Original artwork, not a still
The Guardian (29 January 1992)
In this country American means white. Everybody else has to hyphenate.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Morrison points out that, in this country, 'American' quietly defaults to white, so everyone else needs a modifier attached. The hyphen becomes a symbol of being treated as partly outside the label. It's a comment on who gets to be assumed, and who has to qualify.
Context reviewed
