Isabella Zgaljardic: Irish Stereotypes

Kehoes Lounge, Dublin, Ireland
 
       While brainstorming stereotypes of Irish people, I realized that the first ones coming to mind were actually stereotypes associated to Irish-Americans. Due to my non-diverse media consumption, I have limited myself to only seeing the American version of Irish people/ characters. In TV shows like Always sunny in Philadelphia or Shameless, there are a handful of characters that fall into the stereotypical hot-headed, drunk, working class Irish-American. I believe that these stereotypes originated from the misunderstanding of the Irish cultural association with pubs and Guinness (alcohol). Instead of depicting pubs as a place to participate in community, celebration, and music, the TV shows I named depict pubs as a place to get drunk and party. Similarly, instead of showcasing the cultural and historical significance behind Guinness, the TV shows illustrate a culture of reckless drinking.

Kehoes Lounge, Dublin, Ireland

Other things I have strongly associated with the Irish people is the color green, Catholicism, clovers, and any other aspects of St. Patrick's day. Previous to this study abroad trip celebrating St. Patrick's Day was the only way I had participated in "Irish Culture". In the US, St. Partick's Day is celebrated with parades, parties, and heavy drinking, so the holiday had only ever further established my Irish stereotypes.  

Just as American’s have stereotypes of the Irish, the Irish have stereotypes of Americans. I believe that their stereotypes of us include loud, fat, arrogant, and ignorant. These stereotypes likely hail from their own media depictions of Americans as well as American politics. Our current president perfectly plays into each of these stereotypes, and this does not help our case. Even though I have found myself playing into the stereotypes while in Ireland, I have yet to face outward judgement from the Irish people. While I have seen some people get frustrated as they plan out how to maneuver around our large and totally lost group, I have also experienced people that were interested in exploring our differences. 

Prior to this trip I didn’t fully understand just how much context I was missing and how that played a role in my ignorant stereotypes. I am grateful for the many conversations I had with Irish people and the new perspectives I have walked away with.

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