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Chapter 2 of David M. Emmons’ Irrepressible Conflicts: Systems of Slavery in the Civil War Era examines the religious conflicts that surround Protestant Britain’s animosity towards Catholicism. Emma’s explains how beginning in the sixteenth century, Europe’s classes identified themselves based on their loyalty to their nations and institutions. Protestantism as a result held Britain together with a strong intensity that also ignited a deep hatred for Catholics. Hatred of Catholics did not stop in England, however. The social, religious, and ethnic inferiority of Irish Catholics was also prominent component of American culture during the 19th century.
Emmons argues that racism and discrimination against Irish Catholics in America was so rampant, that they were treated like second African Americans: “Their unrestricted immigration must have appeared somewhat like the equivalent of the reopening of the African slave trade” (Emmerson, 61). This argument was interesting to me, because here, Emmons states that the status of Irish Americans was as lowly as that of African Americans. Even though Irish immigrants had white skin, Eurocentric appearances, and Christian backgrounds, they were still of extremely low social, racial, religious, and economic backing.
In her blog post, Viktoriya Shalunova discusses how the treatment of Irish immigrants is reminiscent of the treatment Native Americans: “They [Native Americans] also became cultural immigrants in their own land, when Europeans came and drew new territory lines, introduced a new religion, new language, and new names for places that had already existed for the Native Americans.” Shalunova makes an interesting which that I strongly support: The migration of Irish Catholics to America represents another example of racism against foreigners. Native Americans are seen as foreign even though they were in North America before European countries arrived. In order to fully grasp the amount of racism that played into forming America today, one must analyze the numerous amounts of marginalization, racism, sexism, and discrimination that played into America’s discovery and success. It is crucial that the labor of minorities and slaves and indentured servants be respected, because without respect for Native education and land, the Irish American story must be a narrated as one of social and racial discrimination.