hyphen-American
n.— «In the United States, the question, “So, where are you from?” carries with it certain connotations that apply only to people who aren’t fully American. That is, if you are what I call “Hyphen-American,” the aforementioned question can either mean: where in the United States were you born and raised, or, what ethnicity do you identify yourself with?» —“Are you from South or North?” by Sylvia Lee Korea Herald (Seoul, South Korea) Oct. 21, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Trivia time! Where in the United States can you visit Soda City? If you answered Columbia, South Carolina, you’re right! This nickname apparently derives from an old practice of abbreviating Columbia as Cola. The locals then referred to the town as...
If you speak a second or third language, you may remember the first time you dreamed in that new tongue. But does this milestone mean you’re actually fluent? And a couple’s dispute over the word regret: Say you wish you’d been able...