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Why Irish in America need to stand up to guarantee Irish immigration to U.S.

Immigration reform must be priority this St.Patrick's Day for Irish groups

Irish Voice Editorial,

Published Thursday, March 7, 2013, 7:00 AM

Updated Thursday, March 7, 2013, 9:33 AM

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Major support for immigration reform in the United States

Photo by CNN

There was an urgent call this week by retired judge John Collins of the Bronx for the Ancient Order of Hibernians to get behind the push for immigration reform this year.

Collins knows of what he speaks. He played a key role back in 1965 in opposing the Immigration and Nationality Act that shut the door on the Irish coming legally to America.

Alas he was one of a brave few who were focused on that issue in the Irish community. Very few realized just how devastating a blow the 1965 act would be to the Irish community in America.

The judge knows well that back then that the leadership of Irish America utterly missed the significance of what was occurring in Congress as European access to the U.S. was essentially ended.

Now he is saying we do not need to make the same mistake again, and he is appealing to America’s largest Irish group to ensure they are part of the battle.

As he noted, “The national AOH leaders need to be in contact with the legislators and determine what is possible and what is not and what the Irish should be looking for.

“You as individual members can keep the pressure on those national AOH leaders. Only 311 Irishmen and women were able to receive documented immigrant visas in 2011.

“We are no better than any other nationality, but we do have some bragging rights and we deserve a fair shake.”

He is fully correct. We are no mean people when it comes to our contribution to the United States, and we need to make our case loudly and clearly.

Every other country will be making sure their concerns are listened to, as we have seen in the recent past when countries like Australia, Chile and Mexico made side deals for their citizens.

And who can blame them? Yet, we Irish seem almost timid at times to ask on behalf of our citizens, both undocumented and future flow.

It is no time to be bashful when legislation is under review, and it looks for the first time in many years that comprehensive immigration reform is a real possibility.

Irish America and the Irish government need to prioritize this issue this St. Patrick’s Day over all else. The parading and revelry is fine, but we cannot lose sight of the serious issue that lurks for so many of our community.

This is the year to make the breakthrough.

See more: Irish Voice , Irish News , Irish in New York , Irish immigration , Irish American

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Seanmor | Mar 10, 2013, 02:49 PM EDT

I wholeheartedly agree with this very important Editorial, especially the phrase: "...when it comes to our contribbutions to the United States,... we need to make our case loudly and clearly". A few years before the enactment of the 1965 immigration law that virtually shut the door to the Irish,I was stationed at Camp Lejuune as a marine. One evening a book titled "marine Corps Hereos" was circulated in out barracks. It included the names of all marines who had won Medals of Honor. About 1/3 of these medals prior to the Great War (1914-18) were awarded to Irish natives, including TWO to men from Co. Limerick, the county in which I was raised. Six or seven years later, the first marine to win a Medal of Honor in Vietnam was Sgt. ROBERT EMMET O'MALLEY, the son of an Irish immigrant couple in Woodside, Queens. I was never in a war zone, but I did receive a Good Conduct Medal, and I once qualfied (but did NOT participate) in the All-Marine Rifle Championship. Therefore I now strongly support the granting of permanent visas to deserving emigrants from ALL parts of Ireland.

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Smyrnian | Mar 08, 2013, 05:39 PM EST

Ancavker - MichaelIdaho is right. I am Irish born and I too have spent a very great deal of time in the west and Midwest and a good deal down south as well. Americans are definitely not the same all across the continent; not by along shot.

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michaelidaho | Mar 08, 2013, 03:05 PM EST

ancavker, I have visited just about every state in the union, grew up and lived in New York/Boston and have lived out west for almost a decade. Both my parents were born in Ireland I spent over 20 summers of my youth there and was in Ireland last year. Perhaps you may re-think your suggestion, that I "need to get around more."

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anglo-norman | Mar 08, 2013, 01:20 PM EST

illegals OUT OUT OUT

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Smyrnian | Mar 08, 2013, 09:25 AM EST

Michael - Well said. Robin - There is a drone coming your way.

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ancavker | Mar 08, 2013, 09:23 AM EST

michael: Americans in the mid-west and south are just the same as those from the north eats or west coast. You need to get around more.

