I’m white, but only consider myself American. I thought it was very interesting thought that since white Europeans decided to found their own country, they essentially cut themselves off from the “motherland”. Thats true. I didn’t grow up in Europe, nor did my parents or grandparents. It’s thus interesting that so many whites track their ancestry back to all these various European backgrounds. I myself have an Irish name, but I happen to know that my first two names where chosen because they sounded good, not because it related to some certain characteristics of Irish culture when I was born embedded in me like a microchip. When I travelled through Ireland, I didn’t go to get connected with my past, and I didn’t particularly feel Irish or had any connection. I felt like they were stand-off-ish, and foreign. Green beer and Irish shamrocks won’t make me any more Irish than you, and didn’t. I still like traveling and seeing and appreciating different cultures.
Thanks for sharing your insights.