why were the irish treated poorly?

Question

i mean they were of the caucasian race so why were they treated poorly when they first came to america. WHat was it about them that they wouldnt givethem decent jobs

Answer 1

People brought the prejudices of Europe with them when they came to America. Up to then most Americans were Protestants from England and northern Europe. Protestants didn't like or trust Catholics because of centuries of religious wars. Then as now being poor was associated with crime, drunkenness, and irresponsibility and the first large group of Irish emigrants were desperately poor because they were fleeing the famine. The problem of anti Irish feelings did not disappear in the first generation but as later waves of Catholic immigrants came it became mostly a religious problem. It was not until1960 that we elected our first and only Catholic president and religion was an issue in the campaign.

Answer 2

Well, they arrived in New York for the most part that was already filled with European immigrants from other countries, primarily Italy though. So the Catholic theory is not quite so accurate. Not too mention we are talking at least a hundred years from when the puritans colonized to when the first major immigration waves began to land in New York.

Ok, so you had a situation where the different groups of people banded together with their fellow countymen to for communities. Irish, Italian, so on and so forth. They made it an unsaid policy to help out their "own". This pitted each group against each other and led to alot of strife. The polarization between these factions is the perceived unfairness.

Answer 3

Every ethnic group has had it's time of hardship when first arriving in America, especially if it was during a mass immigration period.
Half of my ancestors were Irish. They all came to America for the same reason. They were poverty stricken from the famines in Ireland, most of them were farmers or farmhands. Arriving in America they would look for employment in the same sort of work, But it wasn't like it is now. You couldn't fill out your resume and have a job agency help you find a job. Unskilled labor paid pennies a week. Kids could work for much less than adults and there were no laws protecting kids from being hired to young. So as an adult male you would have to "find " your niche, as well as housing for your impoverished family. There were no programs to help you up. Those persons who had "decent jobs" usually apprenticed for many years before they achieved their skill.

In other words you had to prove yourself to achieve success OR be born wealthy. The Wealthy and educated immigrants could afford to open their own businesses and buy their homes etc. The poor and middle class struggled. Why did they come to America? Same reason everyone wants to move here now, as imperfect as America is; we offer the best chance to live a decent life.

Answer 4

Prejudice is always born of fear. The Irish came in great numbers and took many jobs, making it tougher for others to find work. They were clannish, lived in Irish neighborhoods and stuck together. People feared their unity. Because of their poverty and living conditions, it was hard for them to stay clean, and people thought that they were somehow intrinsically dirty and diseased. And at a time when most Americans were protestants and the Pope was considered evil, most Irish were Catholics. It's the same for most new immigrant groups, until they get established enough to discriminate against the next group.

Answer 5

I'm into genealogy. My Irish side was always treated fairly well, and some of them were quite affluent. So don't get booby-trapped by the fallacy of generalization.

If your are referring to later migrations in the 19th Century, it was probably due to the fact that they were unskilled and uneducated. That brings every newcomer down several pegs, because they take up space and have less to offer. Nearly all ethnic groups suffered some type of discrimination, even the Brits. We are, after all, a tribal species, and race is irrelevant in this context.

Answer 6

Although America was built on immigrants the Irish were the first mass influx of 'Refugees'. Many of the first immigrants were seeking religious freedom, but the Irish were seeking survival. Read Angela's Ashes. They were among the most brutalized of English conquest. If you or any of the readers are truly interested in old Irish history, read 'How the Irish saved civilization.

Answer 7

The Irish were the first Catholics to come to America. Their beliefs and practices were seen as very strange and blasphemous to the Protestants. As usual, it was religious differences that caused their oppression.

Answer 8

there were stereotypes at work..in the mid 1800's
they left Ireland because of famine and economic strife
the Irish were kept out of the job market..
due to nationalistic conditioning The Irish were
considered to be prone to a gang-mentality
they engaged in Catholic..vs Protestant prejudice
against themselves..
the image was that they were drunken thugs..
used by politicians and criminals for force.

Answer 9

The same reason all the whacko's are bashing the Mexicans today..... Fear, a feeling of inferiority, no self-esteem, jealousy....a whole lot of things.

The same thing happened to the Italians, Polish, Russians and others who came to our country in large numbers.

Today it is the Mexicans.....tomorrow - who knows?

Answer 10

Why do some people treat gays poorly? Gays come from different races, different cultures, different religions... None of it matters. Prejudiced people treat you poorly for no good reason. Any intolerance is the result of stupidity.