...ETH/125 | Irish American Immigration | | | 6/12/2011 | | Though an Irish immigrants life in Ireland was cruel was cruel. Immigrating to America was not any better. Many immigrated to America to escape poverty, disease, and English oppression, they would face if they stayed in Ireland. They set out in masses on crowded ships called coffin ships, because they were the last resting place for many who crossed the Atlantic Ocean towards the land of prosperity. (yourirish.com) Once the immigrants stepped ashore they were pointed and laughed at because of their appearance. (Gavin, 2000) They would face segregation immediately, faced to live in slums of the major cities. Their living quarters of the immigrants would often consisting of a one room apartment, with no windows or ventilation, having to share a bathroom with other tenants, even worse were those who lived in cellars and shanties. (www. Kinsella.org) Being unfamiliar with plumbing and running water, the Irish immigrants were considered bad for the neighborhood. These conditions would breed sickness and early death. Immigrant workers would work any job available. This would cause United States citizens to have to fight for jobs. Racism would breed from this, local establishments would place signs in front of their businesses, and in local job postings, which stated, “No Irish Need Apply”, and some even would state “NO DOGS, NO BLACKS, AND NO IRISH”. (Gavin, 2000) The Irish people set out...
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...Fact and Fiction of Irish Americans History of the Immigration Beginning almost 300 years ago Irish immigrants were among the first large groups of people to migrate to the New World. With years of wars, famine, and religious persecution in Ireland, these people came to America to build a new life. Not afraid of hard work the Irish came and built a life they could be proud of; although the Irish American believes that they have been victim of discrimination. NINA ‘No Irish Need Apply’ and WASP ‘White Anglo Saxon Protestant’ is and ingrained belief that the Irish American’s “remember” (Jenson, 2004). Another current issue is the unjust treatment of the Irish seeking political asylum in the United States (McElrath, 1997). The first Irish immigrants came in the 1580s to the Carolinas long before the founding of the United States of America. It is believed that possibly hundreds of thousands of Protestant Irish immigrated in these early years. This is contrary to the urban myth of the Irish Catholic American origins (Meagher, 2009). The next big migration of Irish to America was in the 1700s to 1820s. These immigrants assimilated easily into the American way of life as most prospered at a rate that could not have been conceived in Ireland. “Nearly half of General Washington’s continental arm, including 1492 officers and 22 generals, were of Irish descent” (American Immigration law Foundation, 2001, p. 1). Even with the influx of Irish throughout early history of America...
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...Irish Americans: Cultural Implications In Psychotherapy Treatment Elizabeth Mathews Loma Linda University Table of Content Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……… 3 Background………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………. 3 Culture.………………..………………………………………………………………………………...…………….3 Historical………………………………………………………………………………………………..………….. 4 Characteristics.………………………………………………………………………………......…………………………. 4 Language. ………………………………………………………………...………………………………………….4 Oppression………………………………………………………………………………………………….……….5 Alcohol…………...…………………………………………………………………………………………..……….5 Depression and Suicide…………………………………………………………………………………………...………6 Northern Ireland………………………………………………………………………………………..……….. 6 Depression and Cultural Impact………………………………………………………………….……….. 7 Suicide and Cultural Change…………………………………………………………………………………8 Family Structure….………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 10 Women/Mothers ……………………………………………………………………………………………….11 Men/Fathers….…………………………………………………………………………………………………..11 Children………….…………………………………………………………………………………………………12 In Therapy……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………12 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………13 References……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………15 There are assumptions and stereotypes surrounding every cultural group in the world; some are true and some are far from accurate. These assumptions and stereotypes provide a lens through which one experiences people they come...
