Scottishness and identity

[draven82]

Well, I have to put my two cents in. I personally think that being American and claiming that you are Scottish (or Irish for that matter) is like saying that you have Cherokee, Creek, Muskogee, or any other tribe native to America in your families heritage. Just about everyone I know including myself has at least one of the listed heritages. That is not the same as actually living in and having connections to that heritage. My family came over in the late 1800's so last time I checked my family hasn't been "Scottish" or "Irish" for the last hundred some odd years. I do understand your frustration it's a lot like when people claim to be "Native". First off its not "Native" it's Cherokee, Creek etc...etc... Anyone who really has a tribal heritage will tell you that they can not all be classified by one word. There are many different tribes and they are not related. N-E-way it really bugs me when people try to say that they are Cherokee (or any other tribe for that matter). if you only have .0085% Cherokee are you really Cherokee? I only have an eighth and in my opinion that means nothing because I have not been brought up living in it. Just like the fact that I have more than adaquit amounts of Scottish and Irish heritage that dose not mean I am Scotch-Irish. I am American. A Heinz 57. A mutt. And proud of it. Sorry, I didn't mean to go all out completely All though I have a few beautiful things that I inherited from my grandmother. Of course I don't have any idea if they are really Irish or not. I don't think it really matters they are family heirlooms and nothing else. But they are special to me and that is all that maters.