Co-opting our own heritage

[Karlifornia]

I used to get pissed when I'd see some kid wearing a shirt saying "Listen To Bob Marley".


I would think, "Who is this dickdrip, thinking he could represent Bob Marley? He's not even black, not even Jamaican?....Does he know anything about what Bob Marley was singing?"

And I'd hear my dad talk about this and that in regards to being Jamaican and such. His parents moved here when he was real young. He had been to Jamaica on occaision, but don't many people own vacation homes in other countries?

I'd hear my mom tell Norweigan jokes...Ole and Lena jokes I think they were called. My mom has never been to Norway. But she is esentially 100% Norweigan, as far as we know.

When I was a teen, I thought about getting a tattoo of the Jamaican and Norweigan flags melding together somehow....and this glorious clusterfuck of colors and whatnot. But I eventually wrestled myself into the conclusion of....What the fuck do I have do with either of these places? Grandma makes Jamaican food the one time a year I see her? My mom makes leftser when she runs across the recipe every leap year? Does that give me any right to claim anything but being an American?

Is it just for laughs? Is it me wanting to claim a team different from everyone else?

I see folks of Irish descent wearing their shamrock t-shirts on St. Patty's Day.....I see black folks wearing africa medallions around their necks....etc....And I think if these people go back to their supposed homelands, they're nothing more than tourists, just like I would be.

Is flaunting a heritage just some sort of ploy to make us feel more unique? Or part of a group that is in theory supposed to be closer to us, but most likely no closer than anyone else we meet?

[Izulde]

For what it's worth, the two examples you give have historically been second class citizens or worse in US history, so I expect the overt display and pride you're seeing re: Irish-Americans and African-Americans has something to do with that.

[M GO BLUE!!!]

Why did I think this was going to be a lame parody of the adoption thread?

[Sgran]

For what it's worth:
I grew up in the Chicago burbs. My family goes four generations in America in every direction. I am a mix of German (about 50%), Swedish, Swiss, English (or Welsh, it gets fuzzy) and Irish. I moved to Hungary 13 years ago. During this time I've gotten to know people from different countries in Europe. There are 3 groups of people I identify with more than others: Americans, Brits and Germans. That's not to say that I don't get along with Hungarians, Italians and Russians. Far from it. But when it comes to simple things like how cold the apartment should be in the winter, or whether you should save your money versus buying a flashy shirt, and other mundane perspectives on the world, I almost always find myself agreeing with, I guess, northern/Germanic Europeans. A lot of this can be explained by cultural upbringing. But it's also important to remember that culture (or nurture) only determines 50% of your behavioural profile. The other half is genetic (nature).
What I'm trying to say is that you shouldn't dismiss either cultural or genetic influences that draw you to your heritage. Yes, if you grew up in the States, then you are American. I will never be Hungarian, even if I end up spending two-thirds of my life here. But cultural influence does not stop once you pass the Statue of Liberty.

[TroyF]

Nothing wrong with being proud of your heritage. . . but I think some peple do take this well over the top. I also think unless you have a duel citizenship, you are an American. Not a Mexican American, Italian American or even African American. American.

So it just depends on how far you go with it to me. Someone who is proud of where they came from and researches out their heritage? Good for them. I think that would be very cool to do someday. I just think some people take it to a level that's a bit high. End of the day, it's their life though, they can do what they want.

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by Izulde

For what it's worth, the two examples you give have historically been second class citizens or worse in US history, so I expect the overt display and pride you're seeing re: Irish-Americans and African-Americans has something to do with that.

I think this is at the core of a lot of it. I am largely of Irish descent and I own probably 5 or 6 "irish" t-shirts that I love to wear. I stop and look any time I see something Irish themed, I'm a sucker for Irish/Ireland themed movies, heck - I love Celtic rock bands like Dropkick Murphy.

I think there's a tie that passes through the generations that largely goes back to what Izulde mentions here. Strong cultural bonds were tied early in the history of the Irish in America and that concept has continued to pass down through the generations.

[Fidatelo]

My ancestry is mostly british, although my grandma is the only family member I ever knew that actually was born there rather than already in Canada. And while I don't go calling myself "British-Canadian", I do notice that my family often functions in a stereotypical british manner.

So while I am 100% Canadian, there are certainly things about british culture that I can identify with, especially moreso than most other cultures.

Now, do I go around wearing "God Save the Queen" t-shirts? No. But I do cheer for England in the World Cup every 4 years, and I have an English rugby scarf displayed in my basement.

[Noop]

Black Power Beesh

[Lathum]

I think people take knowing their heritage for granted. I have no problem with them being proud of it.

The thing that pisses me off is when people criticize America in favor of their "homeland". If you don't like it here then leave.

[chesapeake]

Q: What did Ole say when he saw a pizza?
A: Who barfed on the lefse?

I was thinking about this issue recently as it related to my 1-year-old daughter. I am 62.5% Irish, a quarter Polish, and the rest of me is Norwegian. My father is deeply into his Irish heritage and, to a certain extent, passed that onto me.

My wife is half Polish, and then equal parts Spanish and Irish. Her father embraces his Italian heritage, so even though she is more Polish than Italian, she identifies herself as Italian. Thankfully, she cooks that way, too.

So my daughter has a block of Irish and Polish, but is really a Heinz 57. Neither of us are as into our heritage as our fathers, so I suspect she really won't identify herself as anything other than an American, which is just fine for me.

For the most part, the next generation for folks of European heritage are going to be mostly like my daughter, I think. They'll be such a mix of so many things that they'll have little sense of it. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing, but it is an interesting change.

[I. J. Reilly]

[quote=Sgran;1520721]But it's also important to remember that culture (or nurture) only determines 50% of your behavioural profile. The other half is genetic (nature).QUOTE]

I completely disagree with genetics being 50% of behavior. I would say it’s closer to .5%.

[Young Drachma]

It's interesting the more I live and travel, how people outside the US perceive us versus how we percieve ourselves in the country.

[Ryan S]

Originally Posted by Dark Cloud

It's interesting the more I live and travel, how people outside the US perceive us versus how we percieve ourselves in the country.

FWIW, speaking as a non American, I think Americans should ignore much of what the rest of the world thinks about them.

[Klinglerware]

Originally Posted by Ryan S

FWIW, speaking as a non American, I think Americans should ignore much of what the rest of the world thinks about them.

Don't Americans do that already?