irish americans
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Irish Americans. Karen Hicks Lenora Overstreet Radford University EDUC 670 Prof. Dembele. History. Early Irish immigrates include 8 signers of the Declaration of Independence Irish began arriving in large numbers during the Potato Famine (1845-1852) - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Irish AmericansKaren Hicks
Lenora OverstreetRadford University
EDUC 670 Prof. Dembele
HistoryEarly Irish immigrates include 8 signers of the Declaration of Independence Irish began arriving in large numbers during the Potato Famine (1845-1852)They came to America because they knew their life in Ireland would only be more poverty, disease, and English oppression.“No group was considered lower than an Irishman in American during the 1850’s” (www.kinsella.org).
Most were very poor, unskilled and illiterate.The Irish would take on whatever job they could to make money.Irish gained strength in their solidarity. They helped each other survive in city life.
Fiercely loved AmericaFought in America’s warsCivil War – “Irish Brigade” was led in prayer by a priest before and after each battle.
The American Civil War was a unifying event for the Irish communities communities. This infrastructure and organization advanced the Irish in postwar America. The Irish became a dominant force in urban labor organizations, Democratic Party politics and city governments
Percent of the Population
By 1848 through emigration and deaths by famine, Ireland's population decreased by more than 2 million people From 1820-1860, 1/3 of US immigrants were Irish (2/3 of this number were Catholic)A total of 35,975,855 Americans (12% of total population) reported Irish ancestry in the 2006 American Community Survey.
Population (continued)
Most significant areas in population are: Northeast, along with Kansas City, and Savannah, GANew York City has more Irish people than Dublin’s whole population!
Past & Present Issues
The Irish were discriminated against because they were considered “bad” for the neighborhood.They were forced to live in shanties or cellars which led to disease and death for many of their children.
Once other immigrants increased in number, hostility against the Irish shifted to the new nationalities.Intermarriage between Catholics and Protestants was uncommon (and strongly discouraged by both ministers and priests).
Past/Present IssuesJob discrimination (only group to visually see signs of the discrimination)Irish women dominated the domestic market workplace
3 Main Negative Stereotypes
• The drinker• The rebel• The boxer (fighting Irish)
Positive StereotypesThe hard workerPolice officerFirefighterRoman Catholic
Church leadersPoliticians along Eastern seaboard cities
Prominent Irish President J.F. KennedySt. Patrick The Anglo-Irish scientist Robert Boyle is considered the "father of chemistry".
Sharon Christa Corrigan McAuliffe
Edgar Allen PoeWill Rogers
Georgia O’KeefeBobby Jones
Media that reveal the group’s cultural
perspective• American Foundation for Irish Heritage – lists the
contributions of the Irish in America to the growth and development of the US http://irishamericanheritage.com/
• New York Irish Center. Your main source for all things Irish in New York City www.nyirish.org
• Explore Irish Culture www.allaboutirish.com• Irish Culture and Customs
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/• Sinn Fein (the fastest-growing political party in Ireland. It is a
republican and labor party) http://sinnfein.ie/ • Local Ireland (history, gov’t, entertainment, lifestyles, etc)
http://www.local.ie/index.html • A listing of Irish movies in chronological order http://
www.irishfilm.net/title.php?range=RS
Irish Movie - HungerDirected by Steve McQueenWon the Camera d'Or (golden camera) award at the Cannes film Festival this year.The film looks at Bobby Sands who was a Provisional Irish Republican Army volunteer and member of the United Kingdom Parliament who died on hunger strike whilst in HM Prison Maze for the possession of firearms.
Irish MovieIn Bruges
w/Colin Farrell
Two Irish hit men are sent to Bruges, Belgium to hide out. In some ways, this makes the film more Belgian than Irish. Still, the point is really about how the characters react to their new environment. Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, & Ralph Finnes star in this action comedy.
Irish MovieSt. Patrick: The Irish
Legend• St. Patrick, who
brought Christianity to Ireland, remains popular in modern culture though few know his history. This film drama of his life includes his history and the miracles associated with him.
