Am i wrong to be offended when i ask Americains where they are from and when they tell me "im from ______ but im irish cause my great great great grandfathers wifes sisters husband was born there" it seems to me that most (not all ) of the americains i met want to be irish .
I am not irish so no need for abuse just curious
i ask because i worked on the ships for a long time and had allot of U.S citizens as our customers.
2007-02-21 06:49:03 · 13 answers · asked by smile 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Cultures & Groups ➔ Other - Cultures & Groups
i guess offended is the wrong word, i just find it odd that they would rather claim ancestory many times removed than be proud of where they are from.
2007-02-21 07:39:17 · update #1
Some of them can't accept that they are just Americans, not African, European or Asian.
2007-02-24 12:26:12 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Why in God's name could a thing like this offend you? America is not like anywhere else - you know that. A lot of people came together from many nations around the Earth and together made the modern nation, America. Chances are when you ask a British or Irish or French person where they are from, they will just say their respective countries of birth. That's because the majority of the people from there would have ancestors from there, too. If they have other ancestry they will usually tell you, too. It's not just Americans who do this.
Incidentally, a lot of Americans claim Irish ancestry because a lot of them have it! But I have yet to meet an American who didn't state that he was an American first.
2007-02-21 11:27:18 · answer #2 · answered by Rachel Maria 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't quite get why you would be offended. How does this offend you in any way? Many Americans are proud to have Irish ancestors, nothing wrong with that. I know loads of them say they are, but alot of them actually do have Irish ancestry. I ain't American or Irish, but it's true. I do have some ancestors from Ireland though and I would never say 'Oh I'm Irish' but whatever makes them happy, it doesn't matter.
Yep it is rather odd! I don't know why people have such a romantic fascination with Ireland, it is puzzling.
2007-02-21 06:58:08 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Just to clarify i am from Britain.I think its fantastic that anyone out there remembers their roots, ancestors and heritage. I think people from any race should be proud of their roots, most african americans describe themselves as AFRICAN - american because they are proud of that fact its part of who they are and so i dont think its strange that anglo-americans have pride in their ancestory either.
I think its always wise to look to the past its part of the way we move forward and knowing what makes up you is a strong tool in self identity - Whats wrong with these people looking at an atlas seeing our tiny islands and knowing "that is where my people came from" it doesnt make them any less proud of being American but rather is a small piece in the beautiful jigsaw that makes up them :)
2007-02-21 10:27:19 · answer #4 · answered by Silent Doe 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, it kind of gets on my nerves when people say that, because that's their ancestry, and a lot of people brag like it's their nationality. I could brag that I'm Scottish, but I won't, because I'm not truly Scottish. I am part American, part British by my birth blood with thanks to my father, and it irritates me when people assume I'm saying that because of my ancestry. I'm proud of my nationality, and I believe others should be, too, rather than trying to use their ancestors as a big show so they can feel special. The American people are special. We don't need to be Irish.
2007-02-21 07:11:58 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
It's cos saying 'I'm American' only has a meaning for Native Americans-all the rest of them came from Africa as slaves or are rejects from here(the UK)or elsewhere in Europe.
2007-02-21 15:46:32 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I'd give up asking.
Even if they told you the truth, i.e. if they said they were from New Snuffingham, Clanker County, Wisconsin, you wouldn't be any the wiser.
(I made the name up for illustrative purposes, sorry Wisconsin folks).
2007-02-21 06:58:08 · answer #7 · answered by efes_haze 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Unusual. Americans are very patriotic, yet are really proud of their roots in distant lands.
2007-02-21 07:58:35 · answer #8 · answered by fred35 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
No more wrong than being a decendant of the 'welcoming commitee' when the boad docked in 1492.People need to chill.
Don't sweat it.People are just crabby I think.
2007-02-21 06:57:22 · answer #9 · answered by gotabedifferent 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
I get annoyed also because they always refer to Ireland & sometimes Scotland as "The old country" even though they have never been anywhere near it.
Their ancestors were but obviously didn't like it enough to stay.
2007-02-21 07:07:52 · answer #10 · answered by monkeyface 7 · 2⤊ 2⤋