What makes someone Scottish?

[Jeremiah]

This is a matter of some curiosity for me. My family is Scottish by decent, but I highly doubt there is much scottish blood in us. We are likely mutts whose only real claim to Scotland is a surname passed down. My family never lived in Scotland, and never talked about it's ancient roots. So, my question is: Am I scottish? Does a surname lend acceptance into the group? Is rediscovering one's heritage a farse? Just a few questions I had.

[Rab Gordon]

If you feel Scottish.

Rab

[Blu (Ontario)]

What makes a person a Texan, a Mexican, or a Canadian ?... Same rules apply. And yet while I, as a Canadian, may feel a certain cultural kinship with my American neighbors to the south, that doesn't make me an American. By the same token, I have both Scot and English blood in my veins and while I share a some genetic and cultural commonality with them I am neither a Scot or an Englishman. But that doesn't stop me from showing off a bit of pride in the stock from which I was bred.


blu

[Livingston]

hmmm....let's see, my heritage is Scottish, English, Welsh, German, Spanish, French and Norwegian with some level of nobility from each of those. Me, I'm American but have primarily Scottish ancestry. And yes, I claim ancestors from the nobility here, one of my relatives fought with the Green Mountain Boys during the Revolution and on the other side one signed the Declaration of Independance. (now where did I put that title to half of New York state? :-(

[macwilkin]

When a clansman reportedly complained to Lord MacDonald, the Chief the Clan Donald, at a gathering of the clan in Scotland about the American, Canadian and Australian members wearing kilts, etc., The Chief supposedly replied:

"The blood is strong. Do you really think that over 200 years and 2000 miles can destroy it?"

I stand with Lord MacDonald -- a proud American of Scottish heritage.

As an aside, Cajuns are made "by the blood, by the ring and by the backdoor" -- I'm a proud Cajun by the ring and by the backdoor -- anybody who wants to argue that can take it up with my mother-in-law, Ms. Melancon! :mrgreen:

(Be forewarned -- Cajun women are slow to anger, but once you do -- Katy bar the door!)

Slainte!

Todd

[mudd]

I consider myself an American because I live here. I am a citizen of this country.
In terms of heredity, I think of my ancestry as Norse/Celtic/Teutonic. These are the ethnic groups I am descended from. (Are any of us pure anything anymore?)
So, to be Scottish, I think you would have to be born there or become nationalized citizen of that part of the UK.
Howzat?

[toadinakilt]

What makes a person a Texan, a Mexican, or a Canadian ?...

After spending 5 weeks in Acapulco, my friends down there decided to make me an honorary Mexican...that is why I have a sweet poncho...

[Beery]

In my opinion people can only claim to be 'from' where they're born or where they've lived a fair proportion of their lives. Here in Boston we get folks who claim to be Irish who've never set foot in Ireland in their lives and whose living relatives are similarly unconnected. In my book, if you weren't born there, if you weren't raised by someone from there, you aren't of that nationality, period. In order to be a certain nationality you have to have some real active connection to the place - a long-term and meaningful connection that moulds your character first-hand. Having a relative from there who you never met doesn't cut it, and having a name that ties you to the country matters even less.

So I'm English - definitely not a Scot, definitely not a Belgian (although 1/8th Belgian by blood), definitely not Welsh (although 1/8th Welsh by blood). I'm a Yorkshireman born and bred, and I can claim to be half-Geordie - though I never lived in County Durham I was raised by a Geordie. I'm not Austrian even though I lived in Austria for three years, because I didn't live there long enough to be moulded by the experience. Although my name is Cooper I've never made a barrel in my life, so my surname is nothing more than a label.

Anything I claim more than what actively moulded my life would be a lie. I've also lived in the US for nearly half my life, but the reasons I don't claim to be American (I could get citizenship if I wanted) are different - I don't really like it here and I only live here because my wife prefers it. So in my opinion if you don't like the country you live in you can renounce being 'from' there despite having a legitimate claim to be 'from' there, but you can't claim nationality from somewhere unless you actually know the country or its people first-hand.

So be proud of where you're actually from, don't pretend to be from somewhere that's as alien to you as the surface of the moon, but if you want to wear the kilt, play the digeridoo, wear a stetson or do a Maori haka, in the words of the Nike ad, just do it. A New Zealander once asked me how I, as an Englishman, could support the All-Blacks. I replied that I didn't know New Zealand citizenship was a prerequisite for supporting that great rugby team. Showing respect and support for a country's heritage doesn't require anything more than respect for that heritage, but considering oneself 'from' there requires more substantial connections.

[porrick]

Showing respect and support for a country's heritage doesn't require anything more than respect for that heritage, but considering oneself 'from' there requires more substantial connections.

Now this is a really interesting thread! It is at times strange what feelings and emotions can do to one's sense of belonging. I am a British citizen raised bilingually and biculturally English/Norwegian in Norway (father's Irish/English, mother's Norwegian/Swedish). My passport is merely a piece of paper that says I am British, whereas my schooling, work friends etc are Norwegian. Still, of all my heart I am British - and will never be anything else. Sure, it would be just as practical turning in one passport for another, and my life would for all practical purposes be the same. No, not so.

On the other hand, I was raised on the south coast of Norway, and I now live up north. There is quite a cultural difference between the north and the south, and after having married a northerner and lived here for more than 8 years now, I am here to stay and feel I belong here (Norwegian)culturally - and not where I was born and raised. I can not truly claim I'm norhterner (my birth and dialect betrays me), but I am fully accepted here by treasuring the values of the north in my heart. Yes, it is a matter of genuine respect and acceptance.

PS
On the lighter side: no, I don't believe you need to justify being Scottish to proudly wear a (tartan) kilt. I don't have to justify that I am of American descent to wear my Levi's... :mrgreen:

[Iolaus]

When asked, I tell them I'm American, raised no more than ten miles away (I rarely get out of town).

I think, if you took a poll among the members here at XMarks, You'd find that a lot of us have very tenuous connections to Scotland, if any at all. I, for instance have only my mothers step-father, a man at least a generation or two removed from Scotland to my credit - no blood, just heritage, as he was the only grandfather I knew.

In my opinion (gotta stress that), I would say, from the way you phrase your question, right now, no, you're not "Scottish", although there are others who wiil define it as a simple question of descent and say you are.

But to truely answer your question for yourself, you'll have to define what you mean by "Scottish". If you mean, do you have a visceral connection to the history and origins of your family, then you could, in the future, consider yourself "Scottish", as that is something that can be developed through an engaged research and celebration of your findings.

Like Rab said, "If you feel Scottish."