Prejudices and Discrimination Against Our Irish Ancestors

Irish immigrants from the past have encountered racism, discrimination, and prejudiced views throughout the decades. Irish immigrants began moving to the United States in the biggest numbers during a major famine of their home country. Since the time that they landed in United States ports, they have had to deal with segregation and various forms of discrimination, including dual labor, institutional, double jeopardy, redlining, and glass ceilings. Irish immigrants faced many difficult years when trying to migrate to the United States, but over the years the Irish people have established their substantial worth within the United States workforce.

The Irish people began to mass immigrate to the United States in 1847 due to a famine in their own country (Gavin, 2000, ¶2). The famine, known as the Potato Famine, covered 1845 to 1850, which caused devastation to the land, starvation, and death throughout the country (YourIrish.com, 2008, ¶1). The famine reached epic proportions due to lack of the British officials trying to intervene and supply an answer to the food shortage. Since potatoes were the main farming product during this time period, without their crops, or help from their controlling country, they had two choices. Migrate to other countries, or stay in Ireland and starve to death. Thousands of Irish people decided to move to another country, and the United States was a targeted area for their migrations.

The United States, even though it offered the Irish people a means of surviving, did not receive them in a positive light. The Irish people, when unloading from the boats, were laughed at, and then were made to move their families into a small area that consisted of only Irish people. Segregation for the Irish people was immediate from the citizens of the United States (Gavin, 2000, ¶3). These slums eventually lead to more problems for the Irish people, because disease spread unchecked throughout the small area, and crime rates rose due to the unfair treatment of the immigrants (Gavin, 2000, ¶6&7).

Following the segregation of the Irish people, prejudice and racism followed. Immigrant workers were willing to do any type of work, and the United States citizens found themselves fighting for jobs. Local establishments that were hiring for labor positions began placing signs on the front of their businesses, and in local job postings, which stated "No Irish Need Apply" (Gavin, 2000, ¶10). However, the Irish people did not give up, and set out to prove to the local business owners that they were honest, hard working people. The Irish people used their work integrity to begin achieving their goals, and soon jobs began to open up to them (YourIrish.com, 2008, ¶6). Once the Irish established their positive presence within the United States workforce, then overall opinions from established citizens began to change to a more accepting opinion of these specific immigrants.

Dual labor market discrimination, which is the separation of two areas of employment, was common place for the Irish immigrants (Axia College, chapter 3). Only the lowest paying, unskilled jobs were made available to them (Baba, 2008, ¶19). Most Irish people were hired on to work in labor gangs, which is a group of people that works as a large group on a project, such as mining and building the railroad. Irish women, on the other hand, were limited to jobs such as cleaning the houses of rich white citizens, or working in factors. Both male and females, if they were of Irish descendent, were discriminated against in the aspect of the dual labor market.

Institutional discrimination, the denial of opportunities to groups due to their race and nationality, was another aspect in which Irish immigrants had to contend with (Axia College, chapter 3). Early Irish immigrants did not have living, educational, or job opportunities that the average United States citizens had. Irish families were allowed to only live in slums, and the landlords charged them outrageous fees while refusing to improve their living conditions (Gavin, 2000, ¶4 & 10). Higher education opportunities were none existent and middle or high level jobs were not offered to anyone that was considered to be Irish. Institutional discrimination was a problem faced by early Irish immigrants, but a strong work ethic along with honesty and reliability caused institutional discrimination against the Irish to be short lived.

Double jeopardy, the combination of two subordinate groups, was also an issue for some Irish immigrants (Axia reading, Chapter 3). Some of the Irish immigrants were also Catholic, so the combination Irish-Catholic was doubly discriminated against. This form of discrimination only applied to some of the immigrants, but the people that it did affect had twice as many problems with discrimination and prejudices.

Redlining, which is the discrimination of housing, was another issue that the Irish immigrants had to deal with (Axia College, Chapter 3). Irish families were secluded to slum areas, which proved to be feeding grounds for disease and crime (Gavin, 2000, ¶6). Irish families were forced to live in small rooms that were unsanitary, run-down, and expensive.

The last form of discrimination that the Irish had to contend with was what is called as the glass ceiling. This term refers to the prevention of promoting of people into better jobs because of their race, sex, or nation of origin (Axia College, Chapter 3). Many skilled Irish workers had to settle for low paying labor jobs because it was the only form of job offered to them.

Irish immigrants went through various forms of discrimination and prejudices, from the time they arrived in their "coffin ships". The Irish people have slowly shown their worth within the United States workforce, and the economy as a whole, so today very little issues of discrimination or prejudices have to be dealt with.

Throughout the years many Irish people changed their names, changed their customs, and changed their lifestyles so that descendants of today have very little Irish customs or traditions. I can truthfully put myself in this particular category because I do not often consider myself to be Irish, rather I claim to be an American, and as such I follow only customs and traditions that are common within the societies of the United States.

Axia College Racial and Ethnic Groups Axia College of Phoenix University
Mary Baba Irish Immigrant Families in Mid-Late 19th Century America Yale University
Phillip Gavin Irish Potato Famine The History Place
YourIrish History of Irish Diaspora yourirish.com