Identity in the Scottish Diaspora

[neloon]

Reiver,
Yes, I can see that, in a rapidly evolving society, there may be interesting stories.
In my paternal line, the employment sequence went
blacksmith > marine engineer > civil engineer in Huntly > Singapore > Lagos and Aberdeen
but it's an unsurprising progression at the height of the Empire. More demographically interesting is that my great grandfather was born in 1812 and, if my daughter survives into the next century which is quite possible, her great great grandfather will have been born nearly 300 years earlier. It's what happens with a sequence of "late" births.

Alan

[Reiver]

It may also, this desire for history, be partially related to being 'uprooted' as it were.
In the last 400 years my 'relations' went from the borders (some to Ireland not of their free will actually) then to the Colonies.
From operating a coastal ship prior to the revolution to eventually reaching the west coast in the 1800's...it is just an interesting story.
My good cousins (and name) research just takes us back to the borders so here we are.
I'd try not to read to much into this 'need' really. Can't speak for others, just myself.

[neloon]

Bill,
You're a nuisance. You were the reason for me digging out the Andrea Beaton session yesterday
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QacpHUd_a4
Now I can't get it out of my ear. By the way, if you knocked on any door on Lewis today, Andrea's are the facial features that would appear.
And then there are more unrelated Beatons - well of course they're related, but you know what I mean.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCSk5waVkxI
Here's Margie with a bit of step dancing from way back in the Hebrides now being revived in Scotland
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKHWq4_uF3c
And Dawn,who is Celtic Colours’ Artistic Director, interviewing Chrissy Crowley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vupz...rMCDdLy2buo1W4
More of Chrissy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T96DdnK7cuU

And we are lucky to have one of your fiddlers over here just now
http://www.abdn.ac.uk/elphinstone/pe...arley.williams

Sorry about all these lovely ladies, chaps. Can you cope? And I know it's a bit off topic
These have all been in my favourites list for years. Suas e!

Alan

[Jock Scot]

Sorry to let the side down Alan, but to my non musical ear------too many loud bangs, I expect---------I find that that sort of music puts me in mind of a brace of cats with appendicitis, being strangled!

[neloon]

Sorry to let the side down Alan, but to my non musical ear------too many loud bangs, I expect---------I find that that sort of music puts me in mind of a brace of cats with appendicitis, being strangled!

Yes, we know you're a musical Philistine, Jock. I would PLAY THAT DOWN if I were you
I suspect Mozart and Neil Gow would have quite liked it!
Maybe this is more your style
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhIO6bsguhg
We should get back on topic.

Alan

[Jock Scot]

Yes, we know you're a musical Philistine, Jock. I would PLAY THAT DOWN if I were you
I suspect Mozart and Neil Gow would have quite liked it!
Maybe this is more your style
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhIO6bsguhg
We should get back on topic.

Alan

No, not for me either. I am more of a Band of The Grenadier Guards, or, the Band of The Royal Marines type.

Yes we don't want to get into trouble, again, so back to topic!

[Reiver]

Good post there....good music too

[Nathan]

When this conversation takes place on here, the existence of ethnic enclaves is often ignored. When Russia annexed Crimea, they used the justifaction that the area had a lot of ethnic Russians.

When a community with shared food, clothing, religion, language, music and dance move somewhere in a large group, they move with a sense of community. I think you'll find that areas where the percentage of the community descended from one ethnic group or another is more homogenous than the average, the people of that community take an interest and a pride in their land of origin. Not because it explains their past but because it explains their present.

In the case of Cape Breton, it explains why the Mac names took up more than half of the time when the teacher was calling roll in class. It also explains why there are fiddles, pipes and tartan everywhere and why the local radio has Gaelic programming and why there's Gaelic on road signs.

To be sure, there are people in Cape Breton who are not of Highland descent and are no less Cape Bretoners just as there are people of Highland descent that are sick of fiddles and tartans and oat cakes and are more interested in the goings on of large cities around the world.

Ethnic identity and civic identity are not one and the same. I am a Canadian but that is a very large tent that breaks down into regional and ethnocultural subgroups and subidentities.

It isn't unique to Canada or Scottish-Canadians. Ethnic communities and their identities are portable. One need only examine the existence of communities like China Towns everywhere, those of Indian descent in the Carribean or Roma populations in Europe.

I will also add that geneology has always been important to Gaels. The naming convention of the Sloinneadh demonstrates that well. While the Anglo-Norman norms have come to dominate much of modern Scotland, the Gaels of Cape Breton have preserved this interest in lineage, stories, history and old music. It's not about living in the past, it's about deciding what elements of our past shall survive into our future.

[Nathan]

I have said the very same type of thing as you in your post Alan and I don't know why-----and I say this with some seriousness-----it seems to me that our North American "cousins"( Oh how I loath that expression "Cousin" used in a general term, but it does seem to be alright when used in North America) are determined to misunderstand what you and I are saying! I do wonder if they understand our English? I have to admit I have been at pains to express myself as clearly as I am able and I have to say I understood completely what you have said on this thread and the "other" thread that started this discussion.

After many years discussing this topic with you on and off xmarks, Jock, I think the misunderstanding is mutual...

[Jock Scot]

After many years discussing this topic with you on and off xmarks, Jock, I think the misunderstanding is mutual...

Oh I don't know, at least you are now agreeing with me that you are a Canadian!