Americans who are proud of their Irish roots.....?

Question

I have noticed alot of Americans I have talked to, or seen or heard from who are very proud of their Irish roots.... seem to have no clue about modern day Ireland.

I think its nice that they are so proud... but if they are gonna go off spouting "oh we are an Irish family...." --- they could at least try to learn a thing or two about here....

I mean, I have heard people say we eat haggis and that we are part of the UK and referred to st.Patricks day as "Pattys day"......

Your thoughts?

Answer 1

Well, I am an American who is very proud of her Irish roots.... and the Scottish ones, and the English ones.... but I at least have the tact to know about where I come from. I don't understand how anyone can say they're proud of their heritage and know nothing about it. But then again, some Americans are very very stupid about countries outside of their own.

Worst experience: Told someone I was going to England, they asked "Is that in London?" *headdesk*

Answer 2

Here's a thought, I will continue to not assume all Irish are (blank), if in return you'll do me the same courtesy

I'm Irish American (and German American and lots of other types of American) and I know enough about Ireland to impress people who live in the gaeltacht....further I am just as proud of my ancestors who founded this country (especially since they actually did so for religious freedom when most of our original colonies were founded for profit) and left Ireland in the 1700s as I am of the later emigrants who left the Free State in the 30s because they were tired of all the shooting

It's very easy to criticize Americans for their lack of world knowledge/travel, but please bear in mind we do not get the vacation time that the rest of the world gets, we don't have 12 other countries we can fly to for 100Euros and the US is huge like you can't imagine (to be blunt, Ireland is literally the size of the teensy state that broke off of my home state of Virginia in our Civil War.....we are #3 in land mass, y'all are #120)...so for us (tragically) Disney is a much more likely trip

all that being said.....dude, I hate St. Patrick's Day

f'ing  green beer drunken idiots in Aran sweaters

shudder

Answer 3

Firstly, can we please not bash America as a whole? They are not all "uneducated and inarticulate". Secondly, geographically, we ARE part of the Brittish Isles, but we are not part of Britian or the UK. (Well... the north is a part of the UK, but it's IN Ireland... oh, you know what I mean!)

I just think it's funny most of the time. Whenever I got to touristy places in the summer, I'm surrounded by all kinds of Americans. Most of them, whether they have Irish roots or are just visiting for the h**l of it they know their stuff, but you get idiots of every nationality. (I think the phrase "Skwa lads!" applies)

And I know it's not really related, but I love how Americans say "Ireland". They give it a third syllable! It's so cute!

Answer 4

They sicken my ar5e !!!

Answer 5

I agree with you totally.

From reading the comments of some people in the Ireland section for precious questions, I have actually noticed a hostility towards Americans for being proud of their Irish roots, and I don't think that's fair.

I'm glad I come from a country that people are proud to be descended from. Though I have to admit I was a bit annoyed when I was asked if we had tractors in Ireland...

By the way Courtney B - Ireland is one of  the British Isles - It is independant, is not British, and is not part of the UK, but it is one of the British Isles...

Answer 6

I don't think these people even know the difference between Scotland and Ireland!

Do you see the amount of questions like "What's the difference between Scotland and Ireland" and they also think Irish people say Top of the morning to ya!

People think that if their great-great-great grandmothers dog came from Ireland, then they have Irish roots! LOL

= )

Answer 7

Wow, sit back and get comfortable. At heart of this is a misinterpretation on the part of the Irish as to what an American means by "Irish". There is ignorance and misinterpretation on both sides of this. First - You have to look at the differences in the countries. The US is HUGE and has more people than would fit in Ireland even if you stacked them like wood. It has arguably the most diverse population of any country on Earth. Every single language on Earth is being spoken somewhere in the US. So, as people do, cultures separate into groups. The Italian American immigrants found common ground, the Polish Americans, The Chinese Americans...etc... It is just a cultural identifier. People form groups based on similarities. So, the Irish-Americans were born. Americans with Irish family history are not saying that they are Irish per say. You will hear an American (in the US) say - "Are they Irish Irish?", or "Irish from Ireland?" - which means an actual Irish person. To just say "Irish" means that that person has an Irish heritage (that is, an Irish American). This is true for all countries that grew rapidly via immigration last 200 years or so. Canada does it, Australia does it, Brazil does it...it's just the Americans that get sh*t for it. Look up the Irish Festivals held in countries outside the US to get an idea of this practice.

When abroad, an American is obviously an American and ids themselves as such. At home in the US, the cultural background comes into play. For Instance, Al Pacino, recently feted by Trinity College - is an American who identifies himself as Italian American. Americans can be both. Ireland has never had  absorb millions of new people in it's history - a million immigrated from Ireland alone at the time of the famines...that is just one country. Millions came from all over the world. Of course they separated into cultural groups.Of course those immigrants passed down bits of their original culture. Of course that culture changed and adapted to the new environment. Irish American culture is it's own entity, similar to the original Irish culture - but, different. Why wouldn't it be?

At the heart of this is Ireland not having much knowledge about immigration from the receiving end. Eve the ancient invasions (Vikings etc...) were not as large as immigration was o the US or Canada. As Ireland has had much recent immigration for the first time in it's history, you will soon have a generation of children who identify themselves as both Irish and as Polish, Chinese, etc...Even though they are Irish, they will still eat some of the foods of their parents original land , partake in the culture and music, and maybe speak a little of the language. The new Irish immigrants all live in clusters of their original nationality don't they? Just like the Irish who emigrated to America did. Get it?

