Review by Choice Review
Most histories of New York City's Irish immigrants focus on the plight of the men and women who fled the potato famine in the mid-19th century. However, a recent US census recorded over half a million persons of Irish ancestry living in NYC; historians know very little about this generation of Irish immigrants. In an effort to address this overlooked aspect of the city's history, Almeida (New York Univ.) explores the Catholic Irish immigrants who made their way to the city in the 1950s and 1980s. She surveys the experiences and expectations of midcentury immigrants and examines why the "New Irish" were forced to adapt their expectations and institutions to meet the social and cultural demands of life in New York City. Based on 52 interviews with Irish immigrants and material drawn from the US census, this is a solid piece of scholarship. Almeida undermines notions that the city's Irish community is a homogeneous entity, while demonstrating that probing the forces that mold Irish identity is a rewarding exercise. This survey of Irish community and identity building will be of particular interest to urban historians and specialists in ethnic studies. Undergraduate collections and above. T. D. Beal SUNY College at Oneonta
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
