I do have to disagree here. My Grandfather told me stories that his grandfather told him about the things he had to put up with when he immigrated here from Ireland. Back in those days, they called the Irish "The black of Europe" and "Blacks turned inside out". The Irish were refused of nearly all work, except for the most dangerous work. Irish workers were sent to do work that was deemed to dangerous for a slave to do because if the slave died it would cost his owner money. If the Irishman died it was for the good of the country. The Irish had many struggles in coming to this land, and were never though of as "white" until they formed so many unions, took so many terrible jobs that they were finally able to monopolize them, and fought their way to equality and eventually blended in. I suppose once the accents disappeared over a generation or two it was almost impossible to spot.

It comes at a cost though. The Irish have jumped into the melting pot and forgot their heritage. We were the opressed people of europe. I once heard a supposed joke that black slaves used to tell. They would say "My master is terrible, he treats me like the common Irish man." We (American Irish) have forgotten all of the injustice we suffered from the UK and countless other nations, all of our culture that was destroyed in the name of Christianity. We've lost it all except for shamrock tattoo's and St. Patricks day. Most people don't even know what St. Patrick did. He introduced Christianity to Ireland, basically embracing the systemic destruction of the celtic/druidic culture. We're so out of touch with our culture it's saddening. But I will always say, I'm not white, I'm Irish.