The Irish American family

The Irish American family has undergone significant changes in the past century. Because of high rates of intermarriage with other white ethnics, Irish American families have essentially assimilated into mainstream culture. With the passage of time, most Irish Americans are now removed by as many as five generations from their Irish roots albeit Irish immigration to America continues at a steady pace. Most Irish Americans simply consider themselves "American" yet strong nationalist and religious affiliations contribute to a persistent sense of ethnic self-identity among this group.

The struggle for independence in Ireland stimulates strong feelings from some Irish Americans. The bitterness of this quest has left an indelible mark and fostered ties between immigrant and homeland: "Few nations in Europe witnessed as fervent and as drawn out a struggle for national independence as did Catholic Ireland. Few nations in Europe inspired their sons and daughters to fight their bloody battles more fiercely or to praise their native land more strongly" (Diner, 1983, p. 2).

One gauge of the intense interest that many Irish Americans have in the outcome of the Irish struggle is the level of support for the Irish Republican Army (IRA). Irish Americans have long been a source of financial and other resources for Irish natives engaged in resisting the British occupation forces. As one Irish American reminisced about his immigrant grandfather, "I know when he was younger he us

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losely paralleled their own. Because the new immigrants did not have to contend with language barriers that hampered the assimilation experience of other European immigrants, the Irish were able to gain access to government jobs and political positions at a higher rate. As Parrillo (1994) notes, "Antipathy against [Irish Catholics] gradually lessened as their command of English, improved economic position, and physical appearance made them less objectionable to Anglo-American Protestants than the new immigrants arriving from other parts of Europe" (p. 155). The crowning achievement of Irish American political involvement was, of course, the election of John F. Kennedy as president. To Irish Americans, this was a watershed event in their quest for assimilation: "With that single event, the Irish felt absorbed into the great America that had excluded them for at least a hundred years" (Godfrey, 1995, p. 62). The most prevalent marker for ethnic identity among the Irish remains the surname. Names like O'Connor, Moynihan, and Quinn are distinctive manifestations of who is and is not considered Irish. Such markers are used extensively in Ireland: "Indeed, with at least as much accuracy, the conflict [between British and Irish

Category: History - T