What does your distant ethnic identity mean to you?

[KungFuPanda]

3. Subject, of course, to the rebuttal of my American friends... I'm quite suspicious sociologically that the habit of revealing distant ancestry might be code for "I'm not black." (In some cases, on kind of a wide scale.)

I think this is unfair and untrue in most cases. However, having lived in places where it might be true, and knowing nothing about the type of American friends you have, I won't give you a hard time over this.

[Parrothead]

Yes, I understand that.  I was just quibbling over whether this usage is only common when Americans are talking to an English, Irish, German person or visiting such a country, as a PP suggested.

 

L

 

It isn't just those of English, Irish, Scottish, German descent.  I hear it from those of French, Russian, Polish... most every other nation except Spain.  I don't think I've ever heard Spanish-American. 

[Laura Corin]

 

 

As I think about this, though, I was wondering.  Is this only confusing to you for those of European decent?  I'm not trying be argumentative or anything, I just honestly wonder.  I have the feeling that people don't question this kind of thing as much for people of other ethnicities.  And if so, why is there a difference?

 

It's a good question.  Would someone one of whose ancestors was a 19th Century Chinese immigrant to America refer to him/herself as Chinese?  And would a current citizen of China find that odd?  I'll ask the boys' Chinese teacher when I see her on Thursday.

 

L

[FaithManor]

An interesting anthropological study on this topic should be conducted in the Mid-Michigan area surrounding Frankenmuth. Richville (once known as Frankenhilf), Frankenlust, Frankentrost, Millington, Vassar, Reese, ...these areas were settled in the mid 1800's by German immigrants. These communities have remained very proud of their heritage, and since the Lutheran churches conducted services in German until the late 1960's, some having a German service once per month even now, Lutheran schools that taught children only in German through the 3rd grade until the early 70's with some schools recently reinstituting German language classes beginning in 1st grade, all manner of German festivals and customs still be observed in many families, a phone book primarily populated with German last names, etc. it's not what I would call culturally diverse. They are also generally, fiercely patriotic Americans; it's a unique culture. We lived for a few years near one of these communities. When we moved in, one of the first things said by NUMEROUS neighbors was "You're not German or Lutheran! Why would you want to live here?" It didn't take long for them to warm up, and I adored the years that I taught at the Lutheran school in town. It's an interesting look at what it means to be a part of the melting pot, but still STRONGLY identifying with one specific ingredient in that pot. And yes, it is a different kind of Lutheran if you ask me. I've attended Missouri Synod Lutheran churches in other locales and the feel is different. The German flavor still comes through...the preference for Bach EVERYTHING is positively palatable! :D

 

One of my closest friends identifies as Croatian despite three generations in the U.S. Her mother fought hard to keep their Croatian roots alive including a long commute on a regular basis to a Croatian Orthodox Parish in the Detroit area. To be honest, my friend though American raised, seems very Croatian to me it makes sense that she identifies culturally with Croatia, but American when referencing citizenship.

 

Faith

[bolt.]

I stand corrected. It was only a suspicion.

[Ellie]

Nothin'.

 

My family has been in Virginia and the Carolinas since before the American Revolution. We're *probably* English/Irish/Scottish, and there's *probably* indigenous people and African, but I have no family memory of it, IYKWIM. We're just Tarheels or Virginians. :-)

[mamajudy]

My distant ethnic identity means nothing to me. I am an American!

[KungFuPanda]

They do say that, but if they say that to someone from another country...doy.  Sorry, they should realize how silly that sounds.  If someone here asks me that I know what they mean.  If someone asks me when I'm outside of the US...I answer differently.

You have a point. If I waltz into an Irish pub and claim to be Irish, I deserve to be laughed out of the place. I think it's largely understood that if a non-American asks 'what' you are, the answer is 'American.' If a fellow American asks, they are clearly looking for a different answer.

[ThatHomeschoolDad]

Don't do it! It's a trap!

 

 

[FaithManor]

SNORT! :lol:

[MolleenCarie]

My husband doesn't care for this type of question: "What are you?", and I tease him, saying it is bc he doesn't know the answer, as he's a "Heinz 57". His family has been here a long time and are thoroughly American. Also, he's from the south. I think this discussion is more prevalent on the east coast, as another poster mentioned.

 

My maternal grandpop immigrated from Ireland as a young man. He played the bagpipes, danced a jig when he was happy, and spoke with a brogue accent his whole life. He married a first-generation American of Irish descent. So for obvious reasons my mom is proud of her Irish roots. She has visited Ireland and met her aunts, first cousins, etc.

