
Every time America experiences a wave of immigration, it is inevitable that xenophobes and restrictionists bring out the same old tropes. “They’re going to ruin our country!” “They aren’t loyal!” And time and time again, they are met with defeat.
The truth is immigrants come to America, and assimilate. But we also absorb pieces of immigrant culture, fusing the two into one distinct American culture. There is hardly a better example of this than annual St. Patrick’s Day celebrations across the country. Once vilified for their immigration, St. Patrick’s Day has become a staple of American culture. This St. Patrick’s Day, we think it’s important to look back at the evolution of the Irish in America and see the parallels to our immigration debate today.
Standing against the Irish immigration of the 19th century were the Know-Nothings — a group of white Protestant males whose entire platform consisted of severe immigration restrictions, English-only legislation, and decades long waiting periods for citizenship. Sound familiar to you? Currently Republicans all around the country are seeking to eliminate birthright citizenship, to build walls and electric fences at the border, and even use violence against those who want to immigrate.
But the restrictionists’ efforts are sure to fail, just as they have before. The Know-Nothings relied on an ever decreasing portion of the population, just as today’s modern Republican Party does, exploiting prejudice and racism. But those tactics are unsustainable, as history clearly demonstrates. It’s time for today’s Know-Nothings to recognize that we’ve been down this road before. There is no need to repeat history.
Take our quiz, and see if you can tell the difference between today’s Know-Nothings and the ones who fought tooth-and-nail against Irish immigration. Then, take action and tell the modern day Know-Nothings they should avoid repeating history!
Categories: comprehensive immigration reform, fourteenth amendment, know-nothings
Tags: immigration reform 2011, know-nothings, st. patricks day, Steve King
