Blog #9

 

 

      As Irish immigrants first began coming to the United States to escape the potato famine, they were met with discrimination. The poverty that followed many immigrants to America placed them at an automatic social disadvantage. This disadvantage was not helped by many Protestant Americans’ distrust for Irish Catholicism. The first generations of immigrants had their work cut out for them when it came to carving a place for themselves in the United States. However, over time, the Irish population began to be more widely accepted, and that is due in part to the education system.

 

American schools are by and large a place for assimilation into the general American culture. Part of this assimilation is the teaching of American democratic values, which are closely tied with capitalist values. School provided opportunities for Irish children to receive education and training that would create avenues into more specialized jobs. As the second, third, and fourth generations of Irish immigrants entered into fields such as carpentry and bricklaying, these families and the culture were able to find a stronger foothold in American society. With time, Irish communities eventually became more and more deeply integrated with mainstream American culture. It certainly doesn’t hurt that many Americans found other immigrant groups to discriminate against instead.