Native Scots vs the scottish diaspora

[ANP3]

Here is how I feel, as an American with both "recent," and "old," Scottish blood lines, non of them paternal. My surname is Pavio, and as made painful clear by the vowels it's Italian, but the majority of ancestors are Scottish or their decendents. Like my maternal Grandfather, who's family has lived in American from the French and Indian war, although it is an old America line, the members of it are almost exclusivly people with Scottish surnames, mostly lowland names, like Bell. And although my Grandfather had a traditionally German-Jerwish name, Artman, due to a German Immigrant who was lucky enough to keep having sons, but they married "Scottish -American," women and that trend continued right up to my Grandfather, who married a Londoner (is that the proper term?) who alway told us She wasn't "Pure," English, rather 100% British, because she had ancestors who were Welsh (she was able to speak some Welsh in fact), and Scottish (both Lowland and highland) and English names like "Langridge," and such were reltivly recent. In fact my aunt has photos of her, my mother and their sisters in Kilts as show both the "Scottish-ness," of her fathers side and hers. And as thinly vailed Brittish nationalism in the states.

On to my dad who although he has an Italian last name is not really all that "Italian," even though his grandparents were Italian immigrants, they feld facist Italy, and left nearly all of their culture "on the boat," my dad can't speak Italian, his grandfather changed his name from Donato, to Donald and his idea of "traditional Italian food," includes lots of cheese, meat balls, and red sauce. His mother is first Generation Irish-American, and she retained Irish culture, infact her house has high crosses on just about every wall, and she is a faithful member of St. Patrick's RC church. But as I was doing some digging into her family, low and behold I found quite a few Scottish names, in her family tree (her great Grandmother was a MacDonald).

So, as I was looking at my family's cumualtive make up, it was overwhelming Scottish. And, my grandmothers, being British, and 1st gen. Irish-American, I feel almost no connection to my Italian hereatige because my great-grandparents didn't want us to. They chose to leave the culture behind.

Now that you have a lesson on my genealogy, I'll try and give my two cents on the Issue. I think MOST, non-native Scots, who have Scottish ancestry are simply honoring the past, because unless you're an American Indian, or more correctly Native American, NOBODY in the U.S.A. is really "from here," if that makes any sense. Americans don't necessarily want to be Scottish, Irish, Welsh, English or Italian, rather they want to honor their ancestors like Jenny Bell, or Mary MacDonald. I would argue the ________-Americans have a totally unique culture unto it self. There are few if any, connections between the Irish-ness my grandmother feels, and the patriotism any native-Irishman feels. We don't feel patriotism for our "ancestral homelands," rather pride in them because it's "where we're from". Same is culturally true, the Culture of any _______-Americans is never going to be exactly like the original, it will be "Americanised."

Okay so why do I wear a kilt:
1.) My ancestry is maily Scottsish, so I wear it to honour my ancestors. Same with bagpipes, and I enjoy playing them, and the sense of pride in my ancestry this all gives me.
2.) Do I call my self "Scottish?" No! I was born in upstate New York (near Rochester), and proud of it! I'll die in this place if I have my way!
3.) Do i live in the "myth," of Scotland, Ireland, or Britain as a whole? No, I'm very aware that Rob Roy, (Mel Gibson's) Braveheart and the blue painted, naked Picts running down a hill at Romans are history, and false hollywood versions of history.
4.) Do I claim Clan membership. Again no, last time I checked their was no Clan Pavio, however I can say I had ancestors who had Clan names, like Mary Macdonald, my Great-great Grandmother. Do I wear Clan Tartans? Yes to honor those ancestors I had who had those names, because while I didn't they are still a part of the family history.

Now about the people who paint themselves blue and wear great kilts to fairs...well their a different story. So, I don't feel we are stealing a culture. I think the term Scottish-American is accurate because we have a Scottish Influenced sub-culture, and we don't view ourselves as "Scottish," in the same way you do.

Okay. Well that's my rant...I'm not positive it really answered anything, but maybe it gives perspective.