EuroAmericans

EuroAmericans is a term used to describe Americans whose ancestry traces to Europe. In scholarly and demographic contexts it denotes people of European descent and is more specific than the broad racial categories used in the United States. The designation covers a wide range of backgrounds, including English, Irish, Italian, German, Polish, French, Greek, Scandinavian, and others, reflecting the diverse European immigration to North America.

History of Euro-American communities begins with European settlement in colonial times and intensifies with large waves in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Groups such as the Irish, Germans, Italians, and Poles formed ethnic neighborhoods, contributed to labor and industry, and helped shape American urban and rural life. Over time patterns of assimilation and intermarriage blurred strict distinctions, even as distinct cultural traditions persisted. Immigration policy, citizenship debates, and the civil rights era also influenced how European-descended Americans understood and expressed their heritage.

Demographics and identity: the United States does not designate Euro-American as an official census category; most data classify people by race as White or by ancestry. Surveys show many Americans report European ancestry, often alongside other backgrounds, leading to considerable variation in self-identification. In everyday use, people may identify simply as American or as White American.

Cultural and social contributions: Euro-Americans have contributed across politics, science, arts, business, and education. Religious diversity among European-descended groups has included Protestant, Catholic, Jewish communities, among others, and European linguistic and culinary traditions have influenced various aspects of American culture.

Contemporary usage: some scholars prefer European American or White American depending on context. The term emphasizes continent-based origins within American identity but is not a homogeneous or fixed group.