Cracker craic: the politics and economics of Scots-Irish cultural promotion in the USA

Abstract

A growing number of festivals celebrate ‘Scots-Irish’ heritage in the USA, spreading out of the southern highlands traditionally associated with the eighteenth-century settlement of migrants from Ulster. Myths and confusion still abound with respect to Scots-Irish identities, yet the newfound visibility is undeniable. Does this cultural revival represent a consequence of the genealogy boom or an attempt to capitalize on it? Is it part of a turn in depressed regions toward cultural heritage tourism as an economic development strategy? Does it represent an outgrowth of multiculturalism or white ethnic backlash against ridicule and ‘reverse’ discrimination? State tourism offices and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, supported by federal government grants, have played a central role in encouraging commemoration of Scots-Irish culture. Heritage, genealogy, and economic development have come together in these projects, with implications for both the cultural legacy of Ulster Scots migrants to the USA and cultural policy more generally.