Why do Americans want to be Irish?

Overheal

owenc wrote: »

and apparently germans are the most common ancestry to have their, but i don't see many claiming to have german ancestry.

Because you're not german so there would be no point in having that conversation with you?

"Oh you're Irish?"

"Yes"

"Oh wow. I have German ancestry."

"..."

"..."

"Cool story, bro."

Pauleta

I think its because America was founded on immigration (Yes i know of the native americans ) That everyone in the country wants to have some retention of where their family originated from but all in all they are American like all the different groups in the USA. Although we dont really see it as much in Australia as far as i know.

southsiderosie

owenc wrote: »

Yes because when you talk to them about the troubles they blame the unionists and praise the ira!:mad:

A lot of the way Irish-Americans see Ireland is shaped by the fact that the last big wave of migration to the U.S. took place when the national question dominated Irish politics. So someone like my mother grew up hearing stories about the English from their (very republican) grandparents, and their ideas about Irish politics and culture are rooted in the early decades of the 20th century.

As for claiming Irish identity, it's pretty common in the US for people to reference where their ancestors are from. Like another poster said, being Irish often helped with getting jobs, especially in construction, the fire department or the police department. Also, even if you didn't self-identify as such, people's names and Catholicism usually marked them as Irish, who were generally seen as a "lesser" ethnic group in the US until the mid 20th century. So there were both community and social reasons why Irish identity in particular has remained so strong in the US. On the other hand, because of WWI & WWII, German-Americans played down their ethnic background; before the wars, German was widely spoken in the US, especially in the Midwest, and German-language schools and newspapers were common.

orourkeda

To claim the social welfare

deisedude

They don't all want to be Irish. They tell Germans they have German heritage, slovaks they have sloakian heritage, Italians they have Italian heritage. We just think we are special but in reality we are not

Bottle_of_Smoke

White Americans have to put up with the whole slavery inherited guilt bullsh*t.

Ireland didn't colonise anyone in the last 500 years. So being Irish is a bit of a get out.

brummytom

I'm from an Irish background - my family have only been English since the 1950s.

I know I'm not American, but I don't see the problem with anyone who has a background from a particular culture declaring that fact.

I'd never describe myself as Irish, I do hate (non-Irish) people that do that: "Heeey, I'm Irish!".. 'No you're not'; but I've been asked many times if I'm Irish, I prefer to just reply "I'm English, from Irish stock"

Bottle_of_Smoke

brummytom wrote: »

I'm from an Irish background - my family have only been English since the 1950s.

I know I'm not American, but I don't see the problem with anyone who has a background from a particular culture declaring that fact.

I'd never describe myself as Irish, I do hate (non-Irish) people that do that: "Heeey, I'm Irish!".. 'No you're not'; but I've been asked many times if I'm Irish, I prefer to just reply "I'm English, from Irish stock"

In America when someone says 'I'm Irish\Italian\Lebanese etc' they're talking ethnicity rather than nationality. Its like they're saying 'I'm obviously American but from an Irish/whatever background'

Diving Board

Probably for similar reasons that so many Irish want to be American, listen to Ryan Tubridy for an example.

moonpurple

WindSock wrote: »

Whatever...Dudess has the painters in!

finally cracked it

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=has+the+painters+in
:pac:

but how dd you know?

owenc

Overheal wrote: »

Because you're not german so there would be no point in having that conversation with you?

"Oh you're Irish?"

"Yes"

"Oh wow. I have German ancestry."

"..."

"..."

"Cool story, bro."

No because it seems odd that its the Germans that have the most ancestry, to me i would've expected it to be the british or the Irish because they both went over in two whole lots, but the germans didn't do anything so i don't know why theres so many of them , it isn't a race you'd expect to be the most in the usa.

owenc

southsiderosie wrote: »

A lot of the way Irish-Americans see Ireland is shaped by the fact that the last big wave of migration to the U.S. took place when the national question dominated Irish politics. So someone like my mother grew up hearing stories about the English from their (very republican) grandparents, and their ideas about Irish politics and culture are rooted in the early decades of the 20th century.

As for claiming Irish identity, it's pretty common in the US for people to reference where their ancestors are from. Like another poster said, being Irish often helped with getting jobs, especially in construction, the fire department or the police department. Also, even if you didn't self-identify as such, people's names and Catholicism usually marked them as Irish, who were generally seen as a "lesser" ethnic group in the US until the mid 20th century. So there were both community and social reasons why Irish identity in particular has remained so strong in the US. On the other hand, because of WWI & WWII, German-Americans played down their ethnic background; before the wars, German was widely spoken in the US, especially in the Midwest, and German-language schools and newspapers were common.

So your saying that the republican culture went off to america with them and stayed there?? My granny is like that, (on my mothers side) so that must be true, sometimes she really annoys me.:mad:

CreepingDeath

Well apparently humans started off in Africa, so are we African-Irish ?

No, there has to be a line where the original culture was lost and a new one formed.
I think the Irish influence in Irish-Americans gets diluted after a single generation, diluted much like the homeopathy potions until nothing really remains.

owenc

deisedude wrote: »

They don't all want to be Irish. They tell Germans they have German heritage, slovaks they have sloakian heritage, Italians they have Italian heritage. We just think we are special but in reality we are not

Thats what i was saying earlier, about them saying whoever they are talking to and to do it some day.

owenc

Bottle_of_Smoke wrote: »

White Americans have to put up with the whole slavery inherited guilt bullsh*t.

Ireland didn't colonise anyone in the last 500 years. So being Irish is a bit of a get out.

Now they know what its like when they blame unionists for the english. just saying...

owenc

brummytom wrote: »

I'm from an Irish background - my family have only been English since the 1950s.

I know I'm not American, but I don't see the problem with anyone who has a background from a particular culture declaring that fact.

I'd never describe myself as Irish, I do hate (non-Irish) people that do that: "Heeey, I'm Irish!".. 'No you're not'; but I've been asked many times if I'm Irish, I prefer to just reply "I'm English, from Irish stock"

Yes but you've got irish descent so you can say that you are english- irish thats what i do, when someone chats about family.

southsiderosie

Bottle_of_Smoke wrote: »

White Americans have to put up with the whole slavery inherited guilt bullsh*t.

Ireland didn't colonise anyone in the last 500 years. So being Irish is a bit of a get out.

Em, Irish in the US weren't historically the most progressive people on earth. Irish in Chicago and Boston (Southie in particular) were notoriously racist.

Herb Powell

southsiderosie wrote: »

Em, Irish in the US weren't historically the most progressive people on earth. Irish in Chicago and Boston (Southie in particular) were notoriously racist.

they had gangs too

Bottle_of_Smoke

southsiderosie wrote: »

Em, Irish in the US weren't historically the most progressive people on earth. Irish in Chicago and Boston (Southie in particular) were notoriously racist.

That's not really what I was saying.

This site explains it better, it's satire but a lot of it is on the ball:

Most of the time, white people consider celebrations of European heritage to be racist unless they omit large swathes of the 16th through 20th centuries. But since the Irish never engaged in colonialism and were actually oppressed it is considered acceptable and encouraged to celebrate their ancestry. For this reason, 100% of white people are proud to claim that they are somewhat Irish.

http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/03/16/89-saint-patricks-day/

iMax

Because of this:

Overheal

owenc wrote: »

No because it seems odd that its the Germans that have the most ancestry, to me i would've expected it to be the british or the Irish because they both went over in two whole lots, but the germans didn't do anything so i don't know why theres so many of them , it isn't a race you'd expect to be the most in the usa.

Here's the actual ethnical breakdown based on census data:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maps_of_American_ancestries

See also Irish Ancestry distribution: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Irish1346.gif

And German Distribution: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:German1346.gif

Which Im sure when you take into account tourism destinations, will perhaps explain it somewhat.

And Nazis, of course. You know you were thinking it.

owenc

Overheal wrote: »

Here's the actual ethnical breakdown based on census data:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maps_of_American_ancestries

See also Irish Ancestry distribution: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Irish1346.gif

And German Distribution: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:German1346.gif

Which Im sure when you take into account tourism destinations, will perhaps explain it somewhat.

And Nazis, of course. You know you were thinking it.

Hmmm how can all them states be german when germans didn't do anything and they never had any influx of immigrants to the usa.. i just don't get that. Plus wouldn't that not mean the german population would be smaller, because i've been to the daykotas and montana and they were very desserted and the places were english people are, are VERY populated.

Overheal

owenc wrote: »

Yes my great great cousin in america calls himself scotch irish and is obsessed with scotland.:rolleyes: But at the same time supports celtic and converted to catholic!:eek: He even set up his own club... i'm embaressed.

Scotch-Irish Ancestry distribution.

Overheal

owenc wrote: »

Hmmm how can all them states be german when germans didn't do anything and they never had any influx of immigrants to the usa.. i just don't get that. Plus wouldn't that not mean the german population would be smaller, because i've been to the daykotas and montana and they were very desserted and the places were english people are, are VERY populated.

Didnt do anything that you know of. Didnt have any influx that you are aware of.

I really would not be jumping to those conclusions.

If you're terribly curious about German-American ancestry, you can always do the research.

owenc

Overheal wrote: »

Scotch-Irish Ancestry distribution.

Now theres not very many of them so i don't expect them to be the highest, but they are in very odd places.

owenc

Ha!! I checked it out on Yahoo answers in the geology area and they say that, the german census includes other european countries of germanice heritage, so in this case it is not all german, i knew they couldn't be that big!!

Overheal

owenc wrote: »

Ha!! I checked it out on Yahoo answers in the geology area and they say that, the german census includes other european countries of germanice heritage, so in this case it is not all german, i knew they couldn't be that big!!

Cool Story Bro.

Except the data I provided is not based in any way on the German Census data. It was compiled from the United States Federal Census of 2000.

:rolleyes:

owenc

Overheal wrote: »

Cool Story Bro.

Except the data I provided is not based in any way on the German Census data. It was compiled from the United States Federal Census of 2000.

:rolleyes:

Yea the german-american census in the united states.

Overheal

So you're trying to say because some randomers on Yahoo (...) told you otherwise, ~50 million americans do not have german descendancy?

I dont see why that is so hard to believe. Theres an estimated 36m irish americans, for example. And germany itself has a population of 80m compared to Ireland's 6m.

owenc

Overheal wrote: »

So you're trying to say because some randomers on Yahoo (...) told you otherwise, ~50 million americans do not have german descendancy?

I dont see why that is so hard to believe. Theres an estimated 36m irish americans, for example. And germany itself has a population of 80m compared to Ireland's 6m.

Yes but they are telling the truth they are geologists they aren't going to lie. They copied a link from some census site which said that other countries were included even some scandinavian places.