“I am neither American nor Irish” - Growing up Woodlawn with Irish parents

Those who emigrate from Ireland need to mainstream in their new chosen country. They are of that country then. They left Ireland, their choice. If people want to be Irish stay in Ireland.

If this isn't a magnet for the silly little wonk "bythebay", I don't know what is. As for Woodlawn, it's Little Ireland. Half the population seems to be illegals, too! Well God bless 'em all. If you ever want to see a great game of Irish Football, head to the Field across from the Terminal Bar, which is the center of Irish Culture in NYC.

Brendan, very good descriptions of your dual identities. Just one mistake, as I see it. Your American community does not suffer from your dual homeplaces; it clearly benefits from it.

Brendan: You are both, that is what you are. I am Irish born came here as a child, (Woodlawn too of course). Two of us born in Ireland, two of us born in the U.S. The U.S. born ones are back in Ireland, and the Irish born ones are still here. My wife went back to Ireland in the mid 70's around 9 or 10, and came back in her mid 20's. I wanted to go back (before the collapse and could have), she said no. She is a fluent Irish speaker, I have a few words. So as you know , a very complicated deep relationship and love for both countries. Something some posters here just do not understand. Be comfortable with who you are, we have the best of both countries and cultures and hopefully none of the negative. And anyhow it is only some of the Irish in Ireland who get hung up on who is and who is not Irish.

PRETTY ELOQUENT EXPLANATION,not a lot of heart there boyo,most irish who are second third generation where ever we wash up still regard ourselves as irish,its a state of mind ,of heart and feel and music and it just is,you are just disconnected,which is fair enough,your choice,me i would still be Irish if i was born on the dark side of the moon.

bythebay: Go back to sleep, you just do not get it.

Excellent post, el rubio. Couldn't have put it better myself!

You are American. Like most of us we like to know the story that brought our ancestors away from their home countries. most are desperate people trying their best to give their families a chance at a better life, I thank my ancestors every day for the wonderful life I have been given.

Goggins, dogs are mutts, not people who are of Irish American DESCENT.

I would like to correct myself, all of those who are mixed ethnicities, can be either. You have the choice.

I firmly believe that Brendan, himself is a mutt. All people who are of Irish-American decent are mutts.

I guess i dont get whats so confusing for you about who you are! Your parents were born and raised in Ireland so they're Irish. If you were born in NY, you're American. Its a simple case of saying you're American, your parents are Irish and you have irish heritage. I was born and raised in Ireland and moved to DC. To everyone here I'm Irish, even with US citizenship. You're American-Irish in NY, I'm Irish-American in DC. If you feel disconnected thats more about yourself, not your place of birth or homeplace. You can love both countries, don't over tax it.

The conception of ethnicity being different from nationality is not a novel one, although the typical citizen raised in Celtic Tiger Ireland seems to have extraordinary difficulty grasping it, at least based upon what is posted on these boards. A person could be ethnically Chinese, speak Chinese and practise Chinese religious customs, yet spend his entire life in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bangkok, Sidney or New York City. Ethnic Russians abound in former Soviet block countries in Central Asia, outside the borders of Mother Russia. And the majority of Armenians live outside of Armenia, scattered throughout the world, courtesy of their own diaspora brought on by the Turkish genocide (sound familiar?). Those of us who are members of the Irish Diaspora are ethnically Irish, yet we may be born in the United States, or Canada, or Australia or Scotland or England. The denial of that heritage by those born in Ireland proper is a ludicrous concept rooted in denial of history; a postulation which seeks to reduce the idea of peoplehood to the level of 'place of birth' or whatever bits of ID a person carries when traveling abroad.

In all my years of living in the Bronx I never heard that section referred to as Woodlawn Heights. Anyone I know simply refers to it as Woodlawn. Just an observation not necessarily a criticism of the article.

My grandfather was born in Tralee in 1903. Moved to New York in 1920. Died in Maryland in 1966. In the states he was Irish-American. In Ireland he was American-Irish...what ever generation you want to call it. My Grand Dad was Irish. Case Closed.