 

My father was a first-generation Italian of Italian immigrant parents, which makes me half Irish, half Italian, and a good joke. This type of conversation is common in Philly, where my extended family lives. Growing up, I said I was from Philly, and had every intention of moving back. I grew up in Arkansas, where I met dear hillbilly husband and now consider myself to be from Arkansas.

 

My three oldest will likely be just like their daddy and identify as Americans, especially having grown up as military kids and living overseas, etc. The baby is Japanese. He isn't even an American and won't be for another two years, but he's ours! He will have our name soon; a Japanese first name with an Americanized spelling of a German last name. And an English middle name, which is a family surname on my mil's side!

 

What does it mean to me? A fair amount, but less than it did when I was younger. My identity as a daughter of the Most High means far more than any other.

[TheBugs]

I was born in London to English parents. I came to the USA as a child, but I am still a British citizen and I have a lot of ties to Britain, obviously. I definitely am genetically British, Anglo-Saxon and Celtic, and our family tree can be traced back to 1066. I don't really feel "American" and I don't feel all that British, because a lot of the experiences that British people my age went through, I never experienced. Because I grew up in America.

 

As a child I couldn't really figure out why my American peers would say they were Italian or Polish. Everyone where I grew up were Italian, Polish, Irish, or Dutch. Their parents all had American accents. Actually when I moved to the USA I thought the children looked and sounded a lot like the type of children I saw on Sesame Street.

 

Another interesting thought, is that my grandmother came from Australia. She had an Australian accent and brought some interesting cultural differences to her home in London. So, I thought of her as Australian, but her ethnicity was actually English and Irish, just like a lot of other British people. But she didn't seem British to me, although ethnically she was.

 

On my husband's side of the family, having an Italian identity is very important to them. They emigrated to the states in the early 1900s. It seems to be about knowing where you are from. I don't know, but I think it has to do with an attachment to the land.

[Donna]

I have done my family tree as far back as I am able. I identify as an American "mutt" but I enjoy history and knowing my own family's history is interesting to me. I know my family and my husband's families are from England, Scotland, and Ireland and both families settled in North Carolina until very recently.

 

My daughter was interested in her heritage so that is why I did our family tree. When she is in Ireland competing in fiddle, people always ask if she is Irish and where her ancestors are from. She wanted to have an answer for them. We don't call ourselves Irish-Americans though....just American.

[Belacqua]

And we also use them as excuses- like, whenever I have a temper-tantrum, I blame it on my Irish temper. And whenever I ask for more butter, or people faint at the amount of butter I use, I just say, "It's OK, I'm French." :)

 

Heh. I'll occasionally try to pass off a surly mood as Slavic melancholy (at least it sounds more poetic than "grouchy"). Otherwise, I really don't think about it.

[LostSurprise]

 

3. Subject, of course, to the rebuttal of my American friends... I'm quite suspicious sociologically that the habit of revealing distant ancestry might be code for "I'm not black." (In some cases, on kind of a wide scale.)

 

I don't speak for everyone, but that's not the case. There are/have been very strong immigrant communities in the US, especially in the urban areas (although certain rural regions have had strong affiliations too). 

 

Immigration can really draw a community together. Some of that will be fear, but a lot of that has to do with common traditions. 

[TravelingChris]

Well actually we picked up some cultural customs not only from our family backgrounds (mostly mine-since my parents both came from Poland and I still can speak Polish), but also from where we have lived.  So from our three years in Belgium, we have added Spekeloos cookies to our already existing St. Nicholas Day tradition.  From living four years in Albuquerque, we have added luminarias to our Christmas tradition.

 

Oh, and Laura, there are Spanish Americans in New Mexico.  In some rural areas, there are ranch owners who have signs up about their land grant treaties that were granted from Spain and how they hold them still valid.  Anyway, some of the older families in New Mexico trace Spanish heritage, not through Mexico.

[Word Nerd]

It's interesting to me but not something I think much about unless I'm looking up "my" tartan (and I put that in quotes because I recognize how far removed I am from that cultural heritage) at a Scottish festival or recalling stories my grandma and great-grandma shared about their German ties.

[Word Nerd]

 

 

3. Subject, of course, to the rebuttal of my American friends... I'm quite suspicious sociologically that the habit of revealing distant ancestry might be code for "I'm not black." (In some cases, on kind of a wide scale.)

