “Thus, biologically speaking the American people are literally only half an immigrant people.” [Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The United States is composed of many immigrants, but roughly half of its population descends from recent arrivals, shaping its cultural identity. **In simple terms:** America is half recent immigrants. Key Takeaway Recognize the impact of immigration on society. Themes history demography identity immigration politics Mood analytical reflective neutral Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - policy debates - educational curricula - media analysis - community outreach Key Concepts Cultural assimilation national narrative social cohesion Questions to Reflect On - What does “half an immigrant people” mean for national identity? - How does this view affect immigration policy? A Different Perspective Immigration narratives can oversimplify complex histories and ignore indigenous populations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-people/) [Half](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/half/) [Half Immigrant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/half-immigrant-5549733/) [Immigrant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigrant/) [Immigrant People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigrant-people-939672/) [Literally Half](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literally-half-5549734/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [In the United States everyone is an illegal immigrant - everyone except the people in Indian Reservations. This is an immigrant society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/in-the-united-states-everyone-is-an-illegal-immigrant-everyone-except/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The privilege of serving my country is not only rooted in my military service, but also in my personal history. I sit here, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-vindman/the-privilege-of-serving-my-country-is-not-only-rooted-in-my-military/) [Alexander Vindman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-vindman/) > [“I have lived my life defined as a refugee in Nepal and India, a resident alien and immigrant in the United States. At last,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsering-wangmo-dhompa/i-have-lived-my-life-defined-as-a-refugee-in-nepal-and-india-a/) [Tsering Wangmo Dhompa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsering-wangmo-dhompa/) > [“Being an immigrant is not a status but a state of mind. It doesn’t stop when you “assimilate” or “integrate” or when you go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-stafford/being-an-immigrant-is-not-a-status-but-a-state-of-mind-it-doesn-t/) [Stewart Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-stafford/) > [My mother was an immigrant from Lebanon to the United States. She came when she was 18 years old in 1920.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-j-mitchell/my-mother-was-an-immigrant-from-lebanon-to-the-united-states-she-came/) [George J. Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-j-mitchell/) > [My father's immigrant story is a big part of who I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-suozzi/my-father-s-immigrant-story-is-a-big-part-of-who-i-am/) [Tom Suozzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-suozzi/) > [In Holland I have seen well-meaning, principled people blinded by multiculturalism, overwhelmed by the imperative to be sensitive and respectful of immigrant culture, while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/in-holland-i-have-seen-well-meaning-principled-people-blinded-by/) [Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/) > [The immigrant experience of all of us is what makes us Americans, because we value in our DNA liberty and opportunity above all else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/the-immigrant-experience-of-all-of-us-is-what-makes-us-americans/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [I was painfully shy as a child; I was dyslexic. I had a single mother who's an immigrant. I just didn't believe acting was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaya-scodelario/i-was-painfully-shy-as-a-child-i-was-dyslexic-i-had-a-single-mother/) [Kaya Scodelario](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaya-scodelario/) > [If cheap immigrant labor is made unavailable, employers can hire Americans at a higher wage, or replace low-wage immigrant workers with technology and automation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-c-ting/if-cheap-immigrant-labor-is-made-unavailable-employers-can-hire/) [Jan C. Ting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-c-ting/) > [I'm an immigrant, a legal immigrant to the United States. I only became a citizen five years ago. Every day, for seven months, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-gorka/i-m-an-immigrant-a-legal-immigrant-to-the-united-states-i-only-became/) [Sebastian Gorka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-gorka/) > [My parents were, had a marriage of passion, and the passion was about their religious beliefs. They were both immigrant families that - well,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-jackson/my-parents-were-had-a-marriage-of-passion-and-the-passion-was-about/) [Phil Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-jackson/) > [Royalty has always been an unconscious but all-consuming goal of the European immigrant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vine-deloria-jr/royalty-has-always-been-an-unconscious-but-all-consuming-goal-of-the/) [Vine Deloria Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vine-deloria-jr/) > [When you are in America, at least for me, as an immigrant, I try to be as Americanized as I could. I just want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-o-yang/when-you-are-in-america-at-least-for-me-as-an-immigrant-i-try-to-be/) [Jimmy O. Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-o-yang/) > [I identify with Superman. I am adopted, I am an only child, and I love the idea that he comes from another world, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-singer/i-identify-with-superman-i-am-adopted-i-am-an-only-child-and-i-love/) [Bryan Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-singer/) ## More by Samuel P. Huntington > [Countries will cooperate with each other, and are more likely to cooperate with each other when they share a common culture, as is most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/countries-will-cooperate-with-each-other-and-are-more-likely-to/) [Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/) > [“The prevalence of anti-patriotic attitudes among liberal intellectuals led some of them to warn their fellow liberals of the consequences of such attitudes for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/the-prevalence-of-anti-patriotic-attitudes-among-liberal/) [Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/) > [Also, of course, for most of this time most Americans thought of America as a white country with, at best, only a very segregated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/also-of-course-for-most-of-this-time-most-americans-thought-of/) [Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/) > [These transnationalists have little need for national loyalty, view national boundaries as obstacles that thankfully are vanishing, and see national governments as residues from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/these-transnationalists-have-little-need-for-national-loyalty-view/) [Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/) > [Civilizations evolve over time, and most scholars of civilization, including people like Carol Quigley, argue that they go through periods of warring states, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/civilizations-evolve-over-time-and-most-scholars-of-civilization/) [Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/) > [First of all, we haven't always welcomed immigrants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/first-of-all-we-haven-t-always-welcomed-immigrants/) [Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/) > [Hispanics speak Spanish or Portuguese, which are languages we Americans are familiar with, so it doesn't seem to pose the same types of