Immigration reform time - now is the time to make Irish and American history for the thousands living in limbo

30,000 illegals? I thought the number of illegals was 12 million.

Here in San Antonio we are seeing new blood but many of them don't want to join the organizations. Have heard that the newcomers want to get their lives in order and on track before joining. We do have a GAA team, two schools of Irish Dancing, CCE and three organizations. Like Seanmor, though, the Irish who are joining these groups are from families long removed from Ireland. We have not seen an Irish government representative since 2007. We also see many from north of the border.

The article states that many Irish organizations, "...have lost the vital life blood of new immigrants". From the early '8os to the late '90s, I was very active in th Bronx Gaelic League. But there were hardly any new arrivals at our c é1lís, or language and history classes, and many of these were recent arrivals from north of the artificial Partition. When it came to promoting Irish culture, we were largely dependent on participants who were a generation of 2 removed from Ireland. One of our most enthsiastic students was a New England Methodist whose ancestors fought the Brits in the Revolution. During my 20 plus years in the Gaelic League, I never saw an official of the Southern Irish State at any of our functions.