"I'm Irish American"

[MacMahon]

I've noticed that to many Americans their Irish, Scots, Italian etc. roots are a big part of their current identity. As a nation of immigrants in a New World I can see why this link to earlier generations is interesting and important.

But it's also something I find confusing.

I live in Yorkshire. I'm English. I have Irish ancestors on both side (great grandparents and great x2 grandparents). If I was in America this would quite possibly be a big deal. I'd be an Irish American and identify with the struggles and persecution that my people suffered at the hands of the English. But I wasn't born in America, I was born in Leeds, and my Irish ancestry play zero role in my identity.

I'm on an ancestry group and Americans are getting that DNA test done and finding out that, contrary to family lore that they are Cherokee or Mexican or Italian Americans, they're actually pretty much 'just' 100% British.

It makes me wonder how authentic this celebrating or identifying with their Irish/First Nations/Italian roots is, and how much is just (mistaken) tribalism and division.

@UniBallEye and @Bathtoy

Thank you for those posts, history I knew nothing of.

@gwenneh really interesting post!

I think because so many Irish arrived in America staving, poor, defeated the challenge of arriving on dry land so many miles away was a dream to the ones that starved at home.

For those that went I'd say they told many stories about Ireland, the Irish love storytelling and it became part of the next generation.

My Dbro moved to New York 15 years ago for a year, he's still there.
He thinks the attention is OTT.

So why is it Americans of Irish descent that get the scrutiny? Or is this just another one of those threads so MNers can enjoy scoffing at Americans while simultaneously demonstrating that they don't understand them in the first place?

There is an enormous amount of anti-Irish feeling on MN and MNHQ don't treat it terribly seriously so it is generally allowed to stand. This topic gives them a double whammy - scoff at americans (a popular pastime) and demonstrate their anti-Irish sentiments. What more could they ask for?

To add I like the connections and have no issue with it.

They tend to think themselves "more Scottish" than the Scottish, so for my sanity I have to stay away.

There is a great song by the Canadian band, Spirit of the West, called The Old Sod. The chorus begins with "There's none more Scots than the Scots abroad". It's a great song.

This has been an interesting thread, and I have to say as opened my mind more to the Irish-American experience, I’m guilty of perhaps being a little dismissive in the past of Americans who claim to be Irish but it is more understandable which you consider the culture being passed down amongst the descendants of immigrants. And how that in turn makes them out of step with modern Ireland (or indeed any time in Ireland when it comes to corned beef and cabbage - I was very bemused when an American looked for “traditional” Irish cuisine in Dublin and she meant this!). Fascinating about the girls who went to Australia as well, such hard lives they must have had. Following this thread I googled some more about them and it seems like the Scheme was brought to an early end because the girls were the “wrong type” - anti-Irish and anti-catholic bigotry had been exported to Australia with the Ulster Scots and Protestant settlers. That might explain why there isn’t the same attachment to Irish heritage in Australia as in the USA.

@OchonAgusOchonOh

So why is it Americans of Irish descent that get the scrutiny? Or is this just another one of those threads so MNers can enjoy scoffing at Americans while simultaneously demonstrating that they don't understand them in the first place?

There is an enormous amount of anti-Irish feeling on MN and MNHQ don't treat it terribly seriously so it is generally allowed to stand. This topic gives them a double whammy - scoff at americans (a popular pastime) and demonstrate their anti-Irish sentiments. What more could they ask for?

Yeah I think this explains it really

I just find this whole thread astounding, that English people think their opinion on this question actually matters. It's between the Irish and the Americans, it's nothing to do with you.

Why don't we admit that anti American xenophobia or racism is a sport in the UK that is never tackled by moderators or the media.

@IsleofRum

Why don't we admit that anti American xenophobia or racism is a sport in the UK that is never tackled by moderators or the media.

No shit!

I'm married to an Englishman and lived nine years of my life in England so I hold those in England and the UK, as a whole, in high regard.

To see such nastiness on on media and other places is disappointing to me, to say the least.

@IsleofRum

Why don't we admit that anti American xenophobia or racism is a sport in the UK that is never tackled by moderators or the media.

They don't tackle the anti-Irish xenophobia either. Stuff on here and in the media has only gotten worse since brexit. The fact we wouldn't roll over appeared to be astonishing.

I think the fact the US is also not backing up the UK stance is a bit of a shock. After all, special relationship etc etc.

Tbh U.K. / English gets a fair amount of attack on here too.

It’s pretty constant

Maybe we should say what we like about other cultures instead

@OchonAgusOchonOh this thread has been pretty eye-opening!

@IsleofRum

Why don't we admit that anti American xenophobia or racism is a sport in the UK that is never tackled by moderators or the media.

Yep - anti-Irishness too. Probably acceptable xenophobia to MN HQ! This snooty characterisation of Americans as stupid and weird and Irish-Americans are particularly stupid is sheer ignorance. It's like a bad dream from the 1970s, all these little britons whinging about anything that doesn't precisely conform to their own myopic world view.

Im Russian so no skin in this game but there are some posters who always spout the most disgustingly bigoted anti English crap on here.
Many posters think that anything less than positive fawning is anti American. It's not true. There was a ffs Australia thread on here about climate change earler today. The Australians responded with maturity,information and understanding that it wasnt them it was their government. If it was Ireland or US and not Australia it would be filled up with chippy anti-English whataboutery

@znaika

Im Russian so no skin in this game but there are some posters who always spout the most disgustingly bigoted anti English crap on here. Many posters think that anything less than positive fawning is anti American. It's not true. There was a ffs Australia thread on here about climate change earler today. The Australians responded with maturity,information and understanding that it wasnt them it was their government. If it was Ireland or US and not Australia it would be filled up with chippy anti-English whataboutery

Maybe the Irish and Americans are a bit more fed up about the casual xenophobia that permeates so many threads on here so respond more aggressively.

@MarshaBradyo

Tbh U.K. / English gets a fair amount of attack on here too.

It’s pretty constant

Maybe we should say what we like about other cultures instead

The flack to the UK is usually in response to xenophobia.

Maybe we should say what we like about other cultures instead

I haven't noticed a restraint in some posters in this regard.

It’s more likely some posters based here join in with the anti English /U.K. stuff

A recent thread that asked for positive stuff got completely railroaded

Nope. They hate the English and it rings through the text. Why they come in to an English forum to rile themselves up god in heaven only knows. Its been noted. I eveb recognize the names and can predict their presence.

@znaika

Nope. They hate the English and it rings through the text. Why they come in to an English forum to rile themselves up god in heaven only knows. Its been noted. I eveb recognize the names and can predict their presence.

Bullshit post

@znaika

Nope. They hate the English and it rings through the text. Why they come in to an English forum to rile themselves up god in heaven only knows. Its been noted. I eveb recognize the names and can predict their presence.

MN is not an 'English forum' ffs

Nope. Ive been here more than a decade)))

@znaika

Nope. Ive been here more than a decade)))

Is that supposed to make you exempt from bullshit posts?

It's UK based in London. Maybe UK more accurate. Majority nationality of UK is English. I am not English. Just an observer.

Nope. But it means that when you accuse me of being a troll you won't be able to back it up