To all our Irish friends. .......Sounds about like the situation around here too.......Paul H

My mother was "full-blooded" Irish. My great grandparents immigrated during the Great Potato Famine. I didn't realize how much Irish genetics influenced my behavior until I started watching movies made in and about Ireland a few years back. Kinda startling to tell the truth, but it answered some questions.

Paul

Paul, I never gave much thought to my ancestry until around 30 years ago when my younger sister started recording the family background big time. Our family has more Scottish & Irish genes than the others combined. It seems something like 75% of the people in the holler was Scottish or Irish & only married other Irish or Scottish. Around my section of the holler was around 80% Barnett. All of them of Scottish origins. They had their own community called Barnett Town. ......Paul H ...

As an "American", and because my immigrant grandfather demanded that his children be AMERICANS and reject his birth nation, I always eschewed 'heritage' beyond "American". HOWEVER... it's difficult, and foolish, to ignore genetics, and there is most certainly genetics, and cultural 'heritage' passed on within ethnic groups. Over time, those genetic influences and especially the cultural ones, fade. However, I am close enough in time to both the immigrants on my mother's side - third generation removed from the immigrants - and my father's side - second generation removed - that there remains both genetic and cultural 'roots'. Those roots are nothing to be proud of. My paternal grandfather REALLY distanced himself from Croatia, and my maternal grandparents, while not denigrating Ireland, never embraced it either. Both 'sets' were adamantly "Americans". While, as immigrants, they had their gripes, in the grand scheme of things, they understood what life 'elsewhere' was like, and embraced this country enthusiastically.  THAT heritage - one of loving what America actually means - is systematically being destroyed by the rat sons of bachelors that are The Press. "They" better hope I never get to be 'in charge'.

Paul

Paul, you hit te nail on the head when mentioning people from another country remembering life in that country. Muffin & I went to a local "new" chain Mexican restuarant about 10 years ago that was managed and run by Mexican kids from one family. One was manager & the other five worked for him. ALL were well educated and well versed in "American" culture and customs. While they still have strong Mexican ties, they are "more American" than most Americans born here. They love the USA but remember the homeland. When the chain put in new management they suspected it was coming & started their own restuarant about 10 miles away. In the meantime they started remodeling another place to start another restuarant & opened it after a year or so. Very ambitious and industrious kids. Super nice people & Muffin & I have "adopted' them as sort of a second family. Very warm & affectionate kids. Very American. Their mom & dad have good reason to be proud of them.  ......Paul H ...