Based on what evidence?

[Onceuponatime]

Well I live in the south and I tell people I'm a yankee. :laugh:

Technically, I'm not but my parents were, and since I don't have any roots in one part of the country (military child) I've chosen to think of myself that way. Other than that, the German and English parts of my heritage don't really mean much in practical terms. The French Canadian part gives me a few interesting stories to tell and a pork pie recipe.

[Jean in Newcastle]

My ethnic identity doesn't mean much of anything to me.  Neither of my parents identify with their ethnic heritage, which anyways, is mixed up enough that they didn't even know what it was until someone did some digging later in life.  My dh's ethnic identity means a lot to his family simply because he immigrated directly to Canada and then to the U.S.  They still have retained language, dress, holidays and food.  It means almost nothing to my children though because dh himself hasn't transmitted any of that to our family.  They just associate it with the grandparents.  It will be interesting to see if it is something they embrace later on in life.  Dh embraces the fact that he is American.  It is a very big deal to him because his family and then he as an adult worked hard for that citizenship and all it entails.  But obviously he knows that being an American doesn't really have anything to do with ethnic background.

[mommaduck]

This is interesting to me.  I'm clearly not getting something.  One of the things I've always admired about American culture is the ability to slough off the past, to really believe that an individual can (and perhaps should) create him or herself, that the individual is the creator of the identity.

 

This seems very different.

 

L

 

Yes and no. Yes, we can start over and define ourselves. At the same time, there is the strength of our ancestors. One has to know where they come from before they know where they are going (yes, I know some people disagree, but it helps some of us). Maybe I just have dealt with third culture kid and adoptee syndrome.

[Reflections]

My heritage is kinda odd... and it leaves me feeling a little perplexed.  

 

My mother was 100% German.  Her maternal Grandmother could trace the line back to the 1400s on paper.  My mother's maternal Grandfather was Jewish that was absorbed into the family as an adopted son.  This was very important during WWII of course, as my great-grandmother hid him through paperwork - it looked like that they had married being first cousins. It was eventually figured out, but that is for another thread, I suppose.  I don't know very much about my Grandfather's line, only that they are German.

 

My Father was 50% Danish (his father was fresh off the boat) and his mother had British heritage.  I have Civil War discharge papers for an ancestor on my father's mother's side - likely a cousin.  And the regiment that it is from was usually for those that wished to quickly gain citizenship by joining the military.  And the family rumor is that we are related to someone who signed the Declaration of Independence.  I have not been able to substantiate that claim.  

 

So, part of my family, is fresh off the boat and part of my family has been around since this country was founded.  I mostly identify with my mother's side, as my father died while I was an infant and my mother distanced herself from his mother after his death.

[mommaduck]

3. Subject, of course, to the rebuttal of my American friends... I'm quite suspicious sociologically that the habit of revealing distant ancestry might be code for "I'm not black." (In some cases, on kind of a wide scale.)

 

In my case, it revealed that I AM black...and Native American, Irish, French, Italian, Swiss, German, Scottish, and English. Before, I only had my mother's side to go one (Finnish, Prussian...possibly Welsh).

 

So I'm not quite understanding what you are meaning by #3.

[gardenmom5]

not much.  I've never broken down percentages of my ancestry.  that would take a DNA test to be accurate.  My maternal family is still in the same area they've been since they started arriving in the 1840's.  I'd never want to live there (very rural, hot humid summers and cold frozen winters, ticks, poisonous snakes . . . )  but the last time I was walking around, I did feel some sort of 'connection'.  of course, I do genealogy and I was walking around a cemetery.  and felt like I had just stepped into an oven.  it was h.o.t.

 

my affinity towards Britain is gardens (and climate.  very similar climate here.), geography.  I speak English, and don't have to struggle with german or Swedish (though I'm trying to do some original research on Swedish records).  I was often mistaken for a swede growing up due to my coloring. ( My paternal great-grandmother was born in the US of Swedish parents.  the last 'pure' anything).  My mother was the tow - but everyone on that side arrived in the 1600 - 1700's.  her's also has the most lines that I can't even trace outside the US. (or even which generation was the immigrant).  

 

predominantly of English extraction (and scot.), german/Prussian/austrian, Swedish, French, dutch.

 

of course, the English royal family has a fair bit of german blood so that can hardly be said to make me less of british/scot extraction.

