As we have read in Tacitus’ Annals XI, Emperor Claudius is faced with the dilemma of deciding whether the people of Gauls should be allowed to be represented within the Roman Senate. The Senate came to the explanation that they should not because they are not “real Romans”, but just the inhabitants of a country that the Roman Empire had conquered. To this statement, Emperor Claudius goes against the Senate and explains how no one is a “real Roman”. Everyone sitting in the seats at the Roman Senate came from different places, but the fact that they were all eventually conquered, assimilated, and integrated by the Roman Empire is what led them to believe that they are “real Romans”. Emperor Claudius makes this argument for the Gauls because they are going through the same process and so they are deserving of representation at the Senate just as much as anyone else is.
This thought of “real” anything can be seen even in empires of the modern world. For example, all across the U.S., there seems to be endless debate on whether a person is a “real American” or not. To be factually and historically correct, the only people who are actually “real Americans” are the Native Americans who lived on this land long before Columbus sailed here in 1492. Everyone else, as far as most of us know, immigrated form somewhere else, whether that be Europe, Africa, Asia, or South America. Most of today’s American population has ancestors that came to the U.S. from a different country. But what makes someone a “real American”, in more of a simple and modern term? Some believe that it has to do with the color of someone’s skin or their background and race. However, just because a person may have the looks of a Mexican person does not necessarily mean they are from Mexico. That person may be just as “real” of an American as a caucasian whose ancestry goes back to Europe.
Many believe that to be a “real American”, one has to be a U.S. citizen. This notion can be true, but it can also not be true. In my opinion, a person born and raised in the U.S. can be considered a “real American” because this is the only home that he or she has ever known. However, a person who spent most of his or her life here should also be considered a “real American” because like Emperor Claudius explained with the Gauls, these people were assimilated and integrated into American society and culture. They do not have to be U.S. citizens to be considered a “real American”.
Race has a lot to do with this example because like the Roman Empire, the U.S. has a lot of people from different backgrounds. A person’s race does not determine whether or not he or she is a “real American” because that does not show who that individual person is or where he or she came from. A Chinese person can be a “real American” even though his family is from China because he or she has been integrated into the U.S., and this is his or her new home.
The Races of Empires 