Where Do I Come From?

[Makeitstop]

I've started to write a response to this three times, and each time, I've not posted it, and gone away from this thread.

I sympathise with your desire to know more about your ancestors. But I'm somewhat uncomfortable with a subtext that I'm reading, which may not be intended. The subtext is this: that being American is somehow inferior to being Celtic.

My family has been in America for a long time. My earliest ancestor arrived here somewhere in the neighborhood of ten thousand years ago, while the latest arrived more than a century ago. In other words, in the living memory of my family, the only nation we've known is America. For me, this is not a disconnection from my roots -- it is my roots! When I think of who I am, and where I came from, my answers tend to center around Tucson and Arizona.

And I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

I can see where you're coming from, but to me, it sounds more like Packhound is under the mistaken impression that the only tartans he will find to represent his roots are clan tartans.

I personally find this a bit odd, as I don't see why you would wear a tartan to represent a family history that you aren't aware of. I'd say find one that represents a part of your roots that you do know. But maybe that's just me.

I'm no expert on tartans, but I do know there are lots of options other than clan tartans. For example, if you have ancestors who fought in the American revolution, you could honor them with a tartan which represents the military or a specific branch, or a state or even the American tartan. It's not so much about what name is attached to the tartan, but what it means to you.

Hell, if you can't find a tartan to represent your roots, you could design one (after all, someone has to do it).