 

 

 

 

[Arcadia]

It's a good question. Would someone one of whose ancestors was a 19th Century Chinese immigrant to America refer to him/herself as Chinese? And would a current citizen of China find that odd? I'll ask the boys' Chinese teacher when I see her on Thursday.

 

L

They tend to say american chinese when asked. The thing is chinese is a language and a race. However chinese as a langauge and chinese as a race is different in mandarin. China chinese is zhong guo ren or da tu, Taiwan chinese is tai wan ren. To most of us, the first part describes citzenship and the second part is race/ethnicity.

A chinese would ask another chinese who is a stranger if the person can speak chinese. Then they ask where the person comes from. Thirdly they might ask which city the person is staying now. Fourthly they might ask if the person still have relatives in China.

To complicate matters, a shanghainese can be someone born and grew up in Shanghai, China or a person of shanghainese descent. That would likely be more of an ethnicity classification.

 

In my area, if someone says they are germans or italians or turks, there is a high chance they relocated to the states for work and are resident aliens.

 

ETA:

Hubby's cousins who were born in Australia in the late 60s identify as Australian Chinese. So Aussie by nationality but not an ethnicity. Ethnicity for them would be Cantonese (Chinese).

My grandparents on both sides still have relatives in China; they left before WWI. My name and my sibling's name was added to the family book of names when we were born.

[Meriwether]

I identify with my family and religious history. My heritage has had a huge influence on my life. I would say, in a discussion of origins, that I was German, but that is definitely shorthand.  We actually came from Switzerland. The Germanic culture that is part of my life is more directly attributable to my family being Pennsylvania Dutch Mennonite.

 

I like the idea of a melting pot.  I think there are issues that will resolve themselves as we have more intermarriages (between ethnicities, races, etc.) over centuries.  I would hope so, anyhow. I do like the pockets of variety, though.  We lived in one of the Dutch Reformed areas in Iowa.  It is very Dutch. I think we would lose something if we didn't have communities like that from the various immigrant populations.

[Ipsey]

3. Subject, of course, to the rebuttal of my American friends... I'm quite suspicious sociologically that the habit of revealing distant ancestry might be code for "I'm not black." (In some cases, on kind of a wide scale.)

 

Yes, I'll rebut here, too. :)

 

This has _never_ even occurred to me. I can't see it having any basis in reality as I understand it as an American.

[mommaduck]

That is quite a claim.

 

Will you give some specific examples?  I'm curious!

 

On the Prussian side there are a bunch of farmers and accountants. Doing family research showed that over in Europe that branch of the family has always been known for banking and is part of a very large bank. I have had cousins contact me when I've posted about my fiber arts. I've learned many of them and even my first time at a spinning wheel, I needed little to no help and was complimented on how natural it seemed to come to me. A Finnish cousin contacted me over these things. Apparently, it runs in the family. Art and Fiber Arts. We have Master Weavers and Knitters in our family over in Finland. My mother's, my grandmother's, and my great-grandmother's personalities have been of great interest to me. The fact that my family has spent generations traveling for a living interests me. On my father's side, it is amazingly messed up, but intriguing how mixed up we are. I've been told that I remind people of my grandmother, whom I've never met. At the same time, I feel a deep connection to my cousin on my mother's side...the mix of the two in me is what makes me *me*. On the genetics, I never looked like my mother. I see myself in both that one cousin and that one grandmother (different sides of the family and not related to one another). I have children that range the spectrum of the genetic pool. I know why I have a redhead with fair skin and blue eyes and I know why I have children with olive skin, dark hair, and brown eyes...they are all whole siblings, but look so different. I see the different mix of ethnicity at play.

 

 

As for cultural 'personalities,' we have a lot of jokes that connect to our identity, especially on the German side. At least one branch on the German side is almost pathologically stubborn. There's also a lot of jokes about studiousness, obsessiveness, paranoia, and meticulousness. There's a certain cynical sense of humor that seems uniquely German. In my family, it seems the branch which has been here the shortest time (early 20th century) is more likely to make cultural jokes and references. The older German branch does not (although that side of the family also started 'inter-marrying' earlier--the '30s & '40s). 

 

I can relate to a lot of this from my Prussian side!

[Mbelle]

I identify mostly as a Southerner.  Also American.  I think most of my ancestors were here before the Revolution.  My background is typical for Southerners.  Mostly Scots Irish and English.  It doesn't have much significance, but I like history and so find it interesting. 