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...concept, resulting in me having to watch it for a second time. The movie’s main characters are Leonardo DiCaprio as Amsterdam Vallon, the central character, Daniel Day-Lewis as Bill “The Butcher” Cutting, and Cameron Diaz as Jenny Everdeane. The lack of immediate assimilation into society by the Irish immigrants was one integral reason as to why separate factions were formed. As seen in The Gangs of New York five distinct "gangs" were formed as a result of Irish integration into society. The Nativist's, led by Bill the Butcher, are not fond of the Irish immigrants presence in America. They feel that the incoming Irish will have eternal devotion to the Old Country and will be a negative addition to society. However, the Nativist's perception of their Irish immigrant counterparts may have had some rationale behind it. The American Irish tended to isolate themselves into small ghettos, socialize only with each other, and attend isolated Catholic weekly masses. Although all these different characteristics of the Irish immigrants angered the Nativists, what may have angered them the most was the Irish American control over political policies. Nativists were convinced that the Irish American support for the Democratic Party was not a result of actual agreement with the policies,...
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...itself, which lured so many people west, hoping to get rich quick, but instead settled down and built farms and churches and communities. San Francisco quickly rose as an international trade port, which brought economic growth to the area. A few merchants got wealthy selling tools and materials to prospectors, and over time built shipyards and textile mills, saw mills and ironworks. Wagon roads were built over the Sierra Nevada's and eventually a transcontinental railroad connected the Nation (Udall & Emmons, 2003 p157). The building of the transcontinental railroad may have been one of the greatest achievements of the American people during the nineteenth century. It was built primarily by Chinese and Irish immigrants and extended from Omaha, Nebraska to Sacramento, California (Ambrose, 2000 p17). These Irish Immigrants came to America as a result of the Irish Potato Famine, another significant environmental factor that led to the expansion of the United States. The famine brought over one million immigrants from Ireland to the United States between 1847-1857. These dispossessed immigrants came to the large cities on the East Coast, such as New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago,...
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...October 1846 Dear Journal, Today is another day that we have gone without our potato crops growing. I do not understand what is going on. We have a huge farm land in the outskirts of Dublin and we are doing everything right but the crops will not grow or they will grow and will then wither which at that point, we are unable to eat them. My family is starving and we are loosing weight at a rapid rate. I do not know how much longer I am going to be able to deal with this. I have taken the time out every night to make sure that I pray but it seems as though my wishes have not been answered. I have been speaking with some of the other farmers in the area and we all agree that maybe it would be time to pick up and leave the area and we were all thinking about going to the United States. My hopes, by leaving, is that I will be able to make a better life for my family and I will be able to feed my family without relying on my crops, that obviously do not want to grow. November 5, 1846 I spoke with my fellow farmers and we have all agreed that this is now the time that we must move on and immigrate to the United States. I heard that there will be a ship that will leave in a few days and I must get my family on the ship. I know that this will be the best for all of us in order to survive because these potato crops are just not growing like they use to. I need to inform my family to pack what we have, but make sure that it is only the essentials because I do not want to be worrying...
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...Good Will Hunting: A Protagonist’s Path to Physiological Fulfillment and What That Teaches Viewers About Success Introduction Good Will Hunting is the touching story of a young man’s struggle to transcend his Dickensian childhood, to discover his place in the world, and to achieve intimacy with others. On some levels the story and the plot of Good Will Hunting, conveys a very fundamental messages to the viewer; that we are all products of our environments and made up of the vast experiences in which we live. However, this movie introduces an extremely complex character whose past is tainted by abuse and abandonment and introduces a character that is both genius in his capability but hindered by his inability to face his brutal upbringing. Character development The most compelling character that Will encounters is Sean, Will’s psychiatrist. What makes the character unique is that Sean too comes from Southey, the rough and tumble neighborhood that Will grew up in. Sean has escaped his past by attending Harvard and graduating as an intellectual. However, Sean is also conflicted, as he has suffered after witnessing the slow death of his wife from cancer. In there first meeting, after Will tells Sean that his painting of a boatman in a storm is a metaphor for his own tumultuous existence after the loss of his true love, Sean responds with violent consternation. Will notes that his therapist has not fully recovered from his past something that draws Will closer...
