Definitions

I know I should've wrote this post earlier, but I think I needed time away from Dublin in order to form my thoughts about this topic. While in Dublin, I took a friend of mine to a poetry event called "Love Poetry Hate Racism".

I asked my friend, after we left, which poet he enjoyed the most. His answer surprised me a bit. He described a soft spoken poet, whose poetry was dark and described hardship and poverty in a city. He said that this poet stood out in particular because he was attempting to define what life was like in a particular neighborhood in Dublin.

It's a strange time for the Irish people. Now, as never before, they are faced with the task of identifying themselves. In the past, people left Ireland. But now, due to the echoing booms of the Celtic Tiger, immigrants from all over the world are flocking to Irish cities- Dublin in particular. And as great as it is to introduce people to diversity and tolerance, it's interesting to watch how the Irish are dealing with this "identity crisis". What does it mean, exactly, to be Irish? In the past it was easier: things like family heritage and religion were markers of one's Irish-ness. But now there are Irish-Arabs, Irish-Czechs, Irish-Asians. A friend drove me past a mosque and pointed it out as if it were evidence of aliens.

Just like any city experiencing the effects of a booming economy, there are prices to pay. The irish are quite proud of their history, and often define themselves by it. How, then, will they be able to open themselves up to people who do not share that history of hardship? When we think of Ireland, we don't think of intolerance or racism. But it would be naive to say it doesn't exist just because we haven't heard of it. True, it exists in a different form than racism in the US, but it is still there, and it still causes tension.

I'd be interested to see where this takes Ireland. How will parents, teachers and the media approach this incoming wave of globalization? It's an interesting time to be in Ireland. It's a more interesting time, I think, to be Irish.