|
|
|
|
|
|
Resources |
|
|
|
The Irish Way of Becoming American: More Irish Than the Irish, More American Than the Americans
| Article
# : |
10694 |
|
|
Section : |
CULTURE
|
| Issue
Date : |
1 / 1986 |
4,570 Words |
| Author
: |
Patrick Boyle
Patrick Boyle is an investigative reporter at the Washington
Times. |
This year marks the 140th anniversary of the Irish potato famine, that act of God and government which permanently altered the face of the Irish people and of the new American culture they helped cultivate.
Unlike any other immigrant wave to crash the shores of the New World, the Gaelic migration almost immediately spurred an entirely new breed of people, as American as any fruit pie or summer game: the Irish-American. And that breed was largely responsible for building such institutions as the American Catholic Church, urban political machines, the national labor union, and the American parochial school system. The Irish experience in America provides a unique example of the blending of two traditions.
To fully understand what the Irish-Americans are, and what impact they have had on the rest of the nation, try searching for the Irish in America. Oh, sure, you will find more than 40 million who claim Irish ancestry. And you can play Gaelic football and hurling at Gaelic Park in New York, or go to Irish dances and festivals in Philadelphia, or join Irish folk groups in Boston, or in scores of other American cities. And you can drink green beer on St. Patrick's Day, buy Lucky Charms cereal, laugh at the Irish wit, and say, "Top 'o the morning.'"
But where are the Irish?
They are no longer distinct in America and in fact never were, say many scholars and Irish descendants, because the Irish have blended in so completely. In the process they have added much that is their own, and in their turn they have permanently influenced the character and
... (1997 of 27871 Characters)
Read Full Article
|
|
