Identity in the Scottish Diaspora

[davidlpope]

Alan, Jock,

To continue the discussion so that I can better understand your views:

Do folks in Scotland hyphenate their cultural identity? In other words, we have "African-Americans", "German-Americans", Irish-Americans", etc. Do this same practice exist in Scotland? How would a first-generation Scot of Pakistani parents describe himself?

It seems that at least some Scots of recent immigrant backgrounds think that retaining items of cultural significance are important:




Likewise, some Americans of recent immigrant backgrounds have not given up the kilt:

[The Q]

It's an interesting question, nationality, I'm from a several generations military family. I have a Grandfather born in Glasgow, some of his brothers were born in Ireland as was his father and some generations before that, but before then back in Scotland
I have an uncle born in British India ( Pakistan) like him the other brothers were born wherever my grandfather was posted.
My father was born in England, a sister born in Ireland, a sister born in cyprus, and a Gaelic speaking hebrides educated, brother born in England.
Both sisters are married to several generations Scotsmen but their married names are from England.
Their children and grandchildren were born in Scotland but one son lives in Canada.
I had uncles and aunts now just cousins in Australia and New Zealand.

From the family trees we have relatives in the USA.
If as is possible, I'm from the royal Stewarts then I'm a descendant of the French or normans or Vikings.

My normal answer is I'm British but European would be more accurate

[neloon]

David,
(Yes, the summary is a bit messy)
"Do folks in Scotland hyphenate their cultural identity?"
No. More or less uniquely, the term Italian-Scot exists though it is very little used.
I'm not sure what Humza Yousaf calls himself but his political allegiance would suggest to me that he sees himself as a Scot with a Kenyan mother and Pakistani father. I've never heard anyone called an "Asian-Scot" or a "Pakistani-Scot" but I suppose a newspaper might use such a term for brevity.
I believe that Craig Ferguson has US citizenship - we would still regard him as a Scot.
I think most Scots would simply say that, if someone has a Scottish accent, they are Scots. (Of course someone may be Scots without having a Scottish accent.)

Alan

[Luke MacGillie]

There is descent, and then there is culture.

Some of the same things "discussed"here, I seem them almost word for word being discussed between Native Americans who grew up on the rez vice having grown up off rez, normally in a big city far from their ancestral homes.......

[davidlpope]

There is descent, and then there is culture.

Some of the same things "discussed"here, I seem them almost word for word being discussed between Native Americans who grew up on the rez vice having grown up off rez, normally in a big city far from their ancestral homes.......

Luke,

Thanks for your post. I suspect that there might also be similarities between Americans with distant Scottish descent and Americans whose NA ancestry is very distant and choose to participate in powwows, etc.

I guess the tension might be between these two views:

1) "This is my cultural thing. I'm bona fide. This doesn't belong to you. I don't want you to mess it up with your inauthentic ways."

vs.

2) "Okay, you can share in my cultural thing. It's not been your organic experience, but, hey, we need all the support we can get to keep this thing alive. Just, please, try to be teachable and learn how to do this thing right..."

[Bruce Scott]

That statement is simultaneously precise ("99%") and vague ("few"). I'm not sure that the US/UK difference in historical immigration is as great as you imagine and certainly the current foreign-born population proportions are almost identical at 13%.
Alan

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13% for the US surprised me. A media release from the Australian Bureau of Statistics in March 2016 has our foreign-born population at 28%.

[ThistleDown]

In 2011 20.6 percent of the Canadian population was foreign-born, the highest percentage in the G8 countries. Almost 6,800,000 representing 200 ethnic origins. Of the non-G8 countries, Canada was second only to Australia in the number of foreign-born nationals.

In 2011 4,715,000 (over 13 percent) reported ethnic Scottish origin, 6,510,000 reported English origin (including roughly 1,000,000 thought to be Scottish or Scottish and English), 5,100,000 reported French, and 10,600,000 reported Canadian.

In 2014 Scotland's population was 5,328,000 of whom 76,000 reported Poland as their country of origin, 26,000 reported India, 19,000 reported Germany, 18,000 reported Pakistan, and 20,000 reported Eire.

[Father Bill]

Which is why, with so many ethnic interests, heritages, cultures, and aching hearts, so many Canadians hyphenate ourselves.

[Terry Searl]

In 2011 20.6 percent of the Canadian population was foreign-born, the highest percentage in the G8 countries. Almost 6,800,000 representing 200 ethnic origins. Of the non-G8 countries, Canada was second only to Australia in the number of foreign-born nationals.

In 2011 4,715,000 (over 13 percent) reported ethnic Scottish origin, 6,510,000 reported English origin (including roughly 1,000,000 thought to be Scottish or Scottish and English), 5,100,000 reported French, and 10,600,000 reported Canadian.

In 2014 Scotland's population was 5,328,000 of whom 76,000 reported Poland as their country of origin, 26,000 reported India, 19,000 reported Germany, 18,000 reported Pakistan, and 20,000 reported Eire.

I was born in Canada in 1948 and consider myself Canadian. My Maternal Grand father was Dublin born and came to Canada by himself as a lad of 12, just before the turn of the century. My great grand father on the paternal side was also Irish born and came to Canada, during the famines. Most of the immigrants prior to my birthing were from Europe where WWII had wrecked such havoc, but since then we have had a great number of Asian immigrants. Diversity is a most wonderful thing. Culture includes dress, foods, celebrations and ethnic ties to the country from whence our forebears have come. I don't agree with with including and hyphenating my forebears country but I do appreciate the beautiful things they all brought to Canada......... except intolerance....and I'll leave it at that

[Liam]

Part of the fascination of recearching one's ancestry for those who have moved from their ancestral home is to know what one's roots are. If you or your ancestors have never ventured from where you were yourself were born, then you can simply walk to your Kirk yard and look at tomb stones. 😉
It is not surprising that those who have never left their ancestral homes could understand regardless of how many times those of us whose ancestors have, try. That doesn't make either side right or wrong, but is a point where we should accept and move on.