An abundance of vibrant green, four-leaf clovers and pots of gold are seen around March in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day.
Although St. Patrick’s Day is the most well-known celebration, the entire month is designated as Irish American Heritage Month. However, there was time where the Irish weren’t celebrated.
A second wave of Irish immigrants came to the U.S., in the 19th century after they were forced out of Ireland. According to History.com, prices, rents and lack of jobs were just a few reasons why the Irish left their homeland.
After years of conflict dating back to 1171the English took control of Ireland with the Act of Union in 1801. Under English rule, the Irish were frowned upon, and divisions arose between the English and the Irish. Protestantism was the dominant religion of the English while the Irish practiced Catholicism.
However, the Irish were not able to practice their religion and customs freely. There was an anti-Irish sentiment among the English elite — then the hunger came. A blight that destroyed potato crops ruined the primary food source for millions of Irish. The British denied them alternative foods food.
The Great Famine was the final nail in the coffin, as many emigrated, starting in 1845.
Nearly two million refugees from Ireland came to the U.S. in search of better opportunities. However, it wasn’t easy. feat. Before leaving Ireland, they worked as farmers, relying on potato farming. A disconnect occurred as the U.S. was starting its transition to an industrialized economy. They were hungry, poor and unskilled, and not considered fit for the developing society.
Catholicism was frowned upon as the Irish adjusted to their newfound life. Tension rose and they were greeted with cruelty and often driven to find asylum elsewhere.
In the 1840s the U.S. was also involved in the Mexican American War. The Irish were drawn to Mexico because they received better treatment and because of the similarities in religious practices. The Irish who had joined the U.S. Army made the switch to the Mexican Army, forming St. Patrick’s Battalion.
However, some battalion members were captured and executed for treason. The mistreatment continued in what History.com calls the “nativists movement,” and people resorted to violence against the Irish.
Under the belief that the Irish were pushing Catholicism in the U.S., anti-Catholic groups set fires and destroyed churches that were associated with Irish Americans.
The violence started to die down toward the end of the century, but there was still hesitation towards the Irish.
The fear associated with Irish Catholicism and its ties to the Vatican continued into the 20th century, until one of the most famous Irish American Catholic politicians, John F. Kennedy, won the presidential election in 1960.
Irish Americans slowly beganto be accepted by society, and in March 1991, Congress passed a law establishing Irish American Heritage Month.
It coincides with St. Patrick’s Day, which is March 17, to celebrate Irish Americans’ contributions to U.S. history.
As of a 2023 report published by the U.S. Census Bureau, 30.5 million residents claimed Irish ancestry. Multiple cities are named Dublin, after the Republic of Ireland’s capital, proving the lasting impression the Irish have had.
Every year businesses and cities dye everything green — including rivers — to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. However, it wasn’t an easy feat for Irish immigrants to be appreciated and seen.