Irish Immigrants

Sad Attack On Immigration, When Immigrants Have Always Been The Lifeblood Of American Progress!

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Donald Trump and JD Vance have waged war on immigration, demonizing immigrants from Haiti and Venezuela specifically, but really promoting the concept of nativism–that America should not welcome “foreigners”, despite the reality that it is immigrants who have been the lifeblood of America since its founding.

First, it was French immigrants in the 1790s who were victimized by the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798.

Then it was Irish and German Catholic immigrants who were victims of hate and prejudice in the 1840s and 1850s, including the creation of a nativist party, the American or “Know Nothing” party.

Then, it was Italian and Polish Catholic and Eastern European Jewish immigrants in the fifty years from the 1870s to the 1920s who were subjected to discrimination, leading to restrictive immigration laws passed under President Calvin Coolidge in the 1920s.

Asian immigration–from first China until banned in 1882—and then Japan, banned in 1924— suffered from terrible mistreatment and hatred.

Latin American immigration, particularly from Mexico, but from all of the nations of the hemisphere, was subjected to constant discrimination, and still are, with the one exception of Cuban immigration due to the perceived threat of Fidel Castro after 1959.

And as people migrate to escape bloodshed, violence, and poverty from nations around the globe, they face new demagoguery now being promoted by the Republican Party under Trump and Vance, and this despite the fact that Trump’s third wife is an immigrant, and Vance’s wife is from an immigrant family.

150th Anniversary Of New York City Draft Riots: A Disgraceful Moment In NYC History!

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150 years ago, starting on July 13 and raging until July 16, New York City saw the worst rioting that had ever occurred up to that time, in the third year of the Civil War, due to the passing of a draft law by the US government, requiring the first ever military draft for all able boded men, unless they were wealthy enough to pay the government $300 to avoid service.

The Irish immigrants in New York City, among the poorest of all ethnic groups in the city, who could not afford the $300 fee, rioted and burned and destroyed, and sadly, set about to kill and lynch African Americans living in the city, blaming them for the Civil War.

At least eleven black men were lynched, but estimates go much higher, and the total loss of life is estimated as being at least 120 but potentially more, with at least 100 blacks being murdered in total.

At least 2,000 people were wounded, and possibly more, and property damage would be estimated in modern terms as at least $75 million. The film GANGS OF NEW YORK portrayed these events in a very dramatic way, and estimated much higher numbers of killed and wounded, and even higher property damage.

Blacks were forced to leave their residences by their landlords, afraid of bloodshed and property damage, and many left the city forever, and never returned, relocating elsewhere!

This was a horrible example of racial violence that has stained the history of New York City, and now, at the 150th anniversary of these terrible events, it becomes clear that racial harmony, racial justice, racial equality has NOT made as much progress as one would like to believe!