Almeida - Irish Immigrants in New York City, 1945-1995

Irish Immigrants
IN
New York City,
19451995

Irish Immigrants
IN
New York City,
19451995

LINDA DOWLING ALMEIDA

Indiana University Press

BLOOMINGTON AND INDIANAPOLIS

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2001 by Linda Dowling Almeida

All rights reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The Association of American University Presses Resolution on Permissions constitutes the only exception to this prohibition.

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984.

MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Almeida, Linda Dowling.

Irish immigrants in New York City, 19451995 / by Linda Dowling Almeida.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.

ISBN 0-253-33843-3 (alk. paper)

1. Irish AmericansNew York (State)New YorkHistory20th century. 2. ImmigrantsNew York (State)New YorkHistory20th century. 3. New York (N.Y.)Emigration and immigrationHistory20th century. 4. IrelandEmigration and immigrationHistory20th century. I. Title.

F128.9.I6 A46 2001

974.710049162dc21

00-044974

1 2 3 4 5 06 05 04 03 02 01

In memory of Nana, whose stories sparked
my interest in the immigrant experience

To Ed, Cionna, Devin, and Eamon,
whose love and support kept me going

Contents

Acknowledgments

The foundations for this book were laid more than ten years ago when I published my first article about the New Irish. Along the way I have been encouraged, prodded, and inspired by dozens of people and stories. Id like to acknowledge every one but Im afraid of omitting as many as I include. So Id just like to thank anyone who has ever listened to, contributed toward, or commented on any aspect of this work. I could not have finished it alone and am constantly overwhelmed and humbled by the generosity of those Ive encountered in the course of this endeavor.

Having said that, I do want to single out certain individuals for special praise. My family deserves the biggest thanks. My husband and children suffered through my distraction, late hours, and Irish anecdotes with good humor and kind words (most of the time). But I think they were relieved when it was finally finished. I love them all.

As for scholarly assistance I must recognize all my colleagues at New York University. Dave Reimers worked with me for years, making suggestions and reading drafts. Marion Casey was always ready with a reference, a contact, and, most importantly, her friendship. Hasia Diner read the draft and encouraged me to go forward. Thanks to everyone at Ireland House, in particular Bob Scally and Joe Lee, who read drafts, offered suggestions, and lent moral support. My association with Ireland House also introduced me to my editor, Ralph Carlson, whom I can thank for placing my manuscript with Indiana University Press and for his solid advice and patience.

My appreciation extends as well to all the Irish advocacy agencies, church groups, and government programs for their goodwill and graciousness in the face of my endless questions and requests for information. This includes everyone at Project Irish Outreach, the Irish Immigration Reform Movement, the Emerald Isle Immigration Center, the Irish Consulate, and the Aisling Center, among many others. Special thanks as well to Kevin Morrissey and the Irish Institute.

To all those who participated in my surveys, sat for interviews, or sent me clippings, memoirs, and anecdotes, thank you. Your contributions made it possible to go forward and enriched a history that needed to be recorded.

To my parents, sisters and brother, and my in-laws, thank you for your interest and cheerleading over the years.

Finally Id like to recognize two women who inspired me and nudged me toward the study of Irish American history. My immigrant grandmother piqued my interest in our familys past and the study of the Irish in America with her stories about leaving the old country and making a life in America. She never thought that what she did was historical or special and never quite got why I was so eager to hear about her past. I cherish the time we spent sharing that past together. This book is for her.

I was lucky to know another woman whose work and family life Ive admired since my years as an undergraduate. Adele Dalsimer was an inspiration and role model for me and hundreds of other students she reached as teacher and director of the Irish studies program at Boston College. She died in 2000 and will be missed by many.

So thank you all. The work has been rewarding and the process an education all its own. While the following has been touched by many hands, in the end I take final responsibility for its content and tone.

Irish Immigrants
IN
New York City,
19451995

Introduction

At the beginning of the twenty-first century it is estimated that one in three New York City residents is an immigrant. No other American city has a population composed of so many different nationalitiesmore than a hundred at last count.

Of these foreign-born a relatively small percentage come from Ireland, but the Irish presence in the city (and in the country) in the last half of the twentieth century was ubiquitous. In the 1990 census forty-four million Americans identified themselves as having Irish or Scotch-Irish ancestry. Of these over half a million lived in New York City. From a president who has taken a personal role in the Northern Ireland peace process (and who claims Irish ancestry himself); to Frank McCourt and Alice McDermott, whose books have topped the best-seller lists and captured the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award; to films such as My Left Foot, The Crying Game and The Brothers McMullen; to musicians such as Sinead OConnor and the bands U2 and Black 47; to the phenomenally successful Riverdance, the Irish presence is everywhere.

Ironically, while thousands of books and articles have been written about the Irish in America, relatively little information is available on postWorld War II immigrants. Hence this book. I identify two distinct waves of Catholic Irish immigrants: one in the 1950s and one in the 1980s. These were the largest postwar groups to come out of Ireland, and they were the first to leave an independent Ireland.

This book grew out of surveys conducted among the 1980s groupthe self-proclaimed New Irish. These surveys revealed a tense distance between the eighties migrants and the established Irish American and immigrant community, and with a little probing it became obvious that the breach was deeper than mere generational conflict. The gap had as much to do with the culture and society from which the New Irish came as with the economic and social circumstances they found in New York. Even though both migrant communities originated in Ireland, their cultures, politics, and overall world perspectives were quite different.