Not All Irish People Have Red Hair & Freckles & Other Sterotypes

[BadPinkTink]

ok, so this has been bugging me, WHY do American people think that all Irish have red hair and freckles??? Seriously now, Im Irish, and hardly anyone in my family looks like this, and very few people I see on a day to day basis, on the bus, in the mall, at work have red hair and freckles.

So are their stereotypes that bug you, that you know are not true that are in common use?

 

[Poohforyou]

So because some Americans you've encountered believe are Irish people have red hair and freckles that led you to believe that ALL Americans believe that?

 

[BadPinkTink]

So because some Americans you've encountered believe are Irish people have red hair and freckles that led you to believe that ALL Americans believe that?

good call lol, so what are YOUR pet hate stereotypes ?

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

A stereotype *I* hate is saying things like "Why do Americans?..."

We don't all share a brain, or lack there of. We're not all rude, fat, drunk, open-carrying...etc...

 

[Allison]

I am American and don't think that.

Can't think of much that bugs me. I don't worry about stuff like that.

 

[CPanther95]

Don't lump us all together. Personally, I haven't seen enough Irish without their little green hats on to make that sort of judgment.

 

[Southernmiss]

Hmm...I've lived in the American South all my life and we've tried hard to rise above stereotypes that we've been the butt of. And our collective past is too full of racial stereotypes that we are all still trying to overcome--see the recent news stories from the US. Not gonna play. Too sensitive a subject.

 

[Christine]

Most Irish people I know have light colored hair. Every person I know with red hair (and that's about 5 people) are all Irish!! But, really, most Americans don't think that and are probably joking with you unless you truly stumbled onto the dumb ones (and they do exist).

I'm sitting here trying to think of some stereotypes that bug me, but I guess I just can't think of any right now.

 

[debster812]

good call lol, so what are YOUR pet hate stereotypes ?

Being lumped in together in a group because a small sample size others have encountered hold a specific stereotype

 

[DawnM]

I am sure this was sparked by my post on the DNA thread.

It really doesn't bother me. I have red hair, freckles, and I am Irish. So what? I actually LIKE it. I think it is very odd to even try to bleach out freckles. This Rodan and Fields seller tried to get me to buy some nasty stuff to bleach out my freckles and showed me a bunch of "before and after" photos. I told her the before photos looked better. She stopped trying to sell it to me.

 

[minniebeth]

My DH's family is Irish, so I can tell you we do get the red hair and freckles comments pretty often, even though no one has~
What's even WORSE though, is the comments we hear that Gingers have no soul. THAT ticks me off...

 

[DawnM]

My DH's family is Irish, so I can tell you we do get the red hair and freckles comments pretty often, even though no one has~
What's even WORSE though, is the comments we hear that gingers have no soul. THAT ticks me off...

Huh? Who says this stuff? I don't have people in my life who say this stuff!

 

[Barbara76]

On these boards for me is when it is assumed all Brazilians are...loud, obnoxious, line cutters, etc. When I am in Brazil (I was born there and go back to visit) I get annoyed when people assume all Americans are...loud, obnoxious, entitled, etc.

 

[JaxDad]

I have red hair and freckles. We are a very small minority and are often stereotyped and denigrated. I think we should be a protected class!

 

[CPanther95]

I have red hair and freckles. We are a very small minority and are often stereotyped and denigrated. I think we should be a protected class!

Protected from what - the sun?

 

[JaxDad]

Protected from what - the sun?

Yes, for starters! It's a well/known fact that sunscreen providers jack up their prices to take advantage of the solar-challenged!

 

[superme80]

That all black people like rap and hip hop. It isn't true!!!!!

 

[bcla]

I went to a Catholic elementary school. The old joke is that "I was raised by a pack of wild Irish nuns." Granted, Sister Carmel did (and I only saw her without the habit once) have red hair but Sister Eithne didn't.

However, in grad school I took a class from the most stereotypical Irishman I'd ever met. He talked about gambling and drinking, and always had a story to tell. However, he had graying brown hair.

Don't the Scottish have highest proportion of red hair though?

 

[DawnM]

I went to a Catholic elementary school. The old joke is that "I was raised by a pack of wild Irish nuns." Granted, Sister Carmel did (and I only saw her without the habit once) have red hair but Sister Eithne didn't.

However, in grad school I took a class from the most stereotypical Irishman I'd ever met. He talked about gambling and drinking, and always had a story to tell. However, he had graying brown hair.

Don't the Scottish have highest proportion of red hair though?

Oh you know, now that you mention it, I used to carpool to work with two sisters who came from a large Irish Catholic family. They used to ask me, "Are you SURE you are Irish?" because I didn't drink and I wasn't Catholic. But they were allowed to make those comments, since they are Irish!

 

[usnuzuloose]

I am Irish, don't have red hair. I never thought about heritage, color of people. People are people.