Seeking help from Senator Robert Kennedy on changing 1965 Immigration Act

Irish community fightback after 1965 Kennedy-led bill ended most Irish emigration

No doubt Mrs. Doherty was simply seeking to prevent any embarrassment to Se. Kennedy and the Institute. The  policy behind the 1965 Immigration Law was the original suggestion of his brother, the late President. In fairness however, the law as adopted was not as his administration originally suggested. Nevertheless the Irish were being hurt as a result of a Kennedy administration proposal. Mrs. Doherty, no doubt reasoned- and she was far from being alone in this regard- that we were being critical of the Kennedys-we were blaming them.

This suggestion was to arise again over the years. We tried to make it clear that we were not attacking the Kennedys but we were calling the shots as we saw them.

Word of Mrs. Doherty's action got around. It reached the ears of Jack McCarthy, a native Corkman, a business manager of the Carpenter's Union, a member of the Irish Institute and one who already had paid for one or more tables at the forthcoming dinner. Jack was a man who didn't mince words. A bit rough and ready but with a heart of gold. He had offered many an immigrant a job in construction and a suggestion that the immigrant do something about furthering his education and get out of construction work.

While we were prepared to leave the card issue drop, Jack was not. He told us and the Irish Institute, in no uncertain terms that the cards would be on the tables or if they were not, he planned to ring the hotel, on the night of the dinner, with carpenter's union picket line.

In short order, we received an answer from the Institute that the cards would be more than welcome on the tables and that it was important that I attend the dinner. I was to be give a complimentary ticket for one of the tables. It was correctly assumed that if I was in the dining room a the dinner, there would be no picket line. I attended and during the pre-dinner festivities someone fetched me from the common folk, took me to an ante-room and asked me to pose in a small group photo with Senator Kennedy.

At that stage of our work, I was not yet brash enough to question the Senator about immigration on such an occasion. I was never to see him again as he soon after was assassinated.

The whole experience provided a lesson, one of many that we would receive.

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Nster.com