But what does it even mean? I can't speak any Gaelic and don't enjoy Irish sports. I'm neither fond of drinking culture nor the drunken Irish stereotype. I do not care to be uncouth, I always strive for scholastic pursuits and intellectual excellence, as fleeting and untenable as those goals are. Can I claim the literary tradition of Ireland as a part of me, when it seems so many other Irish Americans who are basically illiterate by choice? I don't interact with these texts in any way I don't with American or British texts. Arguably, I show more love for the Ancient Greeks and Romans, I have taken multiple classes and seen many lectures on their ways of life and literature. I can tell you the whole Trojan cycle, but I've not even once read the Cu Culthain Branch. I know more about geass from anime than from Celtic myths directly. I know of the fae folk only a little better than I know yokai, and have been directly told very little. I've never seen the Emerald Isles, and seldom thought of visiting, but I've seen other parts of Europe. I have my Irish Catholic faith, and have attempted some of the traditions from ireland, but it's hard to stay in just that vein and so fun and easy to use some Italian or Austrian traditions from my friends. I love the idea of a traditional Irish wake, but not really going to force that when a family member has died. I also dislike just so many other Irish Americans around me. So many who care about being Irish are just highly reactionary or rude. Those that don't just don't really seem like there's anything to connect with about Ireland there. I hate seeing people thing they can just appropriate Irish culture, just use the myths randomly however they wish, who'll rant up and down about Native American myths being corrupted and stolen but laugh at jokes about Leprechaun and try to make their own take on Selkies. I have no idea how even to feel about the Japanese use of Dullahan in various media, it's better than the headless horseman story. I hate the English, but would I not land at that perspective on my own anyway? I also never truly feel white, and know all the white nationalists will attack me and kill me the moment they get the chance, and wish my other Irish american people would walk up to this reality. My life is better than my great grandparents just so it's harder for black people to get housing, but I don't exactly want to be targeted by the police.
My take is that you can choose to value (or not) whatever you want from Irish existence. It's your birthright. It would be nice if you could find some part of "being Irish" to keep and maybe pass on. It's a shame to let traditions and ethnic identity die because it's been crowded out by a dominant culture that absolutely hated your ancestors. Maybe you should learn a tiny bit of gaelic. You might feel good being able to express yourself in the same way the Irish did long ago.
It probably was not your intention, but this does read a bit like you didn't read the whole screed. Which it's fair if you didn't, it's not your job to. But the probelm is that there is so much internal and external all going on I can't just take one little piece and stick with it. it would be nice to speak some Gaelic, but I have to stack that on top of other languages I'm already studying. It doesn't feel any more my birthright to speak that tongue than the Latin or Greek I use. It's not a problem that's easily unraveled.
I think I got you. When I said a tiny bit of Gaelic, I meant maybe a few phrases. It might be a way to start building a connection to Irishness on your own terms.
But what does it even mean? I can't speak any Gaelic and don't enjoy Irish sports. I'm neither fond of drinking culture nor the drunken Irish stereotype. I do not care to be uncouth, I always strive for scholastic pursuits and intellectual excellence, as fleeting and untenable as those goals are. Can I claim the literary tradition of Ireland as a part of me, when it seems so many other Irish Americans who are basically illiterate by choice? I don't interact with these texts in any way I don't with American or British texts. Arguably, I show more love for the Ancient Greeks and Romans, I have taken multiple classes and seen many lectures on their ways of life and literature. I can tell you the whole Trojan cycle, but I've not even once read the Cu Culthain Branch. I know more about geass from anime than from Celtic myths directly. I know of the fae folk only a little better than I know yokai, and have been directly told very little. I've never seen the Emerald Isles, and seldom thought of visiting, but I've seen other parts of Europe. I have my Irish Catholic faith, and have attempted some of the traditions from ireland, but it's hard to stay in just that vein and so fun and easy to use some Italian or Austrian traditions from my friends. I love the idea of a traditional Irish wake, but not really going to force that when a family member has died. I also dislike just so many other Irish Americans around me. So many who care about being Irish are just highly reactionary or rude. Those that don't just don't really seem like there's anything to connect with about Ireland there. I hate seeing people thing they can just appropriate Irish culture, just use the myths randomly however they wish, who'll rant up and down about Native American myths being corrupted and stolen but laugh at jokes about Leprechaun and try to make their own take on Selkies. I have no idea how even to feel about the Japanese use of Dullahan in various media, it's better than the headless horseman story. I hate the English, but would I not land at that perspective on my own anyway? I also never truly feel white, and know all the white nationalists will attack me and kill me the moment they get the chance, and wish my other Irish american people would walk up to this reality. My life is better than my great grandparents just so it's harder for black people to get housing, but I don't exactly want to be targeted by the police.
so this isn't something I can just love.
My take is that you can choose to value (or not) whatever you want from Irish existence. It's your birthright. It would be nice if you could find some part of "being Irish" to keep and maybe pass on. It's a shame to let traditions and ethnic identity die because it's been crowded out by a dominant culture that absolutely hated your ancestors. Maybe you should learn a tiny bit of gaelic. You might feel good being able to express yourself in the same way the Irish did long ago.
It probably was not your intention, but this does read a bit like you didn't read the whole screed. Which it's fair if you didn't, it's not your job to. But the probelm is that there is so much internal and external all going on I can't just take one little piece and stick with it. it would be nice to speak some Gaelic, but I have to stack that on top of other languages I'm already studying. It doesn't feel any more my birthright to speak that tongue than the Latin or Greek I use. It's not a problem that's easily unraveled.
I think I got you. When I said a tiny bit of Gaelic, I meant maybe a few phrases. It might be a way to start building a connection to Irishness on your own terms.