Irish Immigration In America Essay example

In Hasia R. Diner’s book Erin’s Daughters In America she discussed the history of the lives of Irish immigrants, specifically women, before the Famine and after they emigrated to the United States. After the Famine, Irish citizens had to make drastic changes in their lives in order to survive, such as having more variety in food and the crops that they grew, and changing their marriage patterns and how often they had children. Many people even decided to immigrate to America, the majority of which were women. When Irish women came to America their lives were greatly revolutionized when they were forced to adopt new economic opportunities by finding a job quickly and gaining economic stability, and they had to modify their marriage patterns by getting married later in life, if they got married at all.

Putting them on a boat and sending them home would end crime in this country.”(para. 4). Although the Irish were put down by Americans they never gave up and continued to press on. They were discriminated against but stuck together which helped them survive in America.

It 's so cold today. I sit on a suitcase packed for me, Norah. I am from a small town in Ireland called Cobh, and I live there with my mother, father and little sister. Glenn is my older brother, three years older than me. Oh, and I 'm sixteen. I guess you could call this feeling anxiety, but it really is more than that. It feels like I 'll never come home, and I 'll never see mother and father again. Everyone says (well, if you can call the newspaper editor and his wife everyone) that America is "paved with gold" and that "endless opportunities" await anyone who goes. But the stories I

     Irish-American. To some, this term merely designates one of the many ethnic groups which can be found in the United States; but to those who are Irish-American, it represents a people who faced a disaster of mammoth proportions and who managed to survive at great cost. The Great Hunger of 1845 changed, or more often, destroyed the lives of millions of Irish, causing them to seek refuge from poverty and starvation in other, more prosperous countries. However, not all countries would accept these victims of the Potato Famine. After an immense burst of Irish immigration to Great Britain, the British Parliament began to

The Irish experience in the U.S. was harsh. They fled Ireland due to the Potato Famine, and arrived here for opportunity, and even more importantly, a better life. They were also exceedingly poor, so that being

While America was known at the time as a place for accepting immigrants, this was not the case for most Irish immigrants. Irish Catholics were targeted on the grounds that Catholics could not be trusted to remain loyal to anyone but the Pope, if another war were to arise. However, the Irish remained strong willed and assimilated into American society by working as farmers and building machines.

In the first place, my maternal grandfather instilled a pride and understanding of my Irish roots. Specifically, he brought me over to Belfast to learn and experience the culture. At the time, the hostility between the Protestants and Catholics was evident. Additionally, I saw people living under the threats of terrorism and bombing, propaganda graffiti, and a city under a police state. Similarly, I witnessed families torn apart because a mother was one

The book, “The Irish Way” by James R. Barrett is a masterpiece written to describe the life of Irish immigrants who went to start new lives in America after conditions at home became un-accommodative. Widespread insecurity, callous English colonizers and the ghost of great famine still lingering on and on in their lives, made this ethnic group be convinced that home was longer a home anymore. They descended in United States of America in large numbers. James R. Barrett in his book notes that these people were the first group of immigrants to settle in America. According to him, there were a number of several ethnic groups that have arrived in America. It was, however, the mass exodus of Irish people during and after the great

The United States saw an influx of Irish immigrants due to the Great Famine (potatoes) in Ireland.

During the 18th century the Irish slowly began their migration to America. Centuries of oppression from Protestant English rule had forced them to live very poor lives under strict rules, in some cases having to renounce their Catholic beliefs and having to abandon their Gaelic

When many think of the times of immigration, they tend to recall the Irish Immigration and with it comes the potato famine of the 1840s' however, they forget that immigrants from the Emerald Isle also poured into America during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The assimilation and immigration of the Irish has been difficult for each group that has passed through the gates of Ellis Island or South Boston. Like every group that came to America, the Irish were looked down upon; yet, in the face of discrimination,

Stereotypes in the past had a significant impact on the Irish people. Stereotypes such as the religion of the Irish: Catholicism. Catholicism brought new holidays: Ash Wednesday and lent. English-raised Americans were scared of these. Leading to the names “vampire” and baby killer” for the Irish’s belief of wine and bread to represent Jesus Christ: Transubstantiation. Then, the Irish were compared to apes and equivalent to the blacks in the South. Irish were now seen as inferior to those of English-decent. Not only were the women unmarried, all the men were young and single. It was assumed any single woman staying in a tenement was sleeping with all the men. Leading to names “Bridget” and “Paddy” being derogatory for the Irish women and man. Whereas in reality, they were street smart and independent. Traditions were twisted into stereotypes, such as the Irish’s “pub-culture.” The men would drink before and after work in order to relax themselves for the day, but was depicted as alcoholism.

The life of Irish immigrants in Boston was one of poverty and discrimination. The religiously centered culture of the Irish has along with their importance on family has allowed the Irish to prosper and persevere through times of injustice. Boston's Irish immigrant population amounted to a tenth of its population. Many after arriving could not find suitable jobs and ended up living where earlier generations had resided. This attributed to the 'invisibility' of the Irish.

Over time the Irish and Germans were finally accepted and considered part of the “American society”. By the time the next big wave of immigration occurred, the Irish and Germans were considered the old guard as opposed to the newcomers. The changing ethnic composition was critical and the Irish as well as the

For a short time in Ireland many were faced with a hard decision due to the struggling with starvation in a time of famine. With this hardship many made the difficult choice to leave their country and seek refuge in the United States. The individual that I interview had family that lived in County Cork, Ireland and they decided to make the journey to the United States in hopes of a better life. Her Grandparents came to the United States through New York and changed their last name by dropping the prefix to make it more American. They moved to Cleveland and her grandfather was able to find work at chief Boyardee to support his family. Many traditions have been passed down from generation to generation. Celebration St. Patrick’s day was always an important day for this family. This was a time to eat traditional Irish food, music, and Irish folk dancing. The catholic faith is very important aspect of this