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RobinForester | Mar 08, 2013, 08:43 AM EST

Things are getting bad in the USA, the Preseidents been authorised to use DRONE STRIKES on US citizens in the event of an emergency. Here is part of the letter to an Senate . Press enquirer: "It is possible, I suppose, to imagine an extraordinary circumstance in which it would be necessary and appropriate under the Constitution and applicable laws of the United States for the President to authorize the military to use lethal force within the territory of the United States. For example, the president could conceivably have no choice but to authorize the military to use such force if necessary to protect the homeland in the circumstances like a catastrophic attack. The letter concludes, "were such an emergency to arise, I would examine the particular facts and circumstances before advising the president of the scope of his authority (and unsaid but clearly meant 'to bomb them into submission)"

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michaelidaho | Mar 08, 2013, 08:27 AM EST

I find this Irish vs Irish-American nonsense so tiresome. I have had wonderful relationships with people from both Ireland and America. I have also met plenty of idiots from both countries. The irony in this whole silly, endless discussion is that in the 21st century, Americans from the Northeast/West Coast are more similar culturally to the present day Irish (i.e. materialistic, secular, liberal, consumeristic, pop culture obsessed) than an American from the Midwest or Southern or Western U.S.

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RobinForester | Mar 08, 2013, 06:51 AM EST

Well, if you ask me America's problems were foreseeable in 1758, this was the date when a bunch of colonial rednecks went on the booze in a sleepy-town called Philadelphia, and decided the tallest of them should run for Mayor, the tall guy George didn't really want the job of Mayor, and working for the Council was not exactly what he had in mind - but drunks being drunks they insisted he did and could line them all up for cushy-jobs, unknown to his drinking cronies he'd met an attractive young widow age 26, called Martha Dandridge, who had two young children, and he had purchased a few slaves and was intent on expanding the homestead he'd leased in Mount Vernon. Even so when he got home the next day having been out all night and told Martha what they'd suggested (him being Mayor) she told him not to be a fool, there was no money to be earned working for the Council, and he ought to set his sights higher like being President for instance, she then told him what she knew about Treasury Bonds and Britain’s gold reserves held in Fort Knox which got him thinking, and the next day Martha visited a charity shop and bought him an old British Ships Captains uniform, she washed and combed his hair and told him "he was going to be President", and that's how it all started. As any grey, waxen faced American will tell you today losing British rule, advice, shrewdness and good manners was a bad move, and they had to learn how to stop eating with their fingers and using plates, cups and saucers.

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Smyrnian | Mar 08, 2013, 06:21 AM EST

Maureen - that's why there is such a mess.

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WoundedKnee | Mar 08, 2013, 01:48 AM EST

Scouse Tony: What you say is nonsense. You're just another racist. You tell us that the 400.000 Irish people out of work are too lazy to work? Funny, I've heard that kind of racism about other ethnic groups from people here in the US. It's just disgusting racism--go back to your British national front sites. And maybe buy yourself a newspaper and read up on the debate about Mass Immigration--the British politicians are now admitting that they were totally out of order to open the doors of their country to uncontrolled settlement by foreigners.

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Scouse Tony | Mar 08, 2013, 12:30 AM EST

Woundedknee, The real problem in the UK is that economic migrants are accused of driving wages down when it is actually greedy employers taking advantage of migrant’s willingness to work longer hours for lower pay that is the real problem. The political parties are just reacting to a right wing press driven folk devil. The people making most of the noise can’t distinguish between legal migrants, illegal immigrants and asylum seekers, they usually have a horror story about how they know about a Kosovar / Polish/Iraqi family who have been given the keys to a five bedroomed house, a 50” TV and free money by the Benefits Agency but it’s always come from a bloke their sister’s boyfriend’s cousins mate was talking to in the pub rather than actual facts, my brother in law insists he can’t get work because of all the immigrants when really he couldn't find the Job Centre with both hands and a map if it was up his arse it’s easier for him than admitting he is just a lazy scrounger who can’t get out of bed and thinks the world owes him a living. If we sent all the migrants home all we would be left with is the likes of my brother in law who wouldn't know hard work if it jumped up and bit him on the arse.

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handsome68 | Mar 07, 2013, 10:54 PM EST

Fail to understand why I "NEED TO" stand up for Irish emigration to the US. My parents were both emigrants to the USA from Ireland. G'head: sway me.

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Maureen Hawkins | Mar 07, 2013, 10:35 PM EST

Smyrnian, can't see anything sad about that.

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faberm1 | Mar 07, 2013, 08:14 PM EST

Also, sadly enough Charlottenc, Ireland won't allow you to stay. They have discriminatory policies against Americans. You can't go there and get a work permit, residency, or even buy property without tremendous hassles. Stay in Charlotte!

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