Scottishness and identity

[oneofthefew]

I've just read on another forum that we need to remember that Canada and the U.S. have more Scots than has Scotland. I'm not sure who the "we" are exactly that needs to remember something that is so unbelievably untrue its laughable. It seems that more than our just AMERICAN friend McHan believe themselves to be Scottish when in reality its only their roots that are!

[MacSnapper]

Originally Posted by georgekidd

Maybe I am "gonnae get it", but its my opinion and one based on a lot of dealings with people from all over the world with loads of different roots!

Hello people of the forum,

WOW after reading these comments here could you please explain then if a white American has Scottish roots and they are not a Native American , nor an African American, nor a Latino American, nor an Italian American, nor a Jewish American, nor an Irish American, nor a Cuban American, nor a German American, nor a French American, nor an English American...etc...are they a rootless American, have no history back to where there ancestors came from in your eyes ?

[georgekidd]

Originally Posted by MacSnapper

if a white American has Scottish roots...

... then they have Scottish roots and can claim to be Scottish American, but that does NOT make them Scottish! The fact is, no one here is disputing their roots; its their claim to actually being Scottish that is being questioned!

[MacSnapper]

I agree with that as they are American's with different roots.

[georgekidd]

They might even be American with roots from more than one country. In fact how many Americans would claim to ONLY having Scottish roots?

[Polwarth]

Too many.... but I suspect it's wishful thinking!!!

[Marlys of Mull]

Well, this has been a long read. When I started reading it was 11 pages and when I finally got here, it was 12.
Alright, let me add my 2 cents worth and I hope it will be a breath of fresh air for some of you.
I have Scottish roots. I also have Welsh, French, German, and the largest root is actually English. I am American and those roots, both heritage and emotional, run deep. But, I recently took a holiday in Scotland and got in touch with my Scottish roots. I love (so far) all things Scottish. I choose to celebrate that part of my heritage more than any other and have been allowed to join my Scottish clan.
I would NEVER call myself Scottish (except for when some annoying survey taker asks for whether I would consider myself White, Latino or African American. It seems us whities can't be from a specific place - we're just white. Then I might say Scottish or Brittish or even European). When I have to identify that part of me to others, I say "I am of Scottish decent". When, on my holiday, I was asked if I was a MacLean, I replied, "I am a decendant, yes."
While there, I observed, or rather felt, a great sense of national/ ethnic identity. This may be the source of not being able to separate the two in some minds. They are one.
And while, I felt the Scottish people we're open, friendly and desirous to share and show off thier wonderful, beautiful country and culture (because they are secure in thier identity), I knew better, instinctivly, than to suggest that I was Scottish. With such a strong sense of identity, how could anyone not wholely Scottish be a part of it? I feel this is true even when told, "Welcome home" by someone I met at my clan's ancestral castle. This statement touched me to the core, because I DO consider Scotland my home - my ancestral home, where my heart resides, but I still would never consider myself "Scottish" unless a large number of Scots of whom I respect bestowed that title upon me, regardless of what the government says.
I would never presume to tell a subject/citizen how they should run thier country. H*ll, even my own government doesn't listen to me, why should anyone elses?
Well, you wanted opinions, particularly American ones, and I hadn't heard this one yet, so there you go.