How the Irish Became White

by Noel Ignatiev

Book Overview

'...from time to time a study comes along that truly can be called 'path breaking, ' 'seminal, ' 'essential, ' a 'must read.' How the Irish Became White is such a study.' John Bracey, W.E.B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies, University of Massachussetts, Amherst

The Irish came to America in the eighteenth century, fleeing a homeland under foreign occupation and a caste system that regarded them as the lowest...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0415963095
• ISBN13: 9780415963091
• Release Date: January 1995
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 276 Pages
• Weight: 0.72 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.0" x 7.5"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

Excellant Book

How C.O.W.S. Birthright/ Constitution Of White Supremacy started The White Race Doesn't Exist ex their birthright is Polish, Irish, Russian, England. I just had my DNA tested I am Cameroon, Benin, of The Bantu People. But I am also have Irish, Scottish, Spain, UK, England, Wales, and Northwestern Europe Lineage. Bottom Line 40% of my Lineage doesn't exist in Africa. But I'm Labeled as an African American. Really? I Strongly Suggest if don't know your lineage find out, I did and my 2d Cousins who are from The UK, England, and Wales have been very receptive 2 me with phone calls and Texts. Lastly please read Ignatiev Book Race Traitor it's the Best on he has done on White Supremacy and why he actually wrote his Non-Fiction Books. May Yah Bless U. Shalom :)

Exemplary history of race and class in America

One thing that infallibly determines the quality of a book is the idiocy of those inclined to negatively review its content. This book proves that rule with particular emphasis, as can be seen right here. Noel Ignatiev's book "How the Irish Became White" uses the methods of the new historians of labor in America, who acknowledge as must be done that race segmented class and became part of it, and that the unity of the working class in struggle against capital in America is a historical lie. To the best extent possible given the often scant material, he applies this methodology to the case of the Irish, in particular in Philadelphia. As Ignatiev shows, race is a social construct, and it was therefore at the time by no means 'obvious' that the Irish were white, as would be the case now according to these classifications. On the contrary, the Irish were especially from the time of the Irish Potato Famine (1845-1855) on desperately poor laborers, which at the time meant they were not likely to be seen as white. So the Irish had to become white, through struggle of their own. This was only possible by participating in the oppression of the class automatically put on the lowest rank of the urban ladder, the black workers. Whether slave or freeman, the Irish hated, despised, and persecuted them, and in the cauldron of this racial antagonism, the Irish working class was bleached white in the eyes of the ruling class. The usual arguments about the relations of race and class in America are shown to be fallacious. Black workers were not strikebreakers per se, but had to become strikebreakers because they were systematically excluded by the Irish unions. Whenever the black population organized itself and formed its independent spheres of power, the Irish attempted to destroy these. The Irish vigorously supported slavery and the Southern cause, only going so far as to reject secession, which would leave them on their own facing Northern capital. When the Civil War increasingly turned toward the cause of abolition, the Irish of New York City revolted in one of the 19th Century's greatest riots. No black worker was even permitted to work alongside an Irish one by the latter, or they would strike on the spot or leave their job. This is not because the Irish were or are inclined to evil or prejudice more than anyone else. It is precisely because the Irish were the most despised of all 'free' labor, and yet were exalted above the blacks. As Ignatiev showed, in late 18th Century Ireland itself, even very poor Protestant Irish considered themselves racially superior to the Catholic Irish. Their feelings of superiority were precisely all they had, and the British did all they could to encourage it, since division within a class greatly eased their occupation. The same phenomenon prevailed in America, only there unity was actually impossible, since the blacks had been brought to America involuntarily whereas all others were voluntary settlers. This incompatibili

A thought provoking, brilliant book

One of the best works of history on race in America ever written. This book will reward the attentive reader with example after example of how the Irish altered their social position by acquiring "white privilege" long before the word was even known. It dovetails very nicely with the broader and equally brilliant Race: the Birth of An Idea in the West by Ivan Hannaford. Hannaford looks at the 30,000 foot level and the four century perspective. Ignatiev examines one nation, and the history of one ethnic group. Do not be fooled by the ignorant reviewers who did not understand Ignatiev's central thesis. This is a book worth pondering.

Enlightening and easy to read

I don't understand some of the negative critiques listed by other readers (or who I presume read the book, it's hard to tell). I recently read the book and heard a speech by Mr. Ignatiev and the label of "racist" doesn't apply. Pointing out how 'whiteness' became a major part of the Irish-American identity and a method of securing a better place for themselves in America vis-à-vis free Blacks and slaves, he introduces a very useful analytical tool for looking at labor, politics, and immigration in the U.S. The hardships of the Irish aren't glossed over and neither are the consequences of their support of slavery and race-based politics - a choice that many other groups have seemingly made in coming to the United States. Most importantly, this book helps us to see how much we take for granted the social construction of ‘whiteness.’ The reviewer who commented that the Irish were already white might not have paid close attention to the history of Catholic Irish in Ireland (especially Ulster). They were treated as a distinct race and this oppression is depicted concisely, but effectively, in "How the Irish Became White." Overall, it is a well-written history book that promotes serious thinking.

Dr. Saul missed the point...

Unlike the other reviewer who apparently missed the entire point of the book, I found this book powerful and enlightening. The opening pages of the book delineate the plight of the Irish in their homeland and uses this as a basis for their evolution as citizens in the US. What is more, they are not the only ones who go through this evolutionary process of "becoming white", the Poles, Italians, Jews and others after them would have their own journey to assimilation into US culture as well. As this book clearly describes, immigrants had the possibility to become white, African Americans did not. Further, the Irish had to choose: conform to the native-born culture or be forever shut out of opportunity just like the Blacks. It is an illuminating look at our society and one which truly does help us understand today. I read this book as part of a 13-book cirriculum for a graduate history seminar whose topic was the history of Racism in the US after 1870. It was one of the best-written texts and provided an excellent foundation for cultural studies. I highly reccomend it to anyone who seeks a better understanding of social history and today's US culture. Rather than placing blame, the author provides the facts and understanding of what happened, good and bad, so that we see the complexity and ultimately, the uselessness of blame. It is only with this understanding that we can start to make changes.

excelent book

noel ignatiev's book "how the Irish became white" is not necessarily a new idea. it has been written about before. ronald takaki wrote about it a different mirror. while, it's true this is nothing you learn about in school, it's been a well held belief about the irish relationship with african-americans. also, ignatiev's book is much better researched.as an irish american i am not offended by ignatiev's book. certainly, there is much more to this book than how the "big bad Irish" treated african-americans. ignatiev doesn't reduce this book to such a simple theory. the story of the success of the Irish is too great to reduce it to such a simplistic view. the irish were a people that were so tired of being abused that they were willing to achieve success on any terms. luckily, for the irish they had white skin, and used that to their advantage in the democratic party. the story of the irish is the greatest success story in american history. all ignatiev does is portray an honest portrayal of the irish success story. he doesn't say that the irish got ahead just at the expense of blacks, but that it was one factor. too often that the irish look at themselves as being victimized. but it's also important to look at ourselves honestly as well: good with the bad.