Irish Immigrants To America

The United States
During the nineteenth century a large number of Irish Catholics immigrated to America in hope of escaping The Great Famine, as well as the persecution imposed by the British Penal Laws. The incredibly dangerous journey from Ireland to Ellis Island foreshadowed the hardships that were to come for the Irish. Con artists recognized the overwhelming challenges the Irish faced and capitalized on their naivety. Many Irish were duped into living in overpriced tenement housing with unbearable conditions. The con men also exploited many illiterate Irish by selling them fake transportation tickets. The poorest Irish who were unable to leave Manhattan set up lean-tos or lived in abandoned buildings. The horrible conditions led to a
Like in New York, the crime rate in Boston increased tremendously and more than half of the Irish children born died before the age of six. The amount of Irish immigrating to Boston began to scare the WASPs, which led to anti-Irish propaganda and discrimination. Businesses posted signs stating “No Irish Need Apply” out of fear that the Irish would take the all of the unskilled jobs because of their willingness to work cheaply. The media painted the Irish as violent drunks who were blood drinkers, baby killers, and vampires, as well as claiming that they were brainwashed by the papacy. These tensions are demonstrated in Gangs Of New York when the “Dead Rabbits” (A Catholic Irish gang), led by “Priest”, engage in battle with “The Butcher” (A Protestant gang leader). The film demonstrates peoples’ reluctance to accept the changing demographic even though the two groups were not that different. When the Irish settled, mainly in cities, they generally kept a tight nit community, which slowed the assimilation process. After the Civil War the Irish became more respected, leading to increased assimilation. This culminated in 1960 when John Kennedy became the first
Settling originally in New York, many of the Germans eventually moved into Pennsylvania and became known as the Pennsylvania Dutch. When they settled they began to practice self-isolation by importing their own media and refusing trade. The Germans set a positive stereotype by bringing over culture that Americans felt connected to, such as kindergarten, hotdogs, chocolate cake, and gymnastics. The Americans essentially assimilated to some of the German culture and looked at Germans as model immigrants. The Germans are credited for bringing over pianos, as well as their ability to brew good beer, which only furthered the positive stereotype towards them. During the World Wars the English influenced America to become involved in the war against Germany. Anti-German sentiment arose rapidly and caused the Germans to no longer be the “model immigrant” in the eyes of the Americans. In the movie Sweet Land the feeling towards the Germans is demonstrated when the clerk of courts states, “German Nationals engage in prostitution, they encourage polygamy, they harbor dangerous political convictions…”(Sweet Land). German Book burnings, the closing of German schools, and the termination of the German newspapers resulted from this new attitude towards the Germans. In America the Germans were forced assimilate and to prove their loyalty by doing things such as