To be an Irish American

What is it about being an Irish American?  I find myself so in love with Ireland and to call myself Irish but in Ireland they think of us as Americans.  And so they should, however I am of the mind that there is something that runs in our blood that has been passed down from generation to generation that speaks of a deeper need for the connection to the homeland.  Maybe it's whiskey and beer,  maybe it's the oppressive environment we have pushed through, maybe it is the deepest part of our soul that refuses to give up in the face of adversity, maybe it is the spirit of laughter that can hide any pain, or the heart of love and friendship that remains in bloom in spite of bitter bites of life.  But the claim of Irish blood is alive and well in America.