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...A Youthful Introduction Millions of Americans watched. January 20,1961 was an almost unbearably wintry day, yet John F. Kennedy's inaugural address heated up the hearts and passions of many Americans. A young and controversial candidate, Kennedy presented his speech to Americans graciously, proclaiming the greatness of the country. He tactfully targeted and praised each and every member of the audience, from Massachusetts to Moscow. A synthesis of artful diction and promoting patriotism, John F Kennedy's speech conveys a sense of faith to the audience while subtly promoting the president in a new light that is relatable to all Americans. Listening to the speech, one may feel in awe of the powerful words Kennedy calmly utters. Upon further inspection of the speech, each word is utilized not only to persuasively describe America, but to describe himself. John F Kennedy uses words that are related to "new" and "young", a parallel to his own identity. As he declares to a "new generation of Americans" that this is a "beginning", "renewal", and "change", he excites the audience by sharing his contemporary hopes to correspond his contemporary self. Indeed, the young new president represented change and was willing to share this with America. John F Kennedy knew his viewers. In his inaugural address, Kennedy was conscious of the broad and diverse public listening to him speak. In order to be accepted by the masses, he focused in on the varying groups in different sections...
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...great nation it is today, but there was a time that immigrants were not welcome at all in this ‘great nation.’ Around the year 1850 the Know Nothing Party otherwise known as the American Party popped up in several towns where immigration from countries like Germany in the midwest, and Ireland in the east were starting to move in. The reason for their name ‘Know Nothing’ was put into place for when someone asked what your nativist organization was you were to reply that you knew nothing. Later on the Know Nothing Party changed its name to the American Party, to make it seem as though they were the ‘true’ Americans while the new immigrants were not as American for not being born there. When it came to politics the American Party were very harsh with the foreigners, keeping immigrants from voting, being a part of public office, and demanding for a 21 year residency for citizenship. After I finished reading this article I was shocked as to what new comers to America had to deal with, not only were they not wanted but also looked at as trash. To the foreigners The United States of America was meant to be somewhere to seek refuge from either war, bigotry, or simply to start a new life. Once they got here I’m sure many were very disappointed because of the exclusion from being ‘American’ but once the American Party died down many people started to feel accepted by America once again. Forever comforted by the biggest immigrant of them all Lady Liberty from...
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...Ethnic Groups and Discrimination In the early years of America the Irish immigrant population in America were very much hated. As a result of this the Irish populations were subjected to many forms of discrimination. In order to understand the reason for the discrimination one must understand the reasoning for the hatred. It all started with what seems to be two basic factors that lead to the hatred. The population of America at this time was predominantly Protestant or non Catholic Europeans. The Irish were die hard Catholics that did not seem to agree with the religious views of the other Euro-Americans at this time. However the main reason for the hatred and discrimination of the Irish was due to their poor living conditions, and their willingness to work for low wages. (Immigration of the Irish) These low wages made it harder for the already established Protestants to continue to find jobs. Because of their willingness to work for low wages the Irish inadvertently put themselves into a situation where the upper class with all the power in society could create a dual labor market. This effetely put them in a position where they could be oppressed by forcing the Irish to stay in unskilled labor jobs with little pay. One such example of the oppressive jobs that the Irish we forced to work were the building of the nation’s canal and railroad systems. (Immigration of the Irish) The reason for this was that slavery of the black population early on was still...
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...Irish Settlers in America The Irish immigrants faced prejudice, segregation, and discrimination. The Irish settlers are part of my heritage and the Ethnic group I chose for this essay. I had a very difficult time finding enough information for this assignment and I did not expect there to be so little information on this topic. I am not sure about the rest of my background but I have always been proud to be an Irish American descendent. That was until I read some of the ways they treated other immigrants in the new nation. Irish immigrants had a rough start in the United States, stuck in urban poverty and taunted by some of their neighbors. They and their descendants overcame the obstacles and prevailed (Kenny, 2008). Irish immigrants were not treated as bad as the African Americans were treated but were treated pretty closely. They did get a few extra benefits like being able to sell themselves as slaves instead of someone else selling you. As they arrived in American cities, they were crowded into districts that became centers of crime, vice, and disease and they commonly found themselves thrown together with free Negroes. Irish and African Americans fought each other and the police, socialized (and occasionally intermarried), and developed a common culture of the lowly (Barnett, Valla, and Williams). They also stated that ‘‘It is a curious fact,’’ wrote John Finch, an English Owenite who traveled the United States in 1843, ‘‘that the democratic party, and particularly...
