Dudes claiming they are "old stock" or "heritage" Americans. They'll even call other white people who's ancestors weren't here before the Civil War "ellis islanders" and invaders.

As someone who's ancestry has partially been here since the 1690s.. it's a crock of shit and silly as fuck.

  • booty [he/him]
    ·
    4 months ago

    It can happen if they literally just posted up somewhere and haven't left. Gets hard to keep track if the family branches off and moves around though.

    • FearsomeJoeandmac [he/him, he/him]
      hexagon
      ·
      4 months ago

      Yeah my family was nothing special (I think my first ancestor over here was a blacksmith lol) I am lucky in that they were scotch irish and fervent presbyterians and early church records are some of the best ways to trace your ancestry.

      • sping@lemmy.sdf.org
        ·
        edit-2
        4 months ago

        Scots-Irish. Scotch is a drink. Unless you mean they were Irish but loved Scottish whisky.

          • sping@lemmy.sdf.org
            ·
            edit-2
            4 months ago

            fair, and of course it could be argued that that usage is common enough in America that it's valid American-English.

            But if you go to Ireland or especially Scotland, and talk about Scotch-Irish, people will either mock you openly or keep it politely to themselves and silently judge you ;). All they'll hear is "I'm whisky-Irish".