Native Americans And The Irish example essay topic
429 words
Many people would agree that the Irish have been successful in assimilating into American culture and the Native American has been unsuccessful. There have been many boundaries that both groups have encountered but they are more of a hardship for the Native American. These include Racial and Cultural boundaries, Personal boundaries, Sociological boundaries, Political and Economic boundaries, and Geographical boundaries. Racial and Cultural boundaries are probably the hardest obstacle that Native Americans have encountered. These are the physical differences. The Irish are a group of people that speak English. Since English is the national language of the United States and most people in America speak English, this was an obstacle that the Irish did not have to overcome. The Native Americans, however, did not speak English, so before they could function as a full member of society and get a good job they first had to learn how to speak English. The Irish are also for the most part a Catholic group.
The Native Americans were not, this was another hardship for them. Most of the Irish customs were similar to those already being practiced in the United States. Native Americans had customs that were very different. Another boundary that was harder for the Native Americans than the Irish was personal boundaries.
Native Americans had less education then the Irish did, they also did not know English and that was another hardship they faced. Both Native Americans and the Irish started out working in blue collar jobs, but the Irish eventually made there way out and into the white collar world. Native Americans still hold blue collar jobs. Sociological boundaries were another set of boundaries that both groups had to face. There were not many Native Americans left due to wars between individual tribes, the trail of tears and other similar walks to reservations, and to disease. So there were not many Native Americans left to assimilate into American culture.
But the Irish came to the United States in droves. Many came because of the potato famine because they had nothing to eat, others came looking for a better life. The Geographical boundaries are perhaps the most important. The Irish had an ocean separating them from their homeland, but the Native Americans had nothing more than the soles of their shoes. They had no place that they could go back to. The Irish could always return to Ireland, but where would the Native Americans go?