[Mergath]

Minnesota still has a strong Scandinavian culture (Americanized to a certain degree, of course) and my Norwegian ancestry makes me a part of that community. It also means we have to eat lutefisk during the holidays, which is almost enough to get me to renounce my Norwegian half. :P

[Mergath]

Minnesota still has a strong Scandinavian culture (Americanized to a certain degree, of course) and my Norwegian ancestry makes me a part of that community. It also means we have to eat lutefisk during the holidays, which is almost enough to get me to renounce my Norwegian half. :P

[Dandelion]

For me, the meaning is in knowing where I came from and feeling a connection to my ancestors.

 

I've never referred to myself as an ________-American.  I'm an American.

 

But when the topic of ancestry comes up, I do discuss it and find it very interesting. My ethnic heritage is German, Irish, and Swedish. I'm a first generation American on my mother's side (she is 100% German and came to the U.S. by boat in 1958) and a third or fourth generation American on my father's side (my paternal grandparents were of Irish and Swedish descent). 

 

From birth to age 18, I spent 14 years in Germany and only 4 years in the U.S.  Although I was born in the U.S., my first language was German (we moved to Germany when I was 4 months old).  While I've now lived in the U.S. for 24 years, culturally I identify more as a German in many ways.  It's where I grew up.

 

As for my Irish and Swedish roots, I identify more closely with the Irish side.  Mainly because I know more about that part of my ancestry.  I also look Irish - dark brown hair, blue eyes, and freckles.  I'm fascinated with Irish history and culture, love Irish music and food, and could listen to someone with an Irish brogue read the phone book for hours. I've come close to visiting Ireland, but have never been.  It's at the top of my bucket list.  

 

Some posters upthread have said they like to excuse their temper or disposition by citing their heritage.  I credit my German/Irish/Swedish heritage for my ability to hold my liquor.  You can't come from much better "drinking stock".   :D

[PinkInTheBlue]

My family name and every single name in every direction I can go for several generations are all (but one) straight from

Scotland and Britain.  My husband's name and what few other family names he knows, ironically, are all U.K. as well. 

That's not something that even crossed my mind until about a year or two ago.  My family has absolutely no ties to

anything or anybody U.K. My family and my husband's family has been here for a really long time.

 

Here's the sappy part: I never feel like I fit in. I'm not terribly "American". As soon as I started traveling and learning

more about every day culture in many parts of the U.K., I realized that's actually much more my personality. Previously

I laughed and said I always felt more at home with European attitudes. Recently, after learning a bit about family names

and where my came from, I feel like that might explain why I actually fit more there.

 

Clear as mud?  LOL  :D

 

It doesn't mean lots and bunches to me because there aren't any true ties.  I suspect I'd fit in better there and sometimes

I wonder if it's long buried DNA. ;) I definitely call myself plain American. Maybe I'm channeling my Europeanness ;)

 

[Laurie4b]

It's just interesting to me.

 

I live in the US, but the US is only a couple hundred years old, and being a country of immigrants (other than Native Americans), many of us know that our ancestors came from somewhere else. That's different, I would imagine, from many other areas of the world where it's more likely that one's ancestors "always" lived there. That's why I answered on the other thread that I couldn't see "American" being an ethnicity unless you are Native American. It's a nationality .

 

So in my family, my paternal grandmother's parents immigrated from England. I think she was born in England. Being "English" was very important to her and she conveyed that to us. My paternal grandfather's side of the family was also from England, but were Quaker and came over around the time of William Penn. Since they stayed put in the same county of the colony ;) they started in, we have family records going back pretty far of the farms, etc. My mother's side of the family was Scottish, and what they called Scots-Irish. My mother has always been fascinated with Scottish history, so I picked that up.

 

So for me, it's just interesting tidbits of family history, similar to knowing where my grandfather fought in WWII.

[Orthodox6]

For me, my "ethnic identity" is all but meaningless.  I am "American Mutt", a jumble of English, French, and Cherokee, with sprinkles of Scots/Irish and German.  That is what I have understood "American" to mean in this regard -- jumble.  I wish that I had a distinct identity, as does my husband (first generation Greek).  I feel lacking in cultural self-identification, and would love to know what it feels like to have one.  

 

 

ETA:  Oops.  I misread the thread title.  Thought it read, "What does your distinct ethnic identify mean to you?"

 

Same answer as provided initially, I guess.

 

ETA #2:  We all have a strong interest in genealogy, however, and appreciate the extensive work carried out by my parents, and by a couple of our Greek relatives. 

