Who Are We – And Should It Matter In The 21st Century?
By Gary Younge
IN the age of globalisation and multiculturalism, national identities have shifted far from their traditional homelands — no more evident than in the Irish emigrants who now populate every inch of globe.
Curious journalist Gary Younge was keen to analyse the result of such shifts and has found that while the various cultures now mingle and move alongside one another seemingly seamlessly, they in fact hold on tightly to their heritage as a means of survival.
This insightful tome portrays his findings and pays particular attention to the female Irish identity — from their campaign for equality and their struggle for independence and power over a generation — and to the rapid transformation of the small island of Irish ‘born and breds’ to one which people of all nations now inhabit.
The British writer, who was born to immigrant parents from Barbados, recalls his own experiences when visiting Tralee in Co. Kerry in 2002 and again in 2008, stating a great deal had changed since his first visit.
“What then had the feel of a small monoracial seaside town (I recall seeing one black face in the few days I was there) now seemed quite diverse,” he writes.
“On or adjacent to Castle Street, the main drag, there were two Polish grocery stores (one next to the local Sinn Féin office) and an African-Caribbean variety store.
“If you were looking for food, Castle Street offered pizza, kebabs, Indian, Chinese and Halal cuisine.”
He goes on to dissect the effect that immigration into Ireland has had on the island and its natives.
“Such changes are both invigorating and unsettling,” he states
“Generally, they involve winners and losers, thereby forcing a realignment in status that pushes people to grapple with the unfamiliar.
“Invariably, they entail the abandonment of certainty.”
Now based in New York with his family, where he writes a column for The Guardian, Younge undertakes similar analysis of a multitude of modern-day citizens of the world — from the American conservative and Islamic fundamentalist to the immigrants attempting to settle and succeed in locations somewhat alien to their faith, culture and beliefs.
While Younge’s authoritative work on these modern patterns of identity highlights the importance that remains in one’s heritage for the individual, it also unveils how divisive this may be for the future of a global society which has shed its traditional borders.