stereotypes, discrimination, and assimilation/acculturation of Irish Americans and Italian-Americans – Savvy Essay Writers | savvyessaywriters.net
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stereotypes, discrimination, and assimilation/acculturation of Irish Americans and Italian-Americans – Savvy Essay Writers | savvyessaywriters.net
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these are 2 paragraphs reflections i need please a respond for each one so each respond must be 180 wordsNote: you should have the book know to what’s going on with these paragraphs and the book called Racial and Ethnic Relations, Census Update (9th Edition)
The First one :
Chapter four was a revelation for me regarding the stereotypes, discrimination, and assimilation/acculturation of Irish Americans and Italian-Americans, as I was unfamiliar with their history.I was surprised to learn that many Irish-Americans gave up their Catholicism partly due to hostile Protestant environments.Furthermore, I was shocked to read that, like the caricatures that falsely portrayed African-Americans in the video “Ethnic Notions,” so it was for Irish-Americans.The media falsely portrayed them with “an ape-like face, a fighting stance, a jug of whisky” (Feagin 86), which painted them as “ignorant voters and a threat to orderly politics” (Feagin 87).Similarly, the Italian-Americans faced stereotypes and discrimination through the media, which portrayed them as being involved in organized crime, aka, the mafia myth.Italian-Americans were depicted as, “lawless, knife-wielding thugs,” arguing that “criminality was ‘inherent in the Italian race’” (Feagin 100).It was interesting to read that, both races have bought into the racist system, and have accepted a place in the white race.Thus both races are now considered to be white
The second one :
I enjoyed reading this chapter! I found it to be incredibly interesting to read about the struggles that Irish and Italians went through and continue to face in order to be successful. I was unaware of the specific stereotypes that the Irish went through. For instance, in the media they were often portrayed with apelike faces, always ready to fight, and a jug of whiskey in one hand. I enjoyed how the chapter explained the history of Irish immigrants and the struggles they went through in trying to assimilate. I found it interesting that between 1850 and 1890 most Irish Americans came to see themselves as white, and due to that fact began to develop anti-black prejudices just as the other whites did.s This surprised me because within a generation or so, the same Irish Americans whose ancestors had been attacked by other Europeans and English Americans as the “inferior race” now had succumb to the same racism the other whites exemplified. Later in the chapter, it explained how the Irish effected economy and politics. Irish labor was very critical and crucial to industrial and commercial development. They typically became urban workers, miners, or transportation workers, and migrated looking for work. As I continued reading the chapter I enjoy the section which described recent successes of the Irish Catholics. It stated how many of them have been employed in government jobs, public work, police, and fire departments. I enjoyed this because it was an example of how hard work pays off. These people came to America with nothing, were stereotyped and judged right away, yet were able to make a decent life for themselves, and rise in economic status. In the text is stated that there are approximately 27.7 million Americans with Irish ancestry, a total of 8% of the United States population. The chapter also connected the theories that were in the previous chapters and explained how each one relates to the Irish. For instance, it explained how assimilation came slower for the Irish immigrants and their struggles with that. After reading about the Irish, there was the story of Italian Americans. I am familiar with how Italians have always been portrayed as members of the “mafia” or being unsophisticated. Similar to the Irish, they were able to overcome their struggles and ultimately made better lives for themselves. Overall, I enjoyed the layout and information this chapter provided.
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