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...| Irish American Ethnic Group and Discrimination | | University of Phoenix ETH/125 Elizabeth McBryde | In 1845, a fungus ruined Irish potato crops, which was the main source of food that kept peasants from starving in Ireland, and as disease and hunger spread throughout Ireland at least one million of Ireland’s people left in search of economic advancement, over half of which came to the United States (Peck, Ira). The Irish immigrants that came to the United States settled mainly in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia (Peck, Ira). Unfortunately, they were not greeted with welcome however, instead they, like many other immigrants to the United States, were met with discrimination, prejudice, and racism. Assimilation did not come easy for Irish immigrants despite their white skin and English language. Often, the only jobs available to them were hard, dirty, and dangerous positions such as coal mining and railroad work. As more and more Irish immigrated to the United States, American workers feared that the Irish, because of their cheap labor, would put them out of work (Peck, Ira). The Irish were treated in close resemblance to slaves. Forced to live in unsanitary conditions in urban slums by segregation, many Irish fell victim to epidemics that swept through their living...
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...The Irish that migrated to Boston in the early 19th century had many things in common when we talk about their phases of migration and immigration with the Chinese that came to California in the 19th century. The Irish and the Chinese had similar mentalities when they first immigrated to the New World, both saw a better life hoping and trying to plan to make enough money and return home and buy some land. With such a mindset both parties were able to put up with abuse and was very reluctant to join unions since they were only sojourners. Both groups, the Irish and the Chinese were transnational which meant they lived in two countries at the same time. The movement to America was “artificial” because of the poverty of the Irish that has been...
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...with the ethnic group known as the Irish American. The Irish have a story that includes famine, discrimination, immigration, religious discrimination, and finally triumph in the face of adversity. The Irish ancestry is almost impossible to trace due to the tragic circumstances in which millions of Irish immigrants were forced to escape to the United States. I have personal experience trying to trace my ancestry back to Ireland and every investigation has ended the same there were no records kept back that far back due to how most of the residents from Ireland not only got to the United States, but also because of the condition of most Irish immigrants once they landed in the United States. In 1800 the Union of Ireland Act united The Kingdom of Great Britain with the Kingdom of Ireland, in a short few years the Irish became impoverished and along with the religious prejudice of Protestant Masters to the Catholic Irish many had no choice to immigrate to the United States. In 1845, the great potato rot touched off a mass migration. The disaster eliminated the sole subsistence of millions of peasants, thrusting them over the edge of starvation. For five weary years, the crops remained undependable, and famine swept through the land. Untold thousands perished, and the survivors, destitute of hope, wished only to get away (Handlin, 1972). The United States would be the next step in the Irish story, although the trip would not be easy, many Irish paid $15 to board leaky boats that...
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...April 2013 Irish Immigration and Nativism Immigration to the United States has shaped our country from its founding to the present day. The United States went through a large agricultural and industrial expansion in the 19th century and with that came a large wave of immigration from Western Europe. During this time Ireland’s potato crop became diseased, causing widespread famine and the country went through a period called the Great Hunger. These two factors were instrumental in the almost 3.5 million Irish that immigrated to American between 1820 and 1880. The Irish met with much adversity when they arrived here. A wave of nativism toward their religion, and also poverty made life difficult in the beginning. The Irish had faced adversity and oppression before, but their solidarity along with their strength and religious beliefs made it possible for them to find a better life by striving for success economically, politically and socially. Irish immigrants arrived here with very little education or skill set and jobs were hard to find. They came from poverty so they had little money or resources to start a business. Many of them did not want to return to farming because of their experience in Ireland. Women found jobs as maids, cooks, nannies or factory workers. Because of the country’s large industrial expansion many of the male immigrants worked long hard hours building bridges, railroad and canals for very low wages. Americans were not happy the Irish were taking...
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