This pictures is supposed to illustrate the Irish as a
savage and antagonistic group of people.
Which one of these gentlemen is the highly acclaimed Irish native,
who was the recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature?
The answer to the above question is ALL of them. Each of those men won the the Nobel Prize in Literature. It may be surprising, but the Irish were actually once viewed as incapable of being “American” and perceived as animalistic in nature.
Alien Menace- Have Stereotypes Changed?
According to the Alien Menace module Catholic Irish began immigrating to the United States in the 1850’s. Vast populations of Irish, whom were then perceived as ape-like and not having the ability to ever become “American”, presented a danger to the predominantly protestant nation because of the animalistic nature. There was actually a study completed in regards to facial structures (physiognomy) that used the shape of the face bones to determine ones intelligence and character. The Irish were thought to be at the bottom of the evolution cycle, due to the sharpness of their bone structure, and therefore deemed them as animalistic, cruel and cowardly, but most importantly not white. You might be interested to know that those same features, distinct jaw lines and sharp cheek bones, are the standard in today’s modeling world, and without them you can’t even get a page in a magazine. In today’s world a good majority of these stereotypes regarding the Irish have disappeared, and some even consider them a “hyper-white.”
As times have changed, so have the perceptions of ethnically diverse cultures. For example, many people once thought that natives of Mexico were lazy and non-family oriented. This view has drastically changed. In today’s world, especially in the United States and the manual labor industry, many employers find it ideal to hire employees of Mexican descent. Many employers find them to work as hard, and in most cases harder, than workers from the native country. They find that they can even pay them at a lesser rate and still get the same amount of work accomplished. The perceptions of the Irish have changed as well.
While many still categorize them as antagonists and fighters, they seemed to have jumped into a couple other categories as well. While in the past the German’s were though to be the beer hall hungry group, it’s very common in today’s world for the Irish to be found in the same category; after all they seem have a Holiday named after them, in which the basic theme is to drink as much as you possibly can. Many people even dye their beverages green in spirit of the Irish and their illustrious St. Patrick’s Day holiday. One major change, arguably the most notable, is the perception of their Irish and their intellectual inabilities. Not only can you find professors of Irish descent in some of the world’s most renowned universities such as Harvard, Oxford and New York University, but there’s even a university in the United States that’s named after the Irish, in the University of Notre Dame. More commonly referred to as ND, the school of the Fighting Irish (I wonder where they get their school mascot theme from?) is known to offer some of the nation’s best and most reputable undergraduate and graduate degrees in the country! As another testament to their supreme knowledge, intellectual, and scholastic abilities, three Irish have been awarded the most prestigious prize in the world, the Nobel Prize in Literature! William Butler Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, Sam Beckett, Seamus Heaney, whom are all natives of Ireland, all were recipients of the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Works Cited
“Nobel Prize in Literature.” Wikipedia. 4 Apr. 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize_in_Literature>.
O’malley, Michael. “Alien Menace.” Exploring U.S. History. George Mason University. 6 Apr. 2008 <http://chnm.gmu.edu/exploring/images/stir.jpg>.
“Nobel Prize Recipients.” Irish Literary Geniuses. 5 Apr. 2008 <http://www.angelfire.com/journal/irishpens/>.
April 14, 2008 at 7:47 pm
Hey Jordan,
I thought that your blog post about stereotypes was pretty interesting. You demonstrated how the stereotypes about certain people, most specifically the Irish, have changed over time in a pretty effective way. I also liked it how you brought in other groups that have stereotypes like Mexicans and Germans to better prove your point. The evidence that you used to prove your point was good, and the ones that stand out are the fact that the sharp bone structures that Irish were once ridiculed for are ideal for models in the present day, and the fact that there are a good deal of Nobel Prize winners who were Irish. The only criticism I have is that your thesis wasn’t that clear in your blog, but I could assume what it was while I was reading it.
May 11, 2008 at 7:08 pm
Hi Jordan,
I liked your approach in comparing how the Irish stereotype has changed over time. You point out some interesting facts, such as the perception of facial structure determining intelligence, and its role in advertising today. I find it interesting to point out in this regard, how a physical aspect that used to be associated with intelligence, has become associated with beauty, and what this implies about the evolution of both science and society’s values.
Another good point you make is the comparison with the Mexican stereotypes. I would have added how two cultures that used to be diminished in terms of their capabilities and social perception, have now taken so much importance in American society that we find, not only the St. Patrick’s Day that you mention in your post, but also “5 de Mayo” being celebrated in the United States with great popularity.
Finally, the fact that you mention first the low-intelligence stereotype on the Irish, and finally the fact that they have won Nobel Prizes and have a prestigious university in their name, which clearly shows how their stereotype has changed and evolved. Including the photos of Nobel Prize winning Irish at the beginning was a powerful choice that stresses this point.