r of Irish Americans who are Catholic have definite feelings about their ethnic identification with American Irish Protestants; these Irish Catholics deny that a link exists at all.
Their strong affinity with their homeland invites comparison between Irish Americans and Jewish Americans. Members from both ethnic groups have deep concerns about the welfare of their homelands. The Irish American and Jewish American constituents of political representatives often lobby in favor of action favorable to the countries of their ancestry. Both ethnic groups contribute to causes that further the well-being of the people who live in these countries. Both groups have been accused of anti-patriotism because of this deep concern: "The widespread distrust of the Irish as intractable foreigners, unable or unwilling to give their full loyalties to America, remained strong a very long time. In part, this was simple anti-Catholicism, but it also derived from Irish involvement in the politics of their homeland" (Quinn, 1996, p. 19).
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