<p>The notion that Americans are being pretentious when mentionin gtheir irish or Polish ancestry is amusing to those who know Amricans much better than the original poster. If anything, the average American is pretentious about how much better America is than any other other country! I have never heard an American of any ancestry mention it other than in a factual or comic (“I am Irish, so you know I like to drink!”) way.</p>
<p>Generally, Americans complain when someone they regard as American seems to have a higher regard for the naiton of his descent than America.</p>