Irish Media in the US
East Coast PeriodicalsBoston Irish ReporterThe Irish EchoIrish Edition
West Coast PeriodicalsThe Irish Herald
RadioAbout Irish Radio
Ways that there are differences within the
group• Language
– Gaeilge (Irish) – with many dialects– English (education and employment)
• Religion– Roman Catholic (88%)– Protestant
Children’s Books
Patrick, Patron Saint of Ireland
• “Celebrate St. Patricks's Day with Tomie dePaola's captivating folk-art style illustrations and engaging story of Patrick, a boy who grew up to become the patron saint of Ireland.
Tales from Old IrelandCollection of Irish folk- and fairy tales which include: "The Children of Lir," a well-known folktale "Fair, Brown, and Trembling," an Irish Cinderella story "The Twelve Wild Geese," a tale of family love and loyalty
The St. Patrick’s day Shillelagh• During the Irish potato
famine, Fergus and his family left for America. Fergus sliced a branch from a blackthorn tree so that he could take a piece of Ireland with him. On the voyage, he carved a tree branch into a shillelagh. Each St. Patrick's Day, Fergus told his story of coming to America and of the shillelagh that he brought with him.
Fair, Brown, & Trembling • Trembling is the
overworked and overlooked sibling of her two older snooty sisters Fair and Brown. Unlike the original Cinderella story, the place to catch their prince is not at a Ball, but at Sunday Mass. All women try to look their best for that occasion. An old henwife acts as the fairy godmother.
• The End!!
ReferencesAerospaceguide.net: Space Projects and Info. Retrieved 11-19-08, from http://www.aerospaceguide.net/
American Foundation for Irish Heritage. Retrieved 11-20-08, from http://irishamericanheritage.com/
Anonymous. (3/29/02). Fianna Guide to Irish Genealogy. Retrieved November 15, 2008 from http://
www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~fianna/.
Anonymous. (9/28/08). Great Irish Famine. Retrieived on November 20, 2008 from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Irish_Famine.
Anonymous. Irish Immigrants in America during the 19th Century. Retrieved on November 15, 2008 from
www.kinsella.org/history/histira.htm.
Anonymous. (2008). Sinn Fein: Building an Ireland of Equals. Retrieved on November 18, 2008 from http://sinnfein.ie/.
Daly, Jude. (2000). Fair, Brown, & Trembling: An Irish Cinderella Story. New York: Farrar, Strauss and Giroux. dePaola, Tomie. (1994). Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland. New York: Holiday House.
Doyle, Malachy. (2000). Tales from Old Ireland. Cambridge: Barefoot Books.
Friend, Pat. (2005). Irish Stereotypes. Retrieved November 18, 2008 from
http://allaboutirish.com/library/identity/stereotypes.shtm.
Gillespie, W.T. (2001). The United States Civil War Causal Agent for Irish Assimilation and Acceptance in US Society.
Retrieved 12-3-08 from http://www.stormingmedia.us/92/9266/A926604.html
Meacham, Tara. ( 2/21/2007). “Persistent Stereotypes in Contemporary Irish-American Culture”. Retrieved on
November 14, 2008 from
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/150293/persistent_stereotypes_in_contemporary.html .
Nolan, Janet. (2002). The St. Patrick’s Day Shillelagh. Morton Grove: Albert Whitman & Company.
O'Malley, Michael . (Aug 2004). Exploring 19th century American history. Retrieved November 14, 2008 from
http://chnm.gmu.edu/exploring/19thcentury/alienmenace/assignment.php .
The Children’s Enclyopedia of Women. Retrieved 11-19-09, from http://www.pocanticohills.org/womenenc/okeefe.html
The Daily News Record. Retrieved 11-19-08, from http://www.dnronline.com
The Framingham Online News. Retrieved 11-19-08, from http://www.framingham.com
The Irish Volenteers. Retrieved 11-20-08, from http://irishvolunteers.tripod.com/index.htm
U.S. Census Bureau. (4/13/08). U.S. Census. Retrieved on November 28, 2008 from http://
factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ADPTable?_bm=y&-geo_id
=01000US&-ds_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00_&-_lang=en&-_caller=geoselect&-format=.