Quote:
Originally Posted by Docere
Here's an interesting NYT piece from 1983 on Irish American politics in New York.
http://www.nytimes.com/1983/03/04/ny...pagewanted=all
It notes the presence of 20th century Irish immigrant neighborhoods such as Woodlawn and Yonkers with more hard-line views than those of more long established, assimilated Irish Americans.
The fifth generation "militant Irish American" thing is probably more of a Boston phenomenon, while in New York it's more a product of 20th century immigration. |
The Woodlawn-South Yonkers area is probably the only place in the U.S. where you will actually hear tons of Irish accents and residents actually have living connections to Ireland. NYC still gets a fair number of Irish immigrants, especially construction workers (though migration is reduced since Ireland started booming).
Katonah Ave. (on the Bronx side) and McLean Ave. (on the Yonkers side) are the main commercial streets.
The other Irish neighborhoods in the NYC metro tend to be like the Boston (and I think Philly) Irish: very proud and ethnically distinct, but their own thing, not really Irish or "regular" American.