Today I was discussing ethnic identity with someone. They asked me what I am, to which I answered, “I’m American.” This obviously isn’t what the guy was looking for. He wanted me to say, “Well, I’m German, English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish, and a little bit Romany.” I know that. But I don’t get it.
Decades ago, my pale and pasty ancestors made their merry way to the U.S. on a boat. I thank them for it.
But I’m not German. I don’t speak the language. I’ve never been to Germany. I do not observe the national holidays, I have no extensive knowledge of the country, and lederhosen just isn’t my look. Quite frankly, I doubt many of the people who whoop it up at the Oktoberfest can claim much more about their German roots than a general knowledge of how to make Bratwurst. I realize that there are many people deeply attuned to their roots who rightfully identify as being from <x country>, but I don’t see so many of them come culture day.
Don’t even get me started on St. Patrick’s Day.
Where, exactly, does this concept of ethnicity come from? Can someone explain to me how a person with nothing but the basest immersion into a culture can claim it as their own?
I feel your pain. Last St. Patrick’s Day I was watching a show on the History channel about Ireland. They were interviewing some Irish folk, in Ireland, and one man scoffed at all the American tourist who claimed to be Irish. He seemed to think that they were Americans not Irish. I wouldn’t be surprised if this were the general attitude of most Europeans.
I think the concept comes from the relatively recent settlement of our nation. This does of course include the wave of immigration from this century. Many folks can still trace their family line to the old country just a scant few generations ago. That’s not a problem for most Europeans living in Europe.
On a related note, how many years do you think will have to pass before “American” is accepted as an ethnic identity? How many generations must be born into a culture before the culture becomes its own, rather than just an assimilation of other influences?
You’re asking a loaded question. But I can empathize with your feelings.
One of the first definitions of culture describes the totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns. Often first-generation Americans try to preserve as much of their comfortable old culture as they can. Second generation Americans seem to have a habit of wanting to “fit in” more with the current culture. Could you have been talking to a third or fourth generation person who wants to preserve some family history?
I know a lady who teaches folklorico dancing. She is a thrill to be around and a font of information.
The fact that you were turned off by the guy you were talking to suggests that you felt there was some dishonesty in his position.
My ancestors also came here on boats many moons ago from far away lands. I’m damn glad they did.
And, like you, I feel absolutely no connection to the culture of those far away lands, as I am several generations removed from any family member who actually set foot on that soil. I feel no kinship to Germans or Irishmen or Dutchmen, only to Americans.
Maybe I’m missing part of the big picture. I just don’t get it.
I guess that what it comes down to is that I don’t hold to blind adherence to things just for the sake of their own existence.
Public high school pride: What, I’m supposed to cheer because I was born in a certain geographic location and haven’t flunked out? Yay?
Gay pride: I’m queer, I’m here… I like kissing girls… it’s just me; I didn’t earn it or deserve it, it’s just me. Yay?
Ancestral pride: People I am related to did good things. Or they did bad things. Amazingly, though, their actions have little or nothing to do with my own actions.
Preserving my family history is very important to me. I deeply love history. I just don’t see the point in glorifying it. Examining it, learning from it, being moved by it… I see no point in glorifying it to create a sense of personal identity, though.
I was born in America, left when I was two, & returned at 21 & have been here since (though I travel alot). I was raised mainly in Greece, Turkey, France & the UK. To this day I find it ridiculous when people say “I’m Scottish” when they have absolutely no clue about the country or culture beyond the movie Braveheart and some vague notion of what haggis is. Frankly, I don’t really feel “American.”
I don’t have a strong sense of nationality, so I don’t know what that feels like.
I also don’t get the team sports thing, be it high school or what. A few years ago the Colorado Avalanche ice hockey team were bought & moved to Denver. These are a bunch of French Canadians, some of whom don’t speak English as a first language, but all of a sudden they’re “our” team. I don’t get it.
I think buying sports team clothing & feeling the need to “identify” by wearing them is like cavemen wearing lion skins to be more courageous, sort of a totemic, primitive thing.
I would venture that it’s not a big deal for most Americans (or in my case, Canadians) because
A) It has no impact on their life, inasmuch as you’re living in a gigantic country where international borders are of little consequence, surrounded by people of equally confusing ethnic origin, and
B) People in the U.S. (or in my case, Canada) are generally conditioned to not consider their own ethnicity a moral high ground.
But it isn’t true of minorities (e.g. blacks, Hispanics) for whom ethnicity is a far bigger deal. Blacks have to deal with this sort of thing on a level whites don’t. But then, not many black Americans give any more of a crap about Nigeria than I do about Wales, so maybe I’m wrong.