problems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/hispanics-speak-spanish-or-portuguese-which-are-languages-we/) [Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/) > [Israel has military capabilities including nuclear weapons, far surpassing any other power in the Middle East, but it's a small country. The rest of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/israel-has-military-capabilities-including-nuclear-weapons-far/) [Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/) > [America doesn't border on Muslim countries. European countries do and that seems to be a fundamental difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/america-doesn-t-border-on-muslim-countries-european-countries-do-and/) [Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/) > [Except under rare circumstances, I don't write responses to criticism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/except-under-rare-circumstances-i-don-t-write-responses-to-criticism/) [Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/) > [Religiosity distinguishes America from most other Western societies. Americans are also overwhelmingly Christian, which distinguishes them from many non-Western peoples. Their religiosity leads Americans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/religiosity-distinguishes-america-from-most-other-western-societies/) [Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/) > [Both sides are divided and Western countries collaborate with Muslim countries and vice versa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/both-sides-are-divided-and-western-countries-collaborate-with-muslim/) [Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/) > [ Some Westerners \[…\] have argued that the West does not have problems with Islam but only with violent Islamist extremists. Fourteen hundred years of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/some-westerners-have-argued-that-the-west-does-not-have-problems-with/) [Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/) > [What are the prospects for an Arab state serving a leading role comparable to the role that other states place in other regions? There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/what-are-the-prospects-for-an-arab-state-serving-a-leading-role/) [Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/) > [Obviously there are divisions within the West and divisions within Islam - there are different sects, different communities, different countries. So neither one is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/obviously-there-are-divisions-within-the-west-and-divisions-within/) [Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/) [Explore all 109 Samuel P. Huntington quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/) ## More American people quotes > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-as-much-as-government-can-do-and-must-do-it-is-ultimately-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Given a choice between two bald political candidates, the American people will vote for the less bald of the two.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-gold/given-a-choice-between-two-bald-political-candidates-the-american/) [Victor Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-gold/) > [When the American people saw the LA riots and crowds of Blacks cheering O.J. Simpson (who was acquitted by the almost all Black jury),…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-duke/when-the-american-people-saw-the-la-riots-and-crowds-of-blacks/) [David Duke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-duke/) > [In any event, it is one thing to assert, then or now, that the Iraq war was ill-advised. It is quite another to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-silberman/in-any-event-it-is-one-thing-to-assert-then-or-now-that-the-iraq-war/) [Laurence Silberman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-silberman/) > [Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. We have to take risks and it's important that we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/well-look-cia-is-an-agency-that-has-to-collect-intelligence-do/) [Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/) > [I don't know a politician who enjoys fundraising. The system is such that the American people have lost faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-don-t-know-a-politician-who-enjoys-fundraising-the-system-is-such/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [Probably the greatest single obstacle to the progress and happiness of the American people lies in the willingness of so many men to invest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-rockefeller/probably-the-greatest-single-obstacle-to-the-progress-and-happiness/) [John D. Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-rockefeller/) > [If a financial institution has business operations in the United States, hires people in the United States, if they are clogged with illiquid assets,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-paulson/if-a-financial-institution-has-business-operations-in-the-united/) [Henry Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-paulson/) > [The American people reject the idea of giving Washington a blank check to increase the debt limit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-roby/the-american-people-reject-the-idea-of-giving-washington-a-blank/) [Martha Roby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-roby/) > [The coronavirus has yet again exposed the strong contrast between President Trump - who is working ardently for the American people - and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kayleigh-mcenany/the-coronavirus-has-yet-again-exposed-the-strong-contrast-between/) [Kayleigh McEnany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kayleigh-mcenany/) > [The American people demand results, not rhetoric, especially when it comes to national security issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-hayworth/the-american-people-demand-results-not-rhetoric-especially-when-it/) [J. D. Hayworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-hayworth/) > [Hillary Clinton truly is sincere, but she has to connect more with the American people in terms of what she believes in and how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pelosi/hillary-clinton-truly-is-sincere-but-she-has-to-connect-more-with-the/) [Nancy Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pelosi/) > [The American people are incredibly generous and even playful when you open yourself up and feed the media beast until it goes away satisfied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krystal-ball/the-american-people-are-incredibly-generous-and-even-playful-when-you/) [Krystal Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krystal-ball/) [Browse all 2,233 American people quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-people/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Thus, biologically speaking the American people are literally only half an immigrant people.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Samuel P. Huntington" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/thus-biologically-speaking-the-american-people-are-literally-only/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "American people" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/thus-biologically-speaking-the-american-people-are-literally-only/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/samuel-p-huntington-4547_american-people_thus-biologically-speaking-the-american_3133085.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/samuel-p-huntington-4547_american-people_thus-biologically-speaking-the-american_3133085.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/samuel-p-huntington-4547_american-people_thus-biologically-speaking-the-american_3133085.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Thus, biologically speaking the American people are literally only half an immigrant people.” — Samuel P. Huntington", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Samuel P. Huntington", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Thus, biologically speaking the American people...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/thus-biologically-speaking-the-american-people-are-literally-only/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/thus-biologically-speaking-the-american-people-are-literally-only/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```