To American WASPs, I'm sorry

[RB TexLa]

With all the vialed and not so vialed xenophobic and isolationism threads, as the decedent of people who didn't all come to this country in a legal manner my guilt compels me to offer you an apology.

I'm sorry my people came to this country to build a life and a future for me.

I'm sorry that we fought in your war to save the union.

I'm sorry that we worked the necessary and deadly jobs providing services and products and in part freeing up your sons and daughters to go to college with the hopes that one day our people could.

I'm sorry the sweet, blood and lives of our people built the skyline of New York City.

I'm sorry that we established Catholic schools to educate our children.

I'm sorry we helped elect every Democratic president since our arrival.

I'm sorry that we once were once able to elect one of our own as president.

:puke:



I guess it takes a good size wave of nativism to really drive home what my grandmother always told me, that we are Irish in America and not Irish-Americans.

[villager]

1. you need to check out the lyrics to "Paddy's Lamentation:"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=197265&mesg_id=197265

[Spider Jerusalem]

2. Y'know, if your people came here before 1924, they came legally.

No restrictions on immigration before then. (My great-great-grandfather came from Cork with his parents in the 1850's, and in those days, immigration was wide open.)

[RB TexLa]

4. You had to have a paid ticket and if you went to Ellis Island you had to

"pass inspection."

[Spider Jerusalem]

7. Yes, but those requirements were still minimal.

Not as minimal as they were before the 1800's, but compared to the post-1924 restrictions, negligible.

And Catholics were generally regarded with suspicion and distrust, unfortunately, whether they were Irish or not; some of my other ancestors were English Catholics who came to Maryland in the 1630's, only to have the colony taken over by Protestants and laws passed forbidding them from practicing their faith in public (kind of ironic, considering that Maryland was established as a haven for Catholics).

[Eurobabe]

3. What's behind all this?

:shrug:

[alittlelark]

5. My Grandmothers side was from Ireland - Great Potato Famine

She was the staunchest Democrat (and Catholic) I have ever known. She was a Librarian and was proud of her parent's sacrifices to send her to school.... Their jobs were not as lofty as 'librarians' are. The Irish Catholics were one of the most discriminated against ethnic groups to enter this country.

[dorkulon]

6. Sorry, are the Irish facing a lot of bigotry in America today? (nt)

[RB TexLa]

8. Oh of course we are only supposed to be concerned with people in America

and if our particular immigrant class overcomes, to try to pull the ladder up behind us. I forgot.

[dorkulon]

9. I'm not the one who titled the OP "To AMERICAN wasps..."

...and yeah, I'm with you on the immigration thing, but that "Irish in America" line seemed a little out of place.

[REP]

10. Is Pat Buchanan Running for President Again?

Every time I hear him run his mouth about immigrants, I long for a very specific Irish-not rule.

Of course, my mother's family is Welsh and my father's is Lithuanian Jew so I'm not Anglo-Saxon (thanks be).

[mark414]

11. is there really a wave of anti-irish bigotry sweeping around?

shit i'm descended from old micks who built the railroads but i don't understand what you're talking about

[Katherine Brengle]

12. I think the OP was just trying to make a point...

not necessarily about being Irish specifically.