A Mid Eighteen Hundreds Irish-American A story on the life of an average Irish-American in the Mid Eighteen Hundreds Brad Hart University of Phoenix Abstract In this paper I will put myself in the shoes of an Irishman through the American Wake, when many Irish migrated to America. It will cover about 20 years from when the Irish came to America to how life was afterward. Introduction Many Irish saw no future in Ireland, and migratedto America for more sound opportunities. However, this move did not go unpunished. Segregation was an ongoing problem in America for the Irish, making it very hard for them to get a job and live in certain areas. Eventually the migrated Irish assimilated with America, and it was said they were even more Americanized than the average American. American Wake My family and I were struggling in our home country of Ireland, like most other Irish families, and felt no hope for ourselves but to leave this country. We left for America by packing ourselves into small boats. This boat ride was cruel; we later referred to these boats as “Coffin Ships”. When we got to America, many Americans ran to our boats and wanted to serve us at an unjustifiable price and rip us off. Most of us just settled right at the port where we arrived. There was no one below an Irishman in America at this time, 1850s. We were stuck here too, there was no way back home and we called this period the “American Wake”. “NINA” Free American land did not attract us and we rejected it because this land rejected us. In every major city, mostly in New York City where I live, there were small towns where us Irish stuck together; Americans called these towns “Shanty Towns”. We tried to find jobs but almost every employment ad was followed by “No Irish Need Apply”, or “NINA”. Our living conditions were horrible; we were forced to live in shanties, cellars, and worse because we couldn’t get a job and also becauseAmericans considered us bad for the neighborhoods. My family...