3 ms·
I'd argue the Irish have "unbent themselves". What prejudice or discrimination do the Irish face in contemporary America? (My background: Grew up in the New En
by afarrell 11y ago
I'd argue the Irish have "unbent themselves". What prejudice or discrimination do the Irish face in contemporary America?
(My background: Grew up in the New England then moved to Austin. I look Mediterranean but my last name is Farrell and I play the bodhran...mediocrely)
I'm highly skeptical of the idea that this "unbending" is anything but a loud, activist process.
- msandford 11y agoThey don't face it in contemporary America, but they did face it when they started immigrating to the US many years ago. Given that you don't discern any anti-Irish sentiment I might argue that they did a fine job of "unbending themselves" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Irish_sentiment https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Irish_sentiment I'm not suggesting that "unbending yourself" is the only way to do things, just that it does seem as though it's possible. Maybe not easy, maybe not quick, but to suggest that "it can't be done" would be disingenuous.
- nailer 11y agoOnly place I've ever heard people openly hate Irish people is Scotland, only place I've heard people claim intellectual inferiority is Australia. One of my parents is Irish, and I don't have an accent, so people tend to say what they think. The rest of the world stereotypes and is occasionally ignorant of history, but that's common for people from most countries.
- xaqfox 11y agoEvery single year America celebrates the de facto Irish holiday, St. Patrick's Day, by getting as drunk as possible and pretending to be stereotypical Irishmen. Note: I am of Irish descent and not at all offended. What I wonder is if this impassive attitude to a relatively minor transgression, came about before or after the cultural "unbending"?