Americans and Their Heritage (life, country, place, people)
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One thing I notice a lot about Americans is they always make comments about "oh I'm Irish so I am this way" when their family immigrated here over 100 years ago. Or people will identify with being a certain nationality without speaking the language or having visited the country or really knowing anything about the culture.
Do these kind of things happen in other countries?
I am also not trying to knock on anyone from the United States for doing this. I realize that it is kind of part of the culture to talk like that. I also realize that I'm kind of the oddball out to kind of wonder about it. My grandparents immigrated here from Brasil right before my mom was born but I don't call myself Brasilian-American.
Again, I am not trying to knock on people for saying these things, just wondering other people's thoughts.
One thing I notice a lot about Americans is they always make comments about "oh I'm Irish so I am this way" when their family immigrated here over 100 years ago.
Or people will identify with being a certain nationality without speaking the language or having visited the country or really knowing anything about the culture.
that's a subgroup of american whites: post-industrial immigrants.
they clustered in big cities and have maintained relatively strong ties to their ancestral nations. Italians, Irish, Poles, etc.
so someone in Philly whose family emigrated from Ireland 100 years ago might say "I'm Irish." (this drives me nuts btw)
while someone in Georgia whose family emigrated from Ireland, Scotland, Netherlands, France, and England 400 years ago probably wouldn't.
Quote:
Do these kind of things happen in other countries?
yes. Australia, for example, has strong ties to England, Scotland, and Ireland.
Many Argentines have strong ties to Germany.
Many Canadians have strong ties to France, England, Scotland, Ireland, Japan, or China.
One thing I notice a lot about Americans is they always make comments about "oh I'm Irish so I am this way" when their family immigrated here over 100 years ago. Or people will identify with being a certain nationality without speaking the language or having visited the country or really knowing anything about the culture.
Do these kind of things happen in other countries?
I am also not trying to knock on anyone from the United States for doing this. I realize that it is kind of part of the culture to talk like that. I also realize that I'm kind of the oddball out to kind of wonder about it. My grandparents immigrated here from Brasil right before my mom was born but I don't call myself Brasilian-American.
Again, I am not trying to knock on people for saying these things, just wondering other people's thoughts.
Really what they are referring to is their Irish-American culture, or substitute whichever country...
Last edited by NooYowkur81; 04-09-2014 at 09:54 AM..
Yes, plenty Americans do that, but it happens elsewhere too. Take Canada or the UK, for example.
I definitely do the mixed identity, as I'm the first generation born in the U.S. on both sides of my family. Been to my parents' country and lived in the region. We are considered citizens of our parents' nation by descent. I tend to relate most to other first generationers or rather, hyphenated-Americans.
Different from those who have been here umpteen years. But you better believe my children will be familiar with their heritages on both sides, as the 2nd generation born here. Hope it carries on...
that's a subgroup of american whites: post-industrial immigrants.
they clustered in big cities and have maintained relatively strong ties to their ancestral nations. Italians, Irish, Poles, etc.
so someone in Philly whose family emigrated from Ireland 100 years ago might say "I'm Irish." (this drives me nuts btw)
while someone in Georgia whose family emigrated from Ireland, Scotland, Netherlands, France, and England 400 years ago probably wouldn't.
yes. Australia, for example, has strong ties to England, Scotland, and Ireland.
Many Argentines have strong ties to Germany.
Many Canadians have strong ties to France, England, Scotland, Ireland, Japan, or China.
Only Germany? What about Italy? Argentina's probably the most Italian place outside of Italy.
I'm Brazilian and I talk a lot about my Polish heritage. My dad is third-generation Polish Brazilian and he's still more into Polish traditions than Brazilian ones - he's churchgoing (Poles tend to be more religious than Brazilians) and when he cooks dinner he'd rather make kielbasy or pierogis than churrascos or rice and beans. (Mom makes that stuff, though - she's Polish too, but she's more typically Brazilian than Dad.)
Sometimes the whole "...I'm from xxx country..." is just an excuse people are taught to use throughout life.
I knew this girl from Germany (lady really...she was in her 30s) that was in on a conversation with a small group. The group was talking about music and in particular a very famous American song & singer (this has been more than a decade ago so I do not remember which song/singer). Anyway, the "immigrant" was dumbfounded at the conversation and acted as though she had no idea what anyone was talking about. Being so unbelievable in her actions she was questioned about not knowing anything about this very elementary topic. She actually said, "but I'm from Germany".
She had immigrated with her family before she was two years old.
LoL
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