The Irish: Dartmouth's Silent Minority

By Curly McGowan | Friday, April 21, 2006

Originally Published May 19, 1993.

After years of counseling and therapy, I had finally come to terms with the fact that, by birth, I was a white male oppressor. Nothing I could do would ever change this. Even when I was trying my damnedest to be politically correct, I was inadvertently oppressing people by my mere existence. I finally realized that rather than fighting the urge to oppress, I was best off just giving in to the “dark side.”

So I lived happily for a while pressing people wherever and whenever I got the chance. However, recent occurrences here at Dartmouth have shown me the errors of my ways.

I received an electronic mail message from a fellow student, who happened to be African American, that explained how there were no good Anglo-Saxon people here at Dartmouth. Obviously, I was shocked. As an Irish-American, I was mat that I was lumped together with a group of people with whom Irish people traditionally have not gotten along.

However, what really disturbed me about the message was the fact that since I am not a WASP, I could not possibly be all bad. I had been lying to myself all my life by thinking that I was a white male oppressor. As an Irish-American, I am nothing less than a minority that has been held down by society. My eyes have been opened, and it is now my personal quest to see that all my fellow Irish-Americans be treated fairly!

I now begin my quest here at Dartmouth. While it may seem that Dartmouth has made every effort to embrace minorities, they are in actuality, failing. Surely, if the college can provide Indi, OOPS, Native American, African-Americans, and Hispanic Americans with opportunities, then Irish-American deserve the same. We need an Irish-American Society, so we can get together and talk about the motherland and the things that effect every Irishman. We will no longer suffer silently at the hands of an unjust administration.

In addition to our plea for an Irish-American student center, we demand that the college teach more classes about the oft misunderstood Irish culture. Contrary to popular belief, Irish culture does not only consist of beer and potatoes; of course, every Irish man can appreciate the value of a fine stout and a bumper potato crop, but the Irish culture is far more complex and noteworthy. If the Gays and Lesbians can have their own studies course then, damn it, Irish people deserve at least that much. Some of the world’s greatest writers such as James Joyce and George Bernard Shaw hail from the Emerald Isle. There should also be courses offered on the great Gaelic language. The best way they no to keep us down, is to try to keep us uninformed! We shall no longer take this.

Our final demand from the college is that it declare the holy feast of St. Patrick’s Day a College-recognized holiday. Students should have the day off to reflect upon the achievement of St. Patrick and the many things he did for the long suffering Irish race. Hell, there should be a whole week of celebrations.

There could be discussions and even a candle light march around the Green, ending at Murphy’s Tavern where everyone could enjoy a Guinness Extra Stout, the Irish elixir of choice.

The oppression of the Irish does not only come from Parkhurst. There are many vicious stereotypes the average Dartmouth student holds about Irish fold. I decided to put my Catallus away for one Friday evening, and I headed out into the field to see the dominant attitudes toward Irish people. The minute that I entered the frat basement, someone handed me a beer. When I asked him why he just handed me the beer, he replied, “You’re Irish, that is [drinking beer] all you people do.”

I was taken aback by this blatant stereotyping. I know plenty of Irish people who don’t drink—at least six—and that is not even counting the nuns at my grammar school. I carefully explained to him that drinking beer is not all we do. Variety is the spice of life, so you would be hard pressed to find an Irishman who would turn down a shot of Jameson’s Irish Whisky. I was so disgusted at this man’s ignorance of the true nature of the Irish people, that I had to leave. I finished the beer, of course—it would have been blasphemous to waste it.

People also believe Irish people “breed like rabbits.” While the average Irish family tends to be quite large, there is certainly no scientific information that says they breed like rabbits or any other woodland creature. Irish belief in Roman Catholicism forbids them to use birth control. Yet, other races are firm believers in Roman Catholicism, but you never hear jokes about the Polish or Italian families breeding like rabbits. Perhaps, this is so because the Irish are more pious than their fellow Catholics? There are Irish people with thirty or forty miracles attributed to them, yet the Italians have the majority of the Saints. It is all politics geared against Irish people. The historical, institutional oppression continues.

The discrimination against Irish people is not just here at Dartmouth, it is everywhere. We will fight to stop use of the Irish people as mascots for teams like the Notre Dame Fighting Irish or the Boston Celtics. We are not a race of midget redheads who wear knickers, funny hats, and carry shillelaghs. We are also, