How the Irish Became WhiteHow The Irish Became Whitetells the story of how the Irish immigrant went from racially Oppressed to racial Oppressor, an American Story most of us haven't wanted to hear before. Utilizing newspaper chronicles, memoirs, biographies, and official accounts, Noel Ignatiev traces the tattered history of Irish and African-American relations, revealing how the Irish in America used unions, the Catholic Church and the Democratic party to help gain and secure their newly found place in the White Republic. How The Irish Became Whiteopens with the reactions of Irish America to the 1841 appeal made to them by Daniel O'Connell, "The Liberator," to join with anti-slavery forces in the new country. It then reviews the status of Catholics in Ireland and some of their ambiguous contacts with American race patterns after emigration. Ignatiev carefully explores and challenges the Irish tradition of labor protest and the Irish role in the wave of anti-Negro violence that swept the country in the 1830s and 1840s. In addition, How The Irish Became Whiteprovides a provocative recounting of the roles of northeastern urban politicians in the Irish triumph over nativism, which allowed for their entry into the "white race." This is the first book to focus not on how the Irish were assimilated but how they were assimilated as "whites." Ignatiev seeks out the roots of the well-known tension between Irish and African-Americans, and draws the connection between the embracing of white supremacy by the Irish and their "success" in America. How The Irish Became Whiteconvincingly explodes a number of the most powerful myths surrounding race in our society. This bold and necessary intervention should be required reading for anyone interested in the history, theory and politics of racial identity and race relations in the United States. |
What people are saying - Write a review
Reviews aren't verified, but Google checks for and removes fake content when it's identified
LibraryThing Review
User Review - goosecap - LibraryThingIf I had one word to describe the events in this book and what brought them about, I would say, ‘Insecurity’. I’m more of an air fairy than a historian, so you notice I said what brought about the ... Read full review
How the Irish became white
User Review - Not Available - Book VerdictIn a book he admits raises more questions than it answers, Ignatiev, a radical activist and editor of the journal Race Traitor, asserts that the Irish were initially discriminated against in the ... Read full review
Contents
SOMETHING IN THE AIR | 6 |
WHITE NEGROES AND SMOKED IRISH | 34 |
THE TRANSUBSTANTIATION | 62 |
Copyright | |
1 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
abolitionists Address Afro-Americans American Association attacked attempt August authority became began Binns Board Boston British brought called campaign carried Catholic cause Church cited citizens Civil color common companies continued Democratic district early election established existence fact fire force Garrison give Hall held History House hundred immigrants important industrial Ireland Irish James John July labor labor movement land later letter Liberator living majority March McMullen means meeting movement Moyamensing native Negro North noted O'Connell opposition organized Party Pennsylvania period persons Philadelphia police political population prison Protestant Providence published question race racial recorded Repeal reported Republican riot slave slavery social Society South Street strike tions took trades turn Union United vote wage workers writes wrote York
Bibliographic information
| Title | How the Irish Became White Routledge classics |
| Author | Noel Ignatiev |
| Edition | illustrated, reprint |
| Publisher | Routledge, 1995 |
| Original from | the University of Michigan |
| Digitized | Jan 11, 2010 |
| ISBN | 0415913845, 9780415913843 |
| Length | 233 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |