St. Patrick's Day Musings

I took a "selfie" for the very first time this St. Patrick's Day afternoon.  I wanted to capture myself wearing a leprechaun hat given me recently at church.  Besides looking somewhat silly, the truth is that I do not know of any Irish blood in my veins.  My paternal grandfather's ancestry was from England (although those folks came to the US in the 17th Century).  My paternal grandmother immigrated to the US from Denmark in the early 20th Century.  My maternal grandfather's ancestry was also from England, and my maternal grandmother's ancestry is from Wales.  No Irish.

Some celebrate this day by wearing green (did you also notice the green shirt in the selfie)?  Some drink green beer.  Some municipalities with Irish populations put green dye in the local river.  It's a fun day to be a little silly.

St. Patrick's Day for me harks back to a time when Irish immigrants were just getting established and wished to connect with their culture and their home country.  As far as I have learned about their history, the Irish came to the US because of few or no economic opportunities because of the great Potato Famine, and when they arrived, they took whatever job they could find.  They were treated poorly by others whose forbears had immigrated earlier but who had become "Americanized" and assimilated into the melting pot that was the US in the 19th and early 20th Centuries.  In 2014, unless your last name is Macnamara or O'Grady, or some variation, you would be hard pressed to identify someone as being Irish (except on St. Patrick's Day!)

I was listening to talk radio this morning and the host had just returned from a cruise that stopped in a number of West African countries.  He made the observation, which was then confirmed by a man who had immigrated many years ago from Nigeria, and which I have had confirmed in years past, that Black Africans see African-Americans differently; that Black Americans talk and even walk differently.  It's almost like African-Americans have "swagger."  The host made the remark, that even though Blacks in the US call themselves "African-Americans," Blacks in Africa see them only as "Americans."  Men, women and children forced to the US to serve as slaves were treated very poorly, and while there are still economic challenges in their community and still some bigotry, much progress has been made, and many Black Americans have melted into the national pot.

Both the Irish and Blacks have had to fight for their rights.  They have had to overcome stereotypes, whispers, and economic challenges, among many other obstacles.  The majority, whose ancestors also immigrated at one time or another, have had to challenge themselves, and in some case, be challenged, to grant equality to all.  The world of 2014 is very different from that of the 19th and 20th Century in terms of acceptance of minorities; much progress has been made.  Who would have thought in the 1960s that there would be a Black President of the United States less than 50 years later, elected because of the support of the white majority?

Even though other minorities are struggling to lay hold of the American Dream in our day, the LGBT community (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) is most outspoken in wanting and demanding equality.  They too are faced with overcoming stereotypes, whispers, and prejudices, especially by some people who profess belief in a loving God, and if truly believers should reflect that love.  And while some may fear that the LGBT militancy is threatening the very fiber of society, those same thoughts were had by the majority, of the Irish and the Blacks, among others.  And here we are in 2014, with challenges to be sure, but with the greatest equality the US has known in its history.

So Happy St. Patrick's Day to all the Irish-Americans. You have successfully integrated yourselves into just Americans!  If I were a drinking man, I'd tip one in your honor.  Because I'm not, I'll just wear my silly green leprechaun hat, green shirt, and Happy St. Patrick's Day badge, and pretend I'm Irish!