On this St. Patrick's Day, it is important to remember that our current furor over Mexican immigrants is nearly identical to the Irish influx over a century ago. At the time, The Chicago Post wrote, "The Irish fill our prisons, our poor houses...Scratch a convict or a pauper, and the chances are that you tickle the skin of an Irish Catholic. Putting them on a boat and sending them home would end crime in this country." Yet, the Irish assimilated.
It is easy to make crass, ignorant generalizations, but much harder to admit that our country is strong enough, and the willingness of immigrants to succeed and assimilate deep enough, to weather such trends. It is key to remember that studies show that current immigrants are assimilating much quicker than previous generations. America will endure.
To read more about the Irish immigration movement,
click right here.
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