I have always been a fan of St. Patrickās Day. My grandmother was Irish, so that lifeline has been clung to throughout my existence. Robbie Keane jerseys, Baileyās whenever possible, a relatively fake taste for the ever-poorly travelling Guinness whenever the folks were looking the other way, and a miserable affected accent were staples of my childhood. You have to be proud of all your roots.
It never bothered me that I wasnāt full-blooded and pale-as-a-Protestant-in-a-Catholic-church Irish. Despite looking undeniably more like my Asian half in those developing years, Iād proudly take to school, the pitch, and friendsā decked out in a green ensemble that would put even the keenest of St. Pattyās Day partiers to shame.
Similarly, though one could make the argument that I was simply looking for support of my thin Eire connection, it didnāt trouble me whatsoever when I saw classmates donning like-coloured garb. It didnāt matter if they were of Irish descent or not. It didnāt matter if they had no idea what Gaelic was. It didnāt matter if the only time they ever acknowledged the Emerald Isleās existence was on March 17. I was happy to see others celebrating. Taking part. Making the occasion as joyful as possible. Children see the world best sometimes.
Itās something I have carried with me to this day. I sigh whenever I hear people complaining of how everyone taking part in St. Patrickās Day is cultural appropriation. Itās a celebration. The last thought that should be going through anyoneās mind when thinking of a celebration is excluding someoneābecause thatās essentially whatās happening if the cultural-appropriation horn is blown loudly and soundly for all to hear. Itās saying that itās not okay for certain parts of the population to participate. And not only shouldnāt they be involved, but itās offensive if they do. I havenāt found a truly well-meaning cause that honestly trumpets such a notion.
Of course this does not apply solely to the Irish bash. Christmas, Diwali, Hanukkah, etc. Am I a Christian? Nope. Do I say, āMerry Christmas,ā to others I know not to be Christian? Absolutely. Do I gladly hop into any of these holidays given the chance? For sure.
Look at these festivities like those themed days in school: crazy hair day, pajama day, etc. Do you have to partake in the fun? No, but the only person youāre shorting if you choose not to is yourself.
The world is a strange place. Many issues are swept under the carpet and mindlessly played off as nothing issues; however, in an attempt to shine a light on matters of significance, oversensitivity has emerged. Make no doubt about it, cultural appropriation does exist, but we neednāt make a concerted effort to find it in all things. Mountains out of molehills. Use your own head when forming opinions. Do some research. See how you actually feel. The popular opinion isnāt always correct, and if we decide to throw our weight behind thoughts we havenāt legitimately devoted time to, the end result often does more harm than good.
Danke danke,
Eric Wilkins
