For example the Fighting Illini and their mascot are considered offensive to Native Americans.
Why aren't the Fighting Irish and their mascot considered offensive to Irish Americans?
2007-02-24 08:07:30 · 6 answers · asked by sunflowers 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Cultures & Groups ➔ Other - Cultures & Groups
Maybe they're proud of their heritage?
2007-02-24 20:55:48 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I fear you lack the perspective on what a mascot is and what a traditional symbol is as do many of our our hypocritical PC public . Your generalization about Native Americans is incorrect. You do not appreciate the power of the the small but vocal special interest groups. Figure out why the Illini were attacked but not the Florida Seminoles.
The Irish are not so foolish..
2007-02-24 08:19:00 · answer #2 · answered by DrB 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
most Irish Americans (like me) are probably are not offended by the image of Notre Dame's Fighting Irish - while it is a caricature, it doesn't come across hateful. If some stuffy old British Empire school/university had done a similar caricature, it would not have been taken nearly so well, so it's the "who" as much (or more than the "what" (I've heard that the BBC used to do bits that Irish Irish characterized as racist).
So it's probably like African Americans using the N word, while the rest of us can't.
I'd venture a guess that almost any school/team that uses Indian-themed mascots have done so without consulting native peoples themselves. So while schools/teams may say they are honoring Indians, we get back to the question of "who" is using the caricatures.
2007-02-24 08:18:19 · answer #3 · answered by kent_shakespear 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It doesn't offend the Irish because the Irish Catholics founded Notre Dame and named the mascot for themselves.
The Illini didn't found the University of Illinois.
I think nicknames like Braves, Indians, Redskins, etc. should be banished to their racist past.
To a Native American, being called a redskin is like an African American being called a ni**er.
2007-02-24 08:14:57 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Only someone Irish can answer that. But a lot of these Indian mascots are sterotypical and embarassing. Some even portray Indians as killers. I can understand where their coming from, if there was a football team called the black skins or even the Zulu's. Blacks would literally burn that place to the ground. Check out the website below you might feel differently.
2007-02-24 08:20:44 · answer #5 · answered by Knowledge 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Maybe the Irish doesn't see anything wrong with it.
2007-02-24 08:12:31 · answer #6 · answered by : ) 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