Identity & Social Location
my concept map
My brother and I are first generation Canadians.
My parents moved to Calgary, Alberta during
Stampede Week!
What does this mean for social interactions?
Education
•My parents have Irish accents (so much so that both my sons have commented on Popa’s ‘funny language’)
•Issues with pronunciations were evident especially with words like ‘three’ – as Irish Gaelic doesn’t have an ‘h’, Irish people often do not pronounce this letter – resulting in ‘tree’ becoming the number 3 – see the problems this could cause?
•My brother and I distinctly remember teachers making us practice our h’s and often reprimanding us for saying “one, two, tree…”. For many years I was very conscious of how I pronounced certain words.
Social Interactions
•I always loved how my parents and relatives spoke – it was, and is, home. But there were moments growing up where peers negatively commented on some of my words or phrases (especially after spending summers in Ireland). And I remember the comments my dad made when yet another person did not bother to pronounce his name, Eamonn (a very common name in Ireland!), correctly.
•But, my parents consciously joined associations that did not just include Irish people. In fact, they did not join Irish Clubs. Now, I find myself joining Irish clubs with Gaelic sports, such as Gaelic Football and Hurling and a summer camp of Irish dance, language, stories, and more sports.