I tend to lindil's point of view; there are numerous inconsistencies and it is rarely worth the effort to try and reconcile them. Accept the mythology as is...perhaps the inconsistency of the stories is Tolkien's greatest achievement in making the mythology seem more 'real'.
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Someone whose family has been in the United States for generations is certainly an "American"; but the person may call himself or herself "Italian" without contradiction.
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The funny thing is, I
do find that a contradiction, and during my stay here, have found that habit more and more strange. The family members who have emigrated/immigrated have some claim to belong (to my mind, and I expect to be shouted down viciously)to both the host nation and their adopted country of residence, but with the passage of generations, the concept confuses me and strikes me as an affectation.
[ January 31, 2003: Message edited by: Rimbaud ]