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How do Ethnicity, Ancestry and Identity Intersect?

I was reading that people from European countries among others(maybe also Japanese or any other country with a strong ethnic identity) find it silly when Americans of long ago Scottish, Irish, Italian ancestry visit their countries and claim to be proud Scots or Irish or Italian.

There were many debates about why Americans consider ancestry so important to identity but people forget that not long ago almost every else did as well and some outside of America still do.
[b]What are your thoughts on ancestry determining identity and its affect on ethnicity?[/b] Is it silly?
My group African American is in a different boat. We have a separate culture within America culture yet different from the mainstream American culture never having existed in another country. Totally born of the new world.
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SW-User
I think it's interesting to know where you've come from, but I'm not sure how much it affects your identity. I can trace my ancestors back to 1600s and all came from a few counties surrounding where I grew up. There is one that came from Wales and possibly one from The Netherlands, but I don't feel any connection to either country.