[kentuckymom]

I'm interested in my ancestry, but I don't count as a huge part of my identity. In fact, I'm not even sure what all the ancestry is on my mom's side. Basically, I'm an American of greatly mixed European ancestry.

 

I (along with my Dad and much of my extended family on that side) identify most strongly with our Lithuanian ancestry. I think it's simply mainly because our last name (well, my maiden name, not the last name I've had for the past decade) is Lithuanian. Our claim to fame is that we're distantly related to the guy who wrote the Lithuanian National Anthem. His name was Vincas Kudirka, so now you know my maiden name :). Apparently he was a famous poet. He's even on their money. The funny thing is, historically, the Kudirkas are descended from some of Napoleon's soldiers, so really you could say we're more French than we are Lithuanian, but I don't at all identify as French.

 

I look at lot like my Dad, who looks a lot like his mom, whose ancestry was Slovak. For whatever reason, I guess maybe because I didn't have the last name from that side, I don't really identify as Slovak. Interestingly, my younger brother looks startlingly like our great grandfather, who was the first immigrant to America on that side of the family.

 

All that said, I don't know precisely where in Lithuania my ancestors lived, I've never been there, and, while I'd love to go, the chances I'll ever make it there are pretty low.

 

All this probably means that my kids are most likely to identify with their Polish ancestry, because that's the ancestry of our last name. My FIL is half Polish and half German. His parents were both first generation Americans. He, however, couldn't care less about his ancestry.

 

I think Americans who are more interested in history are more likely to be more interested in their ancestry. And there are definitely pockets of people in America with really strong ties to a particular ethnic ancestry, but most of us are mutts with a mild interest in where our ancestors came from.

[gardenmom5]

It's a melting pot thing. You wouldn't understand.

and things that have been in that stew pot long enough eventually turn to nothing but mush.  that's me - almost nothing recognizable as anything unless you use a microscope with a high enough power so you 'might' see a colored speck you think you can recognize as a carrot.  

 

Being that records show my ancestors immigrated in the late 1600s, I'm comfortable saying I'm American ;)

I have have quite a few that were born here by the middle of the 1600's  :001_tt2:   I just love how glenn close say's "Connecticut" in stepford wives . . . . 

 

I would like to see my 7th ggf's house in Connecticut that was custom built in the 1750's.  I actually learned about it by googling his name and it was featured in a magazine spread.  I feel an affinity towards his gd/my 5th ggm because I spent 20 years untangling her 'story'.  she also had the audacity to move from Connecticut to iowa to Kansas. living with different daughters each time.  no consideration for descendants doing genealogy.  ;)  It was how I discovered she'd married her deceased sister's husband after her husband died, and they had two children together. (I descend from that daughter.)

 

the one thing that is nice about doing early American genealogy - there weren't very many people here.

[magnificent_baby]

I'm fascinated by the history of my family's origins. My maiden name is very German. My great grandparents came over by ship, and it really wasn't that long ago (early 1900's). Their land is still farmed and in the family. I am a mix of several European nationalities. I love learning about all of my roots.

 

I've never heard of anyone with European roots refer to themselves as anything but American, unless they very recently immigrated here.  :confused:

[beaners]

I have printings of the Ellis Island paperwork from when my grandmother's parents and brother came over from Scotland.  She and her sister were born within a couple years of arriving.  My grandmother was quite Scottish, and I identify most strongly with that part of my background, although there is a good amount of English, Irish, German, Welsh, etc in the remaining mix.  My grandmother taught Highland dance, and there are a lot of photos of my father in a kilt.  My daughters are just starting Highland now, and I'm glad that they have a chance to continue that tradition.

 

I went to a school in an Irish immigrant area with dozens of Murphys and O'Brians and Hennigans.  I think that type of environment can reinforce a cultural identity.

[hillfarm]

I am truly American, but I also like to spend time pondering my various ancestors who immigrated to this country from other places, or who were Native American and lived here already.

 

Such fascinating questions. What would cause someone to uproot themselves from everything and nearly everyone they knew and sail off for a vast, unknown destination? Hard enough to relocate yourself, but could you do it if you had children in tow? Would you try to blend in and "Americanize" in your new home, or would you cling to your old ways?

