On America and ethnic ancestry

[Strike For The South]

As Americans how much pride do you take in your ethnic background?

I am generally interested to find out how much Americans associate with the "old country" I think it will vary depending on where you are I know a faced a culture shock just moving from San Antonio to Lubbock. On the one San Antonio's culture was much more varied wether it be Mexican German or Czech all these people took allot of pride in where they came from even if it was hundreds of years ago. At times it was tiresome and I bemoaned at the pig headedness of these people and they way they held on to traditions rather than become American. I thought as a country thats given them so much a country which my family has been a part of for over 400 years one that they helped build (rather literally) why couldn't they just drop it. Then I moved here and its really all kind of white bread. The food isn't as good or varied, there is really ethnic flavor and I'm finding it all kind of boring (the city not uni) I'm not saying you cant do both merely posing a question.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

I take quite a bit of pride in mine, but I'm also not an American.

[ICantSpellDawg]

As Americans how much pride do you take in your ethnic background?

I am generally interested to find out how much Americans associate with the "old country" I think it will vary depending on where you are I know a faced a culture shock just moving from San Antonio to Lubbock. On the one San Antonio's culture was much more varied wether it be Mexican German or Czech all these people took allot of pride in where they came from even if it was hundreds of years ago. At times it was tiresome and I bemoaned at the pig headedness of these people and they way they held on to traditions rather than become American. I thought as a country thats given them so much a country which my family has been a part of for over 400 years one that they helped build (rather literally) why couldn't they just drop it. Then I moved here and its really all kind of white bread. The food isn't as good or varied, there is really ethnic flavor and I'm finding it all kind of boring (the city not uni) I'm not saying you cant do both merely posing a question.

My family is predominately Irish Catholic from co. Mayo and co. Moneghan. I've played the bag-pipes and gone to hibernian meetings in my youth, but as I've grown up I realize that the Irish I'm proud of are the ones that are in America. Visiting Ireland numerous times I am consistently disappointed as I never see the type of Irish or the ideals that I've been raised to cherish in my friends and family. The Irish in the U.S. are proud of their heritage, where the Irish I meet in Ireland wish they were someone else (English, French or American). Generalizations of course, but I have made the break and celebrate hiberno-american heritage over Irish heritage. I realize that my childish idolization of the Irish culture was immature, but it still hurt when it was inevitably crushed. I curse them for their ordinary humanity when they should be superhuman.

[Marshal Murat]

I like being American, but I also enjoy associating and such with my Celtic culture.

I think I strike a good balance of playing bagpipes and rugby without wearing woad every St. Andrews day.

[seireikhaan]

Kinda hard to be proud of "my ancestry", when it includes German, English, Italian, French, and a little bit of Danish...

I know the German's got top precedence, but its maybe 50% at most. So, sir, I frankly don't give a damn.

[Reverend Joe]

Half my family was falsely accused of killing someone's god by a bunch of dumbass fanatics and thus has been subject to random genocides over the past one and a half thousand years.

The other half are drunken psychopathic savages who ended up selling out to the Man when they came over to America.

I think I'll just stick to being American.

[Proletariat]

Portugal, England, Sweden and Scotland can all go jump in a lake. I'm simply American and I've come to terms with that. I do hold a regard and interest in my family's genealogy and the different cultural influences that ended up making me me, but not along any national lines.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

Half my family was falsely accused of killing someone's god by a bunch of dumbass fanatics and thus has been subject to random genocides over the past one and a half thousand years.

The other half are drunken psychopathic savages who ended up selling out to the Man when they came over to America.

So you're half Jewish and half Irish?

[m52nickerson]

I take quite a bit of pride in my Polish ancestry. My family tries to keep traditions alive, especially around the holidays.

......now excuse me I have to finish making my Polish sausage and Perogies.

[Samurai Waki]

I do take some small inkling of pride in my Anglo-Saxon heritage. I've always considered myself an American first and foremost, to do anything else shows a great amount of fool-hardiness because the rest of the world will always see me as nothing else but what I am. I do hold legal citizenship to the UK by birth (mom's from Liverpool), but I've only been twice, and I've no intention to live there unless things were to get out of control here.

[Reverend Joe]

So you're half Jewish and half Irish?

Yep.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

Yep.

[Mangudai]

Good Morning America how are ya? Don't ya know me I'm your native son.

I'm part Native American. My first Anglo-Saxon ancestors came to America in 1607. 3/4 of my grandparents are part of families that were here before the American revolution.

The Native part is from the woman Pocahontas (you may have heard of her). She married John Rolfe who blended tobacco from the Caribbean with Virginian tobacco, creating the first commodity that North America could export. Their son Thomas was born in England, the first Native American born in the old world. The Jamestown folk didn't want Thomas the half-breed to marry a good English girl. He did anyway, but left Jamestown to found a new colony in what is now Winston-Salem, North Carolina. His great granddaughter Mary married Sterling Clack a colonel in George Washington's army. They lost their property in the war and moved to Kentucky.