If you are going to be so rigid in who does or does not qualify as Irish, then I would suggest that you learn a little history of the Irish in America and then judge. Claiming to be Irish is not what these Americans are actually doing. They are merely marking their heritage. There is quite a lot to be proud of as an Irish American that has nothing to do with Ireland. There is also a connection to Ireland that many younger Irish in the rush to fashionable anti-Americanism forget or overlook. Such as the fact that money sent back to Ireland from those who were brave enough to go abroad to the US and start from nothing kept many Irish farms afloat. American dollars fed many in Ireland. The Irish Americans raised the money (6 million) so that the Irish War of Independence could be fought. Politically, from the Anglo-Irish war to the Good Friday agreement, Ireland has enjoyed the support of the US and has gained by it - because of the connection of Irish-Americans. America kept De Valera from execution and helped pressure the British on Home Rule. (Parnell's mother was an American by the way) You are apparently just as ignorant of our history as you claim Americans to be of your own. I have encountered massive ignorance and misconceptions about the US by some Irish.

By the way, I know a bit of Irish history myself, and the "Patty's" day explanation is really very simple - Paddy was an anti Irish slur in the US - one among many. Pat is also a boy name here and Paddy is not really used, nor is Padraig. It's a cultural difference. I understand your annoyance, but there are plenty of things that the Irish get dead wrong about the US, so maybe you could just relax a bit and let it slide. Correcting people instead of complaining might do the trick.

I do notice that the Irish are very quick to claim the famous or celebrities that have Irish heritage as being Irish. A bit hypocritical, that.

Learn about us, and spread knowledge about your own culture = simple. Or just complain.

EDIT - Thanks trouble, I think it's just that you have actually met us. People who haven't lump us all together and think the worst. Come back anytime, and see the rest of the country.

Monkeyandsheep - please go to a country where you will complain less. For everyone's sake. Not that many in the US have passports because we cannot afford to travel as we are so far from the rest of the world, we get the least holiday of any Western country and until recently we didn't need passports to go to our closest neighbors (Canada, Mexico, etc...) Most Europeans don't know where Missouri or Kansas City are - they just know New York, Boston or San Francisco. Does that make them dumb? You should try and learn something about where you are staying and maybe not judge by your own culture. I cannot keep track of the number of times here on YA that a non-American has asked what state New York City is in. It goes both ways.

Answer 8

Thank you Ginger1.  And for all of the Irish on here who apparently are "offended" at the fact that there are millions of Americans who are proud of their Irish ancestry, you guys really have some time on your hands.  Is this really a reasonable thing to get upset about?  For crying out loud.  We like you, and still we can't win.

Forget it.  What's the point?  Alright.  I have no Irish blood in me, never did.  No relatives of mine have ever come from Ireland.  Happy now?

Answer 9

yeah, I'm living in Boston and it drives me nuts. I do my best to pretend not to speak english so as not to have to talk to them, haha.

St Patty's day, what's that all about. I nearly decked one of 'em when I heard it for the 100th time.

Two words come to mind with most americans,

uneducated and inarticulate. I know we have tonnes of negatives too as Irish people, but I'm just voicing these two.

Just over 1/3 have passports in the US. I was at a party the other night and between 10 people, aged from 17 to 40, none could name the four countries of the UK, and didn't know that Britain was the same thing.

They just don't have a clue.

The worst thing to hear is, "I hear the economy is booming in Ireland at the moment".

It's like reading the Times from 1998.

Answer 10

Thank you Ginger1! Appriciate the support. I just got on here to ask about where to elope in Ireland. Ever since I was a little girl I wanted to get married in Ireland. Since my husband-to-be's family is American Irish also I thought it would be awesome. We planned to go LEARN more about the culture, the people, the traditions that we've not been exposed to. I actually was offended by all the negative things said about all of us dumb redneck americans. I guess ignorance goes both ways, ehe?  **Oh and your complaints about our believing all irish drink guiness and all that c**p.. LOOK INTO YOUR OWN IRISH TOURISM SITES! It should explain alot to ya.

Answer 11

ughhhhh! i hate this,some of them think ireland is in england,that it's connected to mainland europe and think we say top of the mornin' to ya and drink guiness and eat potatoes non-stop.

and i've heard them say we eat haggis too.

and it really anoys me when thay say that their great great great grandmother's mam was from ireland so that makes them irish

Answer 12

Oh yes, you come across that too, plus the pat on the head for being Irish and so brave for leaving the side of the turf fire and the cottage by the lake for the bright lights of wherever - when most of us get into our cars and leave our houses full of mod cons for the airport to travel to Spain or wherever using tickets we bought onliine to accommodation we also bought online.

Ireland is not a fecking theme park, get used to this.

The Paddy's day thing is probably due to the fact that many Americans don't distinguish between 'd' and 't'.

Answer 13

Totally agree.

They seem not to care enough about Ireland to even learn anything about it, even basic facts, like where Ireland is located on a map.  It is very offensive when they assume Irish people are simple, lazy, and drunk.  Also, I do not appreciate jokes about Northern Ireland from people who do not even know the history (they don't teach it in American schools).  

You are so right....I have had people think haggis is Irish, and that Ireland is in the "British Isles." Ugggghhh!!!

However, I noticed many Americans of other ethnic groups are more correctly informed of the countries of their heritage, and don't make silly inferences about the country and the people.  Why do many of the Irish Americans do this???