cmotherofpirl Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 Are you who you are or feel because of what country you happened to be birthed? What culture section of the country you were raised in? What section of the country you were raised in? What culture you identify with now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhuturePriest Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 (edited) I identify myself as Catholic. This is what defines my character and it is what makes me strive to become a better person. I am conservative in the political realm and just happen to live in America, but these are details, not who or what I am. Edited April 17, 2012 by FuturePriest387 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IcePrincessKRS Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 [quote name='cmotherofpirl' timestamp='1334683063' post='2419506'] Are you who you are or feel because of what country you happened to be birthed? What culture section of the country you were raised in? What section of the country you were raised in? What culture you identify with now? [/quote] Hmmm... Probably... but also largely because of the way I was raised. My mom told me a couple times that growing up she was never really sure what comprised her her heritage 100% because her dad would say "We're Americans" and not delve into their heritage that much. She knew there was Polish on her mom's side (pretty much 100%) and some Irish on her dad's. Northeast, I don't think there was a big "culture section" to the area where we lived, but in the next larger town there were (are) strong Italian and Irish subcultures, they have their festivals each year, etc. So if I were to gravitate to one or the other it'd be the Irish because I have that. I am American. I identify with all the nationalities in my heritage, but which one comes out more depends on where I am and who I'm with. If I go to a Polish festival I'm not going to put on Shamrock beer goggles. I'm going to eat pierogi and kielbasa and dance the polka. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissScripture Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 [quote name='cmotherofpirl' timestamp='1334683063' post='2419506'] Are you who you are or feel because of what country you happened to be birthed? What culture section of the country you were raised in? What section of the country you were raised in? What culture you identify with now? [/quote] A little bit of it all? I'm American and was raised to be proud to be American. My grandparents are naturalized citizens, so it's a big deal to them. I have a connection with my German heritage because of my grandparents, and where I grew up. Where I grew up used to have the highest concentration of Germans in the world outside of Germany. The priest that married my husband and I didn't speak English until he went to school, because his family still spoke German, so there was a definite cultural connection still present, though most people did now speak English in their home. I also consider myself a midwesterner and a Minnesotan, and I definitely think having grown up in MN has affected how I interact with other people, the same way someone who grew up in NYC would have grown up with a different "standard" for interacting with people. That said, I have no qualms about saying, I have English and Irish heritage, but I wouldn't "claim" those in the same way I would claim being German, because I don't have a real connection with that piece of my heritage (mostly because it's small and distant). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
she_who_is_not Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 I grew up in the South. I consider myself a Southerner and an American. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IcePrincessKRS Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 [quote name='MissScripture' timestamp='1334684785' post='2419534'] A little bit of it all? I'm American and was raised to be proud to be American. My grandparents are naturalized citizens, so it's a big deal to them. I have a connection with my German heritage because of my grandparents, and where I grew up. Where I grew up used to have the highest concentration of Germans in the world outside of Germany. The priest that married my husband and I didn't speak English until he went to school, because his family still spoke German, so there was a definite cultural connection still present, though most people did now speak English in their home. I also consider myself a midwesterner and a Minnesotan, and I definitely think having grown up in MN has affected how I interact with other people, the same way someone who grew up in NYC would have grown up with a different "standard" for interacting with people. That said, I have no qualms about saying, I have English and Irish heritage, but I wouldn't "claim" those in the same way I would claim being German, because I don't have a real connection with that piece of my heritage (mostly because it's small and distant). [/quote] I identify with my 4 main lines because I'm roughly even quarters, with German possibly having a little bit more of an edge. Somewhere down the Polish line there was a Hungarian who immigrated to Poland, and some of the Irish folk came from Scotland and England. I only recently found out about the Hungarian. I think it's neat but I don't identify with it at all. Now that you mention you identify as a Minnesotan, I would say yes, I do definitely identify as a Northerner and a New Yorker. Although in recent years I have had people ask if I'm really from Michigan because I have MI plates on my car and I say yes. Then I have to correct myself and explain that really only my husband is. But we've lived in so many places... I don't know how my own children will be able to answer that question. They'll probably just end up saying they are Americans unless we retire and stay in one place while they're still young, or identify to the state that they choose to live in when they're adults. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groo the Wanderer Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 I am Catholic, then Texan, then American. I avoid racial/cultural definitions as much as possible. If I am asked I say 'yes' to whatever is offered up. If I have to check boxes on a form, I check them all. If I have to fill in the blank on a form I either put 'human' or 'Mesopotamian'. and...I get really pissed when people call me names or say I am not Hispanic because I don't speak Spanish (yet) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Era Might Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 Boston is my country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4588686 Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 (edited) [quote name='cmotherofpirl' timestamp='1334683063' post='2419506'] Are you who you are or feel because of what country you happened to be birthed? What culture section of the country you were raised in? What section of the country you were raised in? What culture you identify with now? [/quote] I'm an American southerner. Specifically Eastern North Carolina. I also identify as culturally Catholic. Edited April 17, 2012 by Hasan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groo the Wanderer Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 [quote name='Hasan' timestamp='1334686330' post='2419561'] I'm an American southerner. Specifically Eastern North Carolina. I also identify as culturally Catholic. [/quote] what the heck is culturally Catholic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4588686 Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 [quote name='Groo the Wanderer' timestamp='1334685702' post='2419549'] I am Catholic, [size=6][b]then Texan[/b][/size], then American. [/quote] That's not your fault and you didn't do anything wrong. We can't help where we're from, only where we're going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Era Might Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 [quote name='Groo the Wanderer' timestamp='1334686374' post='2419563'] what the heck is culturally Catholic? [/quote] Kielbasa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groo the Wanderer Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 [quote name='Hasan' timestamp='1334686424' post='2419567'] That's not your fault and you didn't do anything wrong. We can't help where we're from, only where we're going. [/quote] well i was born in nevada...took me seven years to hike here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4588686 Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 [quote name='Groo the Wanderer' timestamp='1334686374' post='2419563'] what the heck is culturally Catholic? [/quote] I'm not a practicing Catholic but I don't deny that being raised Catholic was a major force in forming who I am today and have no desire to change or expunge that influence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HisChildForever Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 [quote name='cmotherofpirl' timestamp='1334683063' post='2419506'] Are you who you are or feel because of what country you happened to be birthed? What culture section of the country you were raised in? What section of the country you were raised in? What culture you identify with now? [/quote] American. North Jerseyian. If people ask me my "roots" I'd say primarily Irish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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