[CountArach]

Where's the "I'm not American and I am very thankful for that" option?

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Where's the "I'm not American and I am very thankful for that" option?

But that doesn't make any sense

[Strike For The South]

Where's the "I'm not American and I am very thankful for that" option?

lawlz

[Husar]

I'm half dutch and half german, consider myself a german and will consider myself an american if I ever move there(at least once I am somewhat accustomed). My home is what I choose to be my home, if those arrogant, selfish "natives" let me in that is.

[Louis VI the Fat]

Non-American by birth, Texan by the grace of God.


~~~~~~~


If an Irish-American couple moves to Ireland, are their children:
American-Irish?
Irish-American Irish?
Irish-Irish?
Still bloody Yanks regardless?

And if an Italo-American moves to France, is he Italian or American? And his children?

[Uesugi Kenshin]

I'm Irish, Scottish, Norwegian, English, Bohemian and a bit Hungarian so it's kinda hard for me to have too much pride in any one nation, but when I watched the Czech team play during the Euro Cup I was Czech and since I spent a year in Germany I feel a bit German as well. Anyway I like learning about the many countries from which my ancestors came, but really I'm a Vermonter and that's all there is to it. I never considered myself in terms of whether I was American or not until I left the US for a year though. I guess that's because when you're in the US the state you're from or live in matters a whole lot more than whether or not you're American, unless you're an illegal immigrant in the deep South that is...

[KukriKhan]

Non-American by birth, Texan by the grace of God.


~~~~~~~


If an Irish-American couple moves to Ireland, are their children:
American-Irish?
Irish-American Irish?
Irish-Irish?
Still bloody Yanks regardless?

And if an Italo-American moves to France, is he Italian or American? And his children?

My experience has been similar to Uesugi Kenshin's: I didn't really grasp my "american-ness" until I'd left the place.

I've lived in California since October 1988, but I'm still considered a newcomer here. :)

[Viking]

100% Norse and 0% American.

[yesdachi]

I've lived in California since October 1988, but I'm still considered a newcomer here. :)

Funny that you mention that, when I am in CA many of the people I meet will make a point of letting me know that they are “Native” Californians. I didn’t realize it was so important for them to differentiate themselves in such a manner until after encountering it a few dozen times.

I am Native American, Irish, Scottish, Austrian, French & Spanish. I look stereotypical Irish but I don’t have a deep connection to any specific piece of my heritage.
I am an American mutt.

[Kralizec]

Descendant from the greatest race the world has ever known: Frysians

[Rhyfelwyr]

About 75% Scottish, 25% Northern Irish, and that's it.

Being good lowland Scots my parents like to think that Highland dancing etc is part of their culture.

My Northern Irish relatives feel of course very British. I got a leaflet entitled "No Surrender" from one of them telling me to visit Derry's Walls along with my birthday card last week.

[PanzerJaeger]

As a first generation American of German parents, I take pride in both nations. My parents are definitely "Germans living in America" because there's so much money to be made, but I feel a certain loyalty to the US that they do not.

[Martok]

I'm an American mutt: On my mom's side, I'm mostly Norwegian with a dash of Swedish thrown in. On my dad's side, I'm equal parts English, Irish, Danish, and German.

I largely identify with my Norwegian roots -- my family celebrates Syttende Mai every year (along with much of my state) -- but I also have some appreciation for my Irish and English heritage as well.

[Don Corleone]

My folks are 2nd generation Irish (mom) and Italian (dad). They really were one of those West Side Story types in the 60's, except that my Dad's family were far from hooligans, they were stonecutters and artisans (except for his dad, who was the lone machinist in the family).

I used to feel a lot of kinship and affinity for Ireland and Italy. Then I started traveling in the mid 90's. And I realized that I have much, much, much more in common with an African American from Chicago then I do with even the local residents in Carigaline, Co. Cork (where a lot of my mom's people were from).

Now, I'm more like Prole. I find Irish and Italian history very interesting, but only as a prelude to the Story of Me. I don't have the same affinity for the modern nations that say Jewish-American folks have for Israel.

[Strike For The South]

My folks are 2nd generation Irish (mom) and Italian (dad). They really were one of those West Side Story types in the 60's, except that my Dad's family were far from hooligans, they were stonecutters and artisans (except for his dad, who was the lone machinist in the family).

Where in Italy? My birth-giver was from Salerno. Ill admit at times I do feel an infatuation with Italy much more than my English side simply because of the culture food and women of which England has none of. Not to mention they come over in 1545 not 1981 lol

[Husar]

If an Irish-American couple moves to Ireland, are their children:
American-Irish?
Irish-American Irish?
Irish-Irish?
Still bloody Yanks regardless?

And if an Italo-American moves to France, is he Italian or American? And his children?

They're all humans, aren't they?

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Yes, we read a small speech from Kant in high-school and I feel totally enlightened and stuff ever since.

[Crazed Rabbit]

I'm an American who happens to have Irish ancestors.

CR