JD Vance, who was announced as Donald Trump’s running mate on Monday, July 15, has written that he most identifies with “the millions of working-class white Americans of Scots-Irish descent who have no college degree.”
Vance, the Ohio Senator who previously wondered if Trump was "America's Hitler," contextualized his 2016 best-selling memoir "Hillbilly Elegy" with the "ethnic component lurking in the background of my story."
Vance wrote in the early pages of his book: "In our race-conscious society, our vocabulary often extends no further than the color of someone's skin - black people, Asians, white privilege. Sometimes these broad categories are useful. But to understand my story, you have to delve into the details.
“I may be white, but I do not identify with the WASPs of the Northeast. Instead, I identify with the millions of working-class white Americans of Scots-Irish descent who have no college degree. To these folks, poverty's the family tradition. Their ancestors were day laborers in the southern slave economy, sharecroppers after that, coal miners after that, and machinists and mill workers during more recent times. Americans call them hillbillies, rednecks or white trash. I call them neighbors, friends and family.”
Vance continued: "This distinctive embrace of cultural tradition comes along with many good traits—an intense sense of loyalty, a fierce dedication to family and country—but also many bad ones.
"We do not like outsiders or people who are different from us, whether the difference lies in how they look, how they act, or, most important, how they talk.
"To understand me, you must understand that I am a Scots-Irish hillbilly at heart"
According to the US Library of Congress: "In colonial times, the Irish population in America was second in number only to the English.
"Many early Irish immigrants were of Scottish or English descent and came from the northern province of Ulster.
"Pushed out of Ireland by religious conflicts, lack of political autonomy, and dire economic conditions, these immigrants, who were often called 'Scotch-Irish,' were pulled to America by the promise of land ownership and greater religious freedom."
The Library of Congress added: "Scotch-Irish immigrants were educated, skilled workers. Even those who financed their emigration by becoming indentured servants were well equipped to lead successful, independent lives when their period of servitude ended."
In 2017, nearly 3 million Americans claimed Scotch-Irish ancestry, or just under 1% of the entire population.
As per his official bio, Vance was born and raised in Middletown, Ohio, a once flourishing manufacturing town where, over time, many of the good jobs disappeared and his family suffered the effects along with many others.
During his "turbulent" childhood, Vance was primarily raised by his Mamaw and Papaw, his maternal grandparents Bonnie and James Vance. They, as well as Vance's paternal grandparents, had moved to Ohio from the Appalachian Mountains area in Kentucky.
BBC notes many Ulster Scots settled in the Appalachian region in the US after the Ulster plantation.
A 2022 article from Lees-McRae College in North Carolina further explained: "A wave of Scottish immigrants to Ulster following a famine in the 1690s led to Scottish Presbyterians becoming the majority community; despite their numbers, however, they were denied political power.
"They resented the restrictions placed on them by the Church of England and turned their attention to a land that promised both economic opportunity and religious freedom.
"Starting in the early 1700s, the group that would come to be called the Scotch-Irish or Scots-Irish began migrating to North America in large numbers. Although the new residents of Ulster were technically Scottish, living alongside the Irish led both groups to influence each other, beyond their shared Gaelic and Celtic heritage. The differentiation between Irish and Scots-Irish didn’t really come into play until violence between Catholics and Protestants in Ireland became more pronounced.
"Before the American Revolution, more Scots-Irish emigrated to the continent than almost any other group, and it is estimated that at least 250,000 Scots-Irish lived in the American colonies by the 1770s. Many of those individuals eventually made their way to the Appalachian Mountains.
"The Appalachian region became a haven for those who had suffered under oppressive British rule."
Vance did not reference his "Scots-Irish descent" when he wrote to Ireland's Ambassador to the US Geraldine Byrne Nason in December regarding the pending Irish legislation, “Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill 2022."
Vance wrote that he was concerned the legislation "could undermine Ireland’s commitment to universally prized freedoms, including the freedom of speech."
Criticizing the Bill as "vague," Vance wrote: "For example, the law criminalizes 'behav[ing] in a public place in a manner . . . that is likely to incite . . . hatred against a person or a group of persons on account of their protected characteristics [while] being reckless as to whether . . . hatred is thereby incited.'
"What on earth does that mean?
"Would the prohibition include 'recklessly' attributing social ills, like crime, to
increased immigration to Ireland? Would it include 'recklessly' affirming that gender is biologically determined and that there are only two genders, male and female?"
He added: "If the bill becomes law, what steps will you take to ensure that Ireland’s departure from fundamental values like the freedom of expression does not damage its relationship with the United States?"
In an accompanying post on X, Vance said "Ireland is a beautiful country with wonderful people.
"I hope they don’t destroy ancient liberties out of a desire to eliminate 'offensive' ideas."
(The Irish Times reported this month that the Bill is not expected to return to the Oireachtas before the summer recess, "casting doubt on whether it will be enacted before the next general election.")
On Tuesday, Vance said it is an "honor" to be Trump's running mate.
Just overwhelmed with gratitude.
What an honor it is to run alongside President Donald J. Trump. He delivered peace and prosperity once, and with your help, he'll do it again.
Onward to victory!
— J.D. Vance (@JDVance1) July 16, 2024
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