irish reflections on cultural backgrounds

8/8/2019 Irish Reflections on Cultural Backgrounds

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Irish Reflections and Cultural Backgrounds 1

Irish Reflections on Cultural Backgrounds

ETH 125

June 21, 2010


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When I started this assignment all I knew was I, waswhite. I did some research and discovered that I am Irishand Cherokee Indian with a little but of English in me.

I have decided to write my essay on my Irish ethnic origin

because I to learn more about it.

The Irish beganto migrate around the 1820s. Aboutfive million Irish first migrated to the United States. The

Irish made up almost half of all immigrants in the United

States in the 1840s and one-third in the 1950s. Between

1846 and 1855, because ofrepeated massive failures of thepotato crop, the Irish population declined by one-third.

More than one million people died of starvation and

famine- related diseases and another 1.5 million fled to the

United States. The Irish immigrants if this famine era were

the most disadvantaged the United States has ever seen.

Most of the immigrants moved to New York City. Some of

the poorest lived in the Five Points district of lower

Manhattan in New York City. The poor Irish lived in

basements, cellars, and one room apartments lacking

natural light and ventilation and redolently flooded with

sewage (Kenny, 2008, par. 1-3).


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Anti-Irish racism in Victorian Britain and the 19th century

United States included the stereotyping the Irish as

alcoholics, and implications that they monopolized certain

(usually low-paying)job markets. Similar to other

immigrant populations, they were sometimes accused of

cronyism, and subjected to misrepresentations of their

religious and cultural beliefs. Catholics were particularly

singled out, and indigenous folkloric,andmythological

beliefs and customs were ridiculed (Wohl, 1990, The

Victorian Web).

Nineteenth century Protestant American "Nativist"

prejudice against Irish Catholics reached a peak in the mid-

1850s with the Know Nothing Movement, which tried to

oust Catholics from public office. Much of the opposition

came from Irish Protestants, as in the 1831 riots in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In rural areas in the 1830s riots

broke out among rival labor teams from different parts of

Ireland, and between Irish and "native" American work

teams competing forconstruction jobs (Prince,1985)

It wascommon for Irish people to be discriminated againstin social situations, and intermarriage between Catholics

and Protestants was uncommon (and strongly discouraged
http://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Social_stereotypehttp://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Alcoholismhttp://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Anti-Irish_racism#%23http://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Cronyismhttp://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Roman_Catholic_Churchhttp://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Folklorehttp://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Nativism_(politics)http://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Know_Nothinghttp://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Protestantismhttp://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Philadelphiahttp://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Anti-Irish_racism#%23http://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Social_stereotypehttp://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Alcoholismhttp://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Anti-Irish_racism#%23http://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Cronyismhttp://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Roman_Catholic_Churchhttp://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Folklorehttp://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Nativism_(politics)http://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Know_Nothinghttp://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Protestantismhttp://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Philadelphiahttp://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Anti-Irish_racism#%23


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by both ministers and priests). After 1860 many Irish sang

songs about signs reading "HELP WANTED - NO IRISH

NEED APPLY"; these signs came to be known as "NINA

signs This is sometimes written as "IRISH NEED NOT

APPLY" and referred to as "INNA signs"). These songs

had a deep impact on the Irish sense of

discrimination(Jensen, 2002 revised 2010).

The 1862 song, "No Irish Need Apply," was inspired by

NINA signs in London. Later the song was adapted by Irish

Americans to include their experiences as well. The issue

of job discrimination against Irish immigrants to America is

a hotly debated issue among historians, with some insisting

that the "No Irish need apply" signs so familiar to the Irish

in memory were myths, and others arguing that not only

did the signs exist, but that the phrase was also seen in print

ads and that the Irish continued to be discriminated against

in various professions into the 20th century (Jensen, 2002,

revised for web 2010Journal of Social History issn.36.2pp.405-429).

Whether or not the signs ever existed in large numbers,

many New Yorkers and other Americans harbored Nativist

sentiment against the Irish Catholic poor in the post-Civil

war period. Irish Americans were effectively barred from
http://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Irish_Americanhttp://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Irish_Americanhttp://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/United_Stateshttp://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Irish_Americanhttp://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Irish_Americanhttp://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/United_States


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certain occupations. Although, the Irish dominated such

occupations as domestic service, building, and factory

work, they were not present in large numbers in the

professions, finance, and other "white collar" businesses.

Irish people are stereotyped for violence. Because many of

the earliest late 19th century immigrant population was

Irish, they received the first attacks and discrimination by

Nativists and Protestants.

As I previously stated, most Irish were Catholic. This

played a big role in this group. However, being Catholic

did not help the Irish any when they migrated to the Untied

States. It works against them because the Irish were

discriminated against in American when it came to society.

The two main characteristics the Irish had that helped

them assimilate to American society were the IrishspokeEnglish and were Catholic. Speaking English helped them

by allowing them to easily communicate easily with

Americans. LivingCatholic and acquiringso many peoplein their group also allowed the Irish to take over of the

American Catholic Church. Catholicism became the most

important ingredient of Irish-American identity.

The thing Irish were known for was drinking. They

have been stereotyped as alcoholics. This made it harder for
http://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Anti-Irish_racism#%23http://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Anti-Irish_racism#%23


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the group to be successful. I could not find any other

characteristics that made the group unsuccessful.

I believe I culturally identify more with American

mainstream culture than any other culture. Before I started

this assignment all I knew about myself was I was white.

SoI can not so I relate to this ethnic group in any way otherthan I like to drink. I am thankful I was able to do thisassignment because it taught me very much about my

ethnic group and its background.

Reference:


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Kenny, Kevin (2008) Irish Immigrants in the United States

http://www.america.gov/st/diversity-

english/2008/February/20080307131416ebyessedo0.6800043.htmlJensen, Richard (2002, revised for web 2010) "'No Irish Need Apply': A Myth of

Victimization." Journal of Social History issn.36.2 pp.405-429

Prince, Carl E. (1985) "The Great 'Riot Year': Jacksonian Democracy and Patterns of

Violence in 1834."Journal of the Early Republic

Wohl, Anthony S. (1990) "Racism and Anti-Irish Prejudice in Victorian England. The

Victorian Web
http://www.america.gov/st/diversity-%20english/2008/February/20080307131416ebyessedo0.6800043.htmlhttp://www.america.gov/st/diversity-%20english/2008/February/20080307131416ebyessedo0.6800043.htmlhttp://tigger.uic.edu/~rjensen/no-irish.htmhttp://tigger.uic.edu/~rjensen/no-irish.htmhttp://www.victorianweb.org/history/race/Racism.htmlhttp://www.america.gov/st/diversity-%20english/2008/February/20080307131416ebyessedo0.6800043.htmlhttp://www.america.gov/st/diversity-%20english/2008/February/20080307131416ebyessedo0.6800043.htmlhttp://tigger.uic.edu/~rjensen/no-irish.htmhttp://tigger.uic.edu/~rjensen/no-irish.htmhttp://www.victorianweb.org/history/race/Racism.html

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