'No Irish Need Apply'

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception



This story is not new. It is in fact quite old.

The current anti-immigrant sentiment now levied against those with Latin American roots is merely a change of target.

Before the Civil War the Irish diaspora, propelled by famine in Ireland, flooded the United States with refugees, causing the city of Boston to gain so many Irish immigrants that it was nicknamed “the Dublin of America.” This spawned a political movement dedicated to eliminating the rights of that group and their children. Today this movement is called the Know-Nothings but its foundation is the same as the modern-day Tea Party, a reactionary entity devoid of compassion or reality.



The Know-Nothings and their descendants did all they could to isolate the Irish. Initial attempts included forcing the issue of religion in the U.S. Government by making the reading of Protestant Bibles - the Irish were primarily Catholic- mandatory at public functions and in schools. The Irish eventually realized they were facing persecution and also that they were a sizable voting bloc. They forced their way into politics and won concessions for themselves. Within two generations, anti-Irish sentiment waned but prejudice remained.  As the Chinese moved into positions at the top… alongside the Italian, Poles, and other new immigrant groups - all became potential targets. Labeled as anarchists and communists there was always a term to categorize immigrants as anti-government extremists in order to raise hysteria.





Now that elitist, entitled rhetoric is circulating against those of Latin American ancestry. The irony is when folks of previously persecuted groups such as Bill O’Reilly and Michelle Malkin, climb aboard the immigrant bashing bandwagon they forget that long ago they would have faced  venom hurled at them as they do at Latinos today.



In the obituary of former House Speaker Tip O’Neill in 1994, the New York Times put his sentiment best:

He said the Democratic programs had created a broad middle class whose members had forgotten the many benefits they had received from government — in education and housing, for example — and wanted to pull up the ladder behind them.

While focused on government programs the sentiment also applies to immigration. And it is ironic that as Bill O’Reilly spews hate-filled, anti-immigrant rhetoric today, those from Latin America will  one day be accepted and a new group will occupy the space and be re-branded by the Know-Nothings as their newest target of hate.