 

In many ways, I see my interest in my ancestors as a way of honoring their memory. I have interest in the culture and history of Ireland due to my memories of my Great Grandmother Mary, who primped and preened, and if not the Star of the County Down, was at least doing her level best to be the Star of the little midwestern American county in which she lived after arriving in this country. She told me Irish folk tales and would sing me ribald songs, much to the dismay of my mother. Lately I have spent time researching the life of one of my Cherokee ancestors, who lived in the mountains of North Carolina before the Removal. I don't consider myself Cherokee, but I do want to learn more about her life and her culture. I also have spent time learning about my English ancestors - and learned that the style of bonnet/cap my Great Grandmother wore up to the time of her death in the 1960's was a pattern that was common in rural England back into the 1600's.

 

Ethnicity is a double edged sword. IMO, those who have a strong ethnic tie often chafe under the restrictions and stereotypes and often fail to see the beauty and uniqueness of a particular set of traditions. However, those of us Americans who haven't been raised with strong ethnic ties sometimes feel that something is missing in our lives. I am envious of those who have abiding and timeless traditions, who know that no matter what, they undeniably belong somewhere, with some particular group.

 

I felt a bit rootless until I began to do some genealogy research. Which for some, might be a good thing. Some people love to reinvent themselves from absolutely no preconceptions or restrictions. I, however, have longed to know more about both the genetics and cultures that have comingled to make me who I am. I tread lightly regarding adapting bits of my ancestors' cultures, fearful of being a "pretendian", or developing stereotypical affectations based more on Hollywood than reality. But I do want to honor them, to remember them, and to acknowledge how their heritage manifests in me.

[laundrycrisis]

 

To give you an idea of what I mean: I often meet Americans who describe themselves as English.  They have English ancestry, but there's nothing in their current family's culture that makes them English.  So what does it mean to them?  Does it just mean 'of English extraction'?  Or is there a stronger sense of belonging?  Or something else?

 

 

The US has so many different subcultures, and often a person's family ancestry directly influences the culture and attitudes of their family.  Ideas and habits are passed down through the generations, even without meaning to.  There are subtle differences in families that come from the parents' cultures.  Irish ? English ? German ? Italian ? Polish ? Jewish ? Mexican ?  African ? Spanish ?  Lithanian ? Russian ?  Japanese ? etc.  Even when the immigration occured several generations ago, the flavor of the culture sticks to the family.  It shows up in family recipes, household habits, ways of thinking, expressions, swear words, etc.

 

In the mid 90s, my grandmother decided to try to find her relatives in Ireland.  Her own parents were both immigrants, and died when she was young, so she was not able to find out much from them about her roots.  Through the help of a friend she made online, her parents' histories were unearthed.  We made a trip - her, her two daughters, and her two grandaughters.  We visited the church where her father was baptized, visited family graves that are now in someone's pasture, abandoned farmhouses...we visited the house where her father grew up until he left Ireland, met the lovely family who owns it now, and were given a tour.  And we met living relatives...and found out that my grandmother's cousin had been looking for her for quite a few years - even came to the US - and unfortunately died before she found her.  The trip was a pretty amazing experience.  I also hadn't realized how Irish we all are until we actually went to Ireland and were surrounded by Irish people.  It was a clarifying experience.

[SKL]

When I say "I'm mostly German," what I mean is biologically descended from German stock.

 

My friend who is "Ukrainian" has two parents who immigrated from Ukraine.  Her family is active in what we call the "Ukrainian" community (local in our Midwest city) and they still speak Ukrainian among themselves, play Ukrainian instruments while wearing Ukrainian clothes, attend a Ukrainian church, etc.

 

So what it means when we say "I am ___an" despite being US-born US citizens is that we attribute some important part of who we are to that heritage.  We view it as significant enough to make a difference in some aspect of our lives.  Whether it's physical traits, language and culture remnants, religion/philosophies, political sympathies, or something else.  Yes, some people claim that their personality traits can also be traced back to their biological heritage, but I view that as a frivolous, usually not serious claim.  I remember reading that Germans tend to have above-average IQs and feeling pretty proud of that.  ;)  Of course that might be pure bull puckey.  ;)

 

When I travel, I do not call myself German nor American.  I say "I am from the US."

 

It's a whole nother discussion why we even use the term "American" when we really mean "US citizen" or "born to US parents."  The Americas include lots of other countries.