I had a funny experience just a few days ago on Usenet wherein a French Canadian was arguing with me about how they had to separate because their “people” could not live with my “people,” because the English are “Genetically violent” (I am not making this up.) When I commented that I have no English heritage at all, no ancestors from England, it just completely baffled her. It had never crossed her mind that some people aren’t strictly defined by a single ethnicity.
I think you would find that those who proudly embrace the things that you do not will disagree with you that it is a blind adherence. I am an American, however my grandparents on my fathers side came here in a boat this century, so I’m a German-Swede-American. My parents taught me nothing about my heritage, nor my grandparents for that matter. Maybe my grandfather was with a Nazi, I’ll probably never know. I believe, as I think you do, that we are defined by our actions and not by our heritage.
That said however, everyone belongs to groups in life. It is one way of relating to others and throughout one’s life, a person develops contacts of various types and identifies oneself with various groups. The degree to which a person feels a need to belong to a group dictates how much emphasis the person will put into identifying with that group.
You seem to be delighted in your individuality, as many are. But don’t be so quick to judge that others who are not as self-assured or perhaps just enjoy that level of group identity are blind in their practices. Every one has different things that matter most to them. Some define themselves by a generations-old culture. Some with their high school or college, some with a sports team, some with their sexual orientation. I think it all boils down to what is important in that persons life. Culture is just one of many things that it could be.
I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy, too—but I do feel a sense of American nationality. My background is Russian and Transylvanian (my ancestors came here about 100 years ago). The way Jews were treated in Eastern Europe was awful, and I feel absolutely no sense of patriotism for the “Old Country.” But I am grateful to the Czar—if he hadn’t been so rotten to the Jews, I might not be here!
There is a black woman here at my office who feels the same way: “I went to Africa a few years ago,” she told me, “and now I don’t romanticize it at all. What a horrible country! Slavery was terrible, but it sure worked out well in the end for ME.”
Eve, that’s interesting about the woman in your office.
My family is Irish-Scottish-Finnish. Mostly, I guess, our focus is on preserving family history and such. Any claim I make to “being” Irish or whatever should be strictly read as “Irish-American”. Our family doesn’t do the tartan thing, celebrate St. Paddy’s day in a big way (actually, not at all), etc. The only things that really remain are a love of pickled herring, being big drinkers, and a sister that makes a mean boiled dinner. What a combo.
Also, my aunt and uncle are Mormons so they had to do a bunch of research. It was actually pretty interesting although I don’t understand the reason behind it.
Hmmm…well, what about some customs that have been kept?
Like, in my mother’s family, we’re Polish/Slovak/Hungarian.
We still have oplotki every Easter and Xmas (unconsecrated, blessed communion wafers that we pass around at dinner time), and certain foods, and ways of doing things.
I guess it’s because Pittsburgh still has a lot of ethnic areas (Little Italy=Bloomfield, Polish Hill, etc etc…)
Next time you are in a situation with a bunch of VERY non-judgmental people who don’t mind being VERY silly and also are currently feeling rather bored or at least unenthusiastic, try this:
Get everyone to agree to jump up and down and cheer “Act Enthusiastic and you’ll FEEEEL Enthusiastic” ten times incrementally louder and more silly. When you’re done, you should all feel VERY enthusiastic and ready to do almost any silly thing just for the fun of it.
Picking an arbitrary reason to cheer for a certain sports team or whatever make people feel good. It makes them feel like they were part of the action. There is no real basis to the feeling, but it works. It’s fun and it feels good. What more do you want? What IS bad is when a group of people pick an arbitrary race or religion or sexual orientation and get together and decide to hate it. The same sorts of feelings can be produced in the perpitrators, but the results are horrifying.
Let’s encourage sports fans so they don’t go looking for their emotional boost elsewhere, shall we?
And, give it a try yourself. It’s not that hard. Turn on a game that you are at least somewhat familiar with. Pick a team for any arbitrary reason (nice uniforms, funny team name, they come from your mother’s old school, whatever) then decide that you really want them to win. Pick a couple of players on the team and decide that you really want them to be the heroes of the game. Watch your favorites closely, listen to the announcer and scoff when he criticises your faves. It’ll be purely pretend to start with, and the less you know about the game itself the more you’ll have to really focus on the details of the game. If you don’t feel elated when your teaqm wins and frustrated when they lose, you’re not doing it right. An atmosphere of other fans can help. Try rooting against the chosen team of you closest friend present. Be a bad sport about it. Say “nanny nanny boo boo”, when you’re team does something good against your friend’s team. It’s OK. You’re allowed to taunt the opposing fans. It’s should not be personally offensive because neither of you is actually in the game. Have fun.
I am the original “I don’t care about collegiate or professional sports” person. However, my hubby and I went to an MSU hockey game with some friends (who are big sports fans) and had an absolute blast! We got the little MSU pom-pom when we walked in the door (Joe Louis Arena last year v. UofM) and we yelled and cheered for them like we cared. And we did. At that time.
