O
O'Rothlain
Guest
An Irish-American View of St. Patrick's Day</span>
The debate is continualy roaring on that people like myself are not Irish. Okay, you've got me on a technicality, I was not born in Ireland...my parents weren't born in Ireland...my grandparents weren't born in Ireland. So, I go back a few generations, on both sides of my family. What I do know, is that my family left a country they loved to try and make a better life for themselves, and ultimately, for me. In honour of them we hold true to traditions and always look back to the land of our origin.
I'm not alone here. "The 2000 United State Census reports 30,528,492 persons claiming Irish ancestry, 10.8% of the total American population. This is over 7 times the population of Ireland itself, which was 4 million in the year 2003" (http://www.euroamericans.net/irish.htm). What happend with the great Irish immigration to the US is that we built America. We can't forget the signs of "Help Wanted, No Irish Need Apply." These obstacles shaped our view of America and the world and created an attitude that literally changed the face of America.
Where would the America or the World be without the likes of Henry Ford (founder of the Ford Motor Co., and the inventor of the assembly line), J.F.K., or John Wayne? Our history is full of persons like Davy Crockett, and Daniel Boone. Last but not least we have to even look at Eamon De Valera: without his American citizenship he would have been executed.
This coming weekend, on Saturday 17 March 2007 we will celibrate St. Patrick's Day. A time where, in America, Green Beer, Shamrocks, Leprachauns, and Parades occur. "Green Beer isn't Irish!" Yes, we all know that...But, it's fun. Go ahead, take the **** on our Americanzation of this holy day. We're a bit cheasy, gimmacy, and easily succomed to commercialization. However, though, we're still proud. We still call ourselves Irish. We spend our money taking our vacations to Ireland to get in touch with our Irish Roots. So, we may be your cousins you'd like to forget, but I encourage you to have a laugh at us, and then join in the celebration. We may mess it up a bit, but it's an honest attempt at honouring the past and having a good time.
<span style="color:#009900">Beannachtaà na Féile Pádraig oraibh!
<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gKuPtDq2kFU"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gKuPtDq2kFU" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>
The debate is continualy roaring on that people like myself are not Irish. Okay, you've got me on a technicality, I was not born in Ireland...my parents weren't born in Ireland...my grandparents weren't born in Ireland. So, I go back a few generations, on both sides of my family. What I do know, is that my family left a country they loved to try and make a better life for themselves, and ultimately, for me. In honour of them we hold true to traditions and always look back to the land of our origin.
I'm not alone here. "The 2000 United State Census reports 30,528,492 persons claiming Irish ancestry, 10.8% of the total American population. This is over 7 times the population of Ireland itself, which was 4 million in the year 2003" (http://www.euroamericans.net/irish.htm). What happend with the great Irish immigration to the US is that we built America. We can't forget the signs of "Help Wanted, No Irish Need Apply." These obstacles shaped our view of America and the world and created an attitude that literally changed the face of America.
Where would the America or the World be without the likes of Henry Ford (founder of the Ford Motor Co., and the inventor of the assembly line), J.F.K., or John Wayne? Our history is full of persons like Davy Crockett, and Daniel Boone. Last but not least we have to even look at Eamon De Valera: without his American citizenship he would have been executed.
This coming weekend, on Saturday 17 March 2007 we will celibrate St. Patrick's Day. A time where, in America, Green Beer, Shamrocks, Leprachauns, and Parades occur. "Green Beer isn't Irish!" Yes, we all know that...But, it's fun. Go ahead, take the **** on our Americanzation of this holy day. We're a bit cheasy, gimmacy, and easily succomed to commercialization. However, though, we're still proud. We still call ourselves Irish. We spend our money taking our vacations to Ireland to get in touch with our Irish Roots. So, we may be your cousins you'd like to forget, but I encourage you to have a laugh at us, and then join in the celebration. We may mess it up a bit, but it's an honest attempt at honouring the past and having a good time.
<span style="color:#009900">Beannachtaà na Féile Pádraig oraibh!
<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gKuPtDq2kFU"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gKuPtDq2kFU" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>
.Hail Ireland if it wasn't for them we wouldn't have gambling and whatnot in Australia. 
