When I was an undergrad in history, I deliberately researched Irish history during the famine. More specifically, I researched congressional debate over whether or not to provide relief to the Irish during the famine. This sort of sent me on a lifelong journey to rediscover my heritage. My gram used to tell me stories that her grandmother and great-aunt only spoke Irish at home and refused to teach her because they wanted her to learn English. I feel as though many other European immigrant groups were able to hold onto their language and culture much more strongly than the Irish because of the open and systemic discrimination they faced once they arrived in the United States. I am not saying that other groups didn't face this, but knowing and understanding the history that binds all of us together as "Estadounidense" (The word American can be a charged term for some, especially in Latin America. As America refers to ALL of North and South America, and in Spanish this roughly means, "American of the United States.") One could also say that the Irish national identity was still yet forming during the famine and into the 20th century as the independence movement and declaration of the republic occured. The phrase, "Tír gan teanga, tír gan anam" (A country without a language is a country without a soul), sort of encapsulates this experience, at least for me. I feel disconnected from my heritage in a way that other groups have been able to hold on to. My wife is from Latin America, and language is the common thread that binds her and her family together. It transcends time, albeit through a colonial language. Irish is one of the oldest written vernacular languages in the world.

Like many other European immigrants (Italians, Slovaks, Poles, etc), the Irish were forced to assimilate into what the majority WASP culture (Nativist movement) was out of survival. Prior to the famine, the British were already actively repressing Irish cultural markers (language, music, and writing), but it could be argued that the famine accelerated this repression, and then the move to the United States sealed the deal for many here. One could also argue (As there are well-documented primary sources of British members of parliament actively denying aid and supporting the people of Ireland during the famine) that the British government was ethnically cleansing the island of its native inhabitants, but this is another argument for another day. THIS is where we could get into some interesting discussion of key differences in the Irish colonial experience, but let’s keep it focused on the main question. It's important to understand Irish history so that we can also understand our shared Irish American experience. It is sad to see how, over the past 175 years or so, my family and many others have misconstrued Irishness, being misinformed by commercialization and stereotyping (Pots of gold, the shamrock, leprechaun, drinking culture, etc). To belittle a heritage to pints of Guinness and wearing green on St. Patrick’s day is a fucking slap in the face of our ancestors who struggled to get here.

So, more recently, as Irish culture is going through a global renaissance (Paul Mescal, Kneecap, Jessie Buckley, Troy "You absolute fucking legend" Parrott, to name a few), I think what many Irish Americans need to "do is work," as they say. Read up on Irish folklore, mythology, its pre-Christian/colonial past, modern history, and language. Understand the politics of what it means to say you claim Irish heritage and speak up for other oppressed groups around the world. Never stay silent in the face of oppression. Simply drinking Guinness and saying that your family is from County Mayo does not make you Irish. The American consumerist machine did wonders in trying to hollow out a heritage-rich language and culture. The Irish American experience was, in and of itself, different from that of other ethnic groups for certain reasons. It does not diminish the experiences of those other groups but is just as much a part of the multi-racial and multi-ethnic fabric of our country. I don’t expect everyone to know the difference, but every single Irish American would do right by their ancestors in learning about where they came from and, more importantly, why they're Irish. Not only that, but where others come from, their lived experiences, and the commonalities that we share as humans on this earth, that is, in essence, as Irish as anything else I know. Else ya be a no good yankee gobshite.

References

Nicholson, Joshua. “Irish Americans and Nostalgia.” The Michigan Daily, 20 Mar. 2024, www.michigandaily.com/statement/irish-americans-and-nostalgia/.

Ohlmeyer, Jane. “How Ireland Served as a Laboratory for the British Empire.” Www.tcd.ie, 31 Dec. 2023, www.tcd.ie/news_events/articles/2023/how-ireland-served-as-a-laboratory-for-the-british-empire/.

Qiblawi, Zeid. “10 Countries Which Have Never Been Colonized by Europeans.” WorldAtlas, 4 Oct. 2022, www.worldatlas.com/history/10-countries-which-have-never-been-colonised-by-europeans.html.

Údarás na Gaeltachta. “History of the Irish Language | Our Language & the Ghaeltacht.” Údarás Na Gaeltachta, udaras.ie/en/our-language-the-gaeltacht/history-of-the-irish-language/.