Recently I have heard several people make reference to this same subject (due in large part to St. Patrick's Day). One aspect which I think is missed, however, is how this same phenomenon of ancestral culture seen so clearly in the American Irish is present in other groups as well.
For my part, I grew up in a Dutch/Fries community in BC, and most people I knew were 2nd or 3rd generation Canadian. And yet, very nearly everyone, when asked what they are, would say Dutch. Most amusingly, they would also hold up a Fries flag and say that it is the Dutch flag. This is mostly to say that I think that, while this is most visible amongst Irish immigrants, I suspect that it is generally true about all groups of immigrants to varying degrees.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-27 09:55 pm (UTC)For my part, I grew up in a Dutch/Fries community in BC, and most people I knew were 2nd or 3rd generation Canadian. And yet, very nearly everyone, when asked what they are, would say Dutch. Most amusingly, they would also hold up a Fries flag and say that it is the Dutch flag. This is mostly to say that I think that, while this is most visible amongst Irish immigrants, I suspect that it is generally true about all groups of immigrants to varying degrees.