Citizenship, nationality and ethnicity

The first time I realized the difference between citizenship and nationality was when I moved to Europe. I had an Argentinian passport, but was Polish. In countries of the New World this difference is not obvious per se.

Many European countries are a composition of nations: Flemish and Waloons in Belgium, Catalonians and Basks in Spain, etc. A mosaic of nationalities enrich a country's culture.

In the United States, the concept of country and nation are equal. When Americans speak of the nation, they have in mind the country; to have the American citizenship means to be an American in nationality. If an American asks you what country are you coming from, there is no further question about nationality. However in many official documents in the US (for example, to get the Social Security Number), one has to declare his or her race/ethnicity: "American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, White, Hispanic Latino", while the question of race is rarely or never placed in Europe.

The concept of nation is not univocal in Europe and America. Europe is a composition of nations and will never become a country; America is a nation composed of different ethnicities, all proud of their country. Another characteristic that makes America so unique.