The Irish in Us

by Negra, Diane

• ISBN13: 9780822337409
• ISBN10: 0822337401
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-02-28
• Publisher: Duke Univ Pr

Summary

Over the past decade or so, Irishness has emerged as an idealized ethnicity, one with which large numbers of people around the world, and particularly in the United States, choose to identify. Seeking to explain the widespread appeal of all things Irish, the contributors to this collection show that for Americans, Irishness is rapidly becoming the white ethnicity of choice, a means of claiming an ethnic identity while maintaining the benefits of whiteness. At the same time, the essayists challenge essentialized representations of Irishness, bringing attention to the complexities of Irish history and culture that are glossed over in Irish-themed weddings and shamrock tattoos.Examining how Irishness is performed and commodified in the contemporary trans-national environment, the contributors explore topics including Van Morrison's music, Frank McCourt's writing, the explosion of Irish-themed merchandising, the practices of heritage seekers, the movieThe Crying Game, and the significance of red hair. Whether considering the implications of Garth Brooks's claim of Irishness and his enormous popularity in Ireland, representations of Irish masculinity in the TV seriesBuffy the Vampire SlayerandAngel, or Americans' recourse to a consoling Irishness amid the racial and nationalist tensions triggered by the events of September 11, the contributors delve into complex questions of ethnicity, consumerism, and globalization. Ultimately, they call for an increased awareness of the exclusionary effects of claims of Irishness and for the cultivation of flexible, inclusive ways of affiliating with Ireland and the Irish.

Table of Contents

Diane Negra
The Irish in Us: Irishness, Performativity, and Popular Culture,	1	(19)
Catherine M. Eagan
"Still 'Black' and 'Proud' ": Irish America and the Racial Politics of Hibernophilia,	20	(44)
Sean Griffin
The Wearing of the Green: Performing Irishness in the Fox Wartime Musical,	64	(20)
Natasha Casey
"The Best Kept Secret In Retail": Selling Irishness in Contemporary America,	84	(26)
Maria Pramaggiore
"Papa Don't Preach": Pregnancy and Performance in Contemporary Irish Cinema,	110	(20)
Stephanie Rains
Irish Roots: Genealogy and the Performance of Irishness,	130	(31)
Lauren Onkey
Ray Charles on Hyndford Street: Van Morrison's Caledonian Soul,	161	(35)
Mary McGlynn
Garth Brooks in Ireland, or, Play That Country Music, Whiteboys,	196	(24)
Amanda Third
"Does the Rug Match the Carpet?": Race, Gender, and the Redheaded Woman,	220	(34)
Gerardine Meaney
Dead, White, Male: Irishness in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel,	254	(28)
Maeve Connolly
"A Bit of a Traveller in Everybody": Traveller Identities in Irish and American Culture,	282	(36)
Michael Malouf
Feeling Éire(y): On Irish-Caribbean Popular Culture,	318	(36)
Diane Negra
Irishness, Innocence, and American Identity Politics before and after September 11,	354	(19)
Contributors,	373	(4)
Index,	377