[Dory]

When I am outside of Canada, I say I'm Canadian. Or, more often, I say that I'm Albertan or from Western Canada. Here though I don't always identify with that. There are so many different cultures and differences from one family to another, that mentioning ancestry helps identify in some way. The stories I grew up here are stories that I feel attached to. They feel like they are a part of who I am. The dry facts that I learned in my schooling don't feel like my history. I often say I come from a Jewish background, but really, my father has very little Jewish blood in his veins (although it is there). I'm proud to be Canadian and yet proud of my Jewish roots. It's more about understanding where the ideas and approaches to things came from. What is it that has gone into making me who and what I am.  My father's side has enough Welsh influence yet that when my little brother what hospitalized a few years ago, a lovely Irish girl asked him how long his family had been over here. She recognized the accent enough to place his background in the UK (oddly not all of us kids talk like that).

 

I think people want a feeling of roots. Of knowing where they came from. I am very, very attached to my background.

[Cammie]

Hmm, had to think about this a few minutes.

 

Living abroad of course I say I am "American."

 

In the US I identify as a "typical American" a bit of a mutt really.  Swedish, English, French Canadian, Irish, etc.  We identify most strongly because my grandmother was raised by two Swedish parents and her cooking on holidays reflected Swedish culture more than anything.  My great-grandparents met on the boat from Sweden so I feel a strong attachment to the immigrant story.

 

On the other hand, my husband is a first generation American.  To him he still identifies as Indian and probably always will.  My kids definately identify strongly with their American roots but just as strongly with their Indian roots.  I would imagine that when my grandchildren or great grandchildren look at the issue - the Indian part will not be such a strong pull.

 

It is a special part of being American, I have always felt, that we feel connected to so many other cultures and countries.  I love that part about being American.

[shinyhappypeople]

My distant ancestry (Scottish, French) means very little to me.  Both sides of my family landed here pre-Revolution (one branch was an original Germantown, PA settler, so cool!).  So, I'm an American.

[mommymilkies]

I say I'm American.  But if someone asks my ancestry, I might go on for hours about my ridiculously over-researched family tree.  I will say Irish, usually, because that's most of my genetic makeup.  I will say that I always felt out of place.  My Mom's family looks nothing like me.  I was always told I was adopted (by cousins picking on me, etc. lol) because I didn't know my Dad and my Mom looks nothing like me. Wherever we live, I never feel like I fit in.  But I read British novels, watch BBC, talk to people from the UK and I instantly feel at home.  Well, turns out my Dad is 100% Irish and his family is very culturally Irish still.  I do feel sometimes like part of our heritage is in our blood.  This is a new country.  Many of us still feel tugged to some more "secure" part of our family history.  Not everyone, of course. 

[Peaceful Isle]

Well, I was always told I was of Irish descent . When 3 out of my 4 kids came out red heads, I now believe them. :)

It was always word of mouth from my parents, who seemed like it was very important for us to know where we came from. I never really cared. I honestly would have loved to be a beautiful, exotic nationality instead, but It is what it is. I am content now with my pale skin and freckles.

[gaillardia]

Some of us must feel more of a connection to our ancestry. It means something to me. It is where my blood came from, there are stories associated with various lines and people. I find it very fascinating and have always had an interest in knowing "where" I came from on the planet. It was no accidental crossing of the Atlantic that they came to be here in America, and sometimes at a great sacrifice. I guess if you don't have that interest, that feeling of satisfaction of knowing who and where you came from, you just don't have it. I've had it with me for a long time. And I'm not saying that to be rude or snarky either, Laura! ;)

 

[Lara in Colo]

People these days are trying to be special in anyway they can.

They are reaching for anything to belong or to stand out. 

I think it takes many forms--- background, or race or medical affliction-- or perhaps just a country club.

 

sometimes it is a genuine feeling of belonging to a group, sometimes I think it is merely to feel close to something.

[AndyJoy]

My earliest immigrant ancestors were 6 generations back from Wales, Germany, England, and Scotland.  My most recent immigrant ancestors are my great-grandparents from Spain and Mexico.  I've spent the most time dwelling on the Welsh background simply because the book/movie "How Green Was My Valley" captivated me as a 9-year-old.  When I learned that my beloved great-grandmother's grandparents had immigrated from Wales, I was intrigued.  I read more books set in Wales and fell in love with Welsh names.  I wanted to name a son Morgan after an ancestor, but then it became a popular girls' name.  And I get tingles up my spine when I hear a Welsh men's choir singing, esp. "Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah." :)  I really have no connection to my ancestors' countries.  I'm an American, and that's it.  My great-great-great-grandparents from Germany intentionally refused to teach their children German because they wanted them to be simply American and had no desire to preserve their German culture.  They succeeded.