Why are the irish upset when americans say they have irish heritage?

Question

im just wondering why you wouldnt be proud of the fact that americans are proud of their irish background. im not trying to be rude im just wondering.

Answer 1

Maybe they have no interest in heritage because its all the same for most. All from Ireland. Myself I have a part of an Irish name but we dropped the O' ages back because as the dude said we're not Irish. We are Texan and danged proud of it. Got more Native American in me and English than Irish but I've noticed too that few over there care to talk to you about where your distant ancestors came from.  A Brit texts me one day and said you and I (nations) are like cousins. Don't you feel the connection? Sort of but my cousins talk to me, ME.

Got to thinking about this and it occurs to me that in America when I was a kid the teacher teaches you that America is a "melting pot". It was created by those from other places and welcomed others in need with open arms. Sure they had to work their butts off but they were welcomed. Then the teacher starts to tell you things about where your name originated or asks every kid in the class where their ancestors came from. This is repeated many times over the course of your education. As a child you learn about your heritage and that of your nation. We learn we are connected to the rest of the world's people. Nothing makes me prouder than my Native American heritage. Maybe the Irish just don't understand how it is to be American.

Answer 2

Agree 100% with the first answer, couldnt have put it better myself.

Answer 3

The first answer has it spot on.  Personally I would consider an American with Irish grandparents less "Irish" than the child of Polish immigrants to Ireland, who is growing up and going to school in Ireland and will presumably live here for the rest of its life.  Your nationality all depends on what culture you grow up in.  There's nothing wrong with an American being interested in where their ancestors came from, but it's not right for them to call themselves Irish in my opinion.

Answer 4

we don't get upset about it, you see we don't see heritage the way you do. if you are born in ireland, you are Irish, if you are born in america, you are american, pure and simple. we don't feel the need to belong like you do, i mean you live in what you call the greatest country in the world, but you constantly class yourselfs as anything but americans. you should be proud off who you are as a people and stop looking to the past. your ancestors left here for a reason, and to start a new life somewhere else, its good to remember them, but you are living your life now, in your country, we are very proud of what the irish did in america,  don't get me wrong,

Answer 5

100% agree with the first answerer...cant think of anything else that needs to be said about the subject!

Answer 6

Personally I don't have a problem with ANYONE saying they have Irish heritage - people have a heritage and that's it.

Too many Americans assume that this is automatically the way into 'being' Irish - and it's not. Too many of them have talked down to us in patronising manner, like we're the poor relatives, and when we have the gall to pull them up and say, for example, that the War in Iraq is wrong and illegal, they tell us we're ingrates for not supporting them when there are so many American companies in Ireland providing employment - many (but not all) of those same American companies have pulled out of Ireland because all of a sudden they cannot afford us any longer, and have relocated their operations to India, where not only is the population educated and cheap, but where health and safety regulations are not well enforced, meaning that a lot of corners can be cut. However, this point seems not to come up in general conversation anymore, especially given that the War in Iraq is now so unpopular in the US as well. I am under the impression that many Americans feel that the Bush Administration took advantage of the panic surrounding 9/11 to push certain interests, and that many Americans also feel, to a certain extent, that they have been deceived in some way.

Of course, the war in Iraq aside, Americans can be charmingly naive. Many times when in mainland Europe, they'd hear my accent and tell me that they have a neighbour/grandmother/grandfather/aunt/u... that came from such and such a place, like they expected me to know these people! I don't remember not meeting any Yanks who didn't say something to this effect .... sometimes it's hilarious and sometimes it's exasperating. Occasionally I encounter some that think that Ireland is still the place that's portrayed in the film The Quiet Man - oh Gosh! All that's long gone, I'm afraid. Personally I steer the conversation to talking about where they're from, and avoid politics in general - after all, everyone is on holiday and they just want to have a nice time.

Answer 7

It's not that they get upset, they're just annoyed by people with Irish heritage that go on and on about it and say they ARE Irish. Often the idea of Ireland and being Irish that "irish-americans" have is wrong and full of stereotypes. And it is kind of weird that someone is proud of being Irish not being really Irish, and not having ever lived in Ireland. Because of the American culture it's probably normal, right and great to be proud of one's heritage, but that's a concept that no other country has. So, it can be hard to understand and can sound silly to non-americans.

Answer 8

I don't mind them saying they have Irish heritage,it's when they say I'm irish..my great,great,great....grandmother was from Cork etc.. and they've never been here,that annoys me

Answer 9

not upset, just don't really care. We hear it an awful lot -- no one cares if your half sisters grandmother had a brother whose aunt is 1/4 irish.

Answer 10

i disagree with other people on this....

someone born to Irish parents is Irish.... whether that is in Ireland or in America or anywhere else for that matter

someone born in Ireland to non-Irish parents is an Irish citizen but not ethnically Irish

for me being an Irish citizen is largely irrelevant...

being a citizen of any western country is exactly the same

Ireland, Britain, France.... no difference

but being Irish is my culture, ethnicity and identity

so an American citizen can be as Irish as me provided we share the same ancestry

to demonstrate this... my mothers aunt moved to America with her husband and had 2 boys (who went on to fight in Vietnam)

for me those men were as Irish as my mother even though they were born in the US

Does a pregnant cat gives birth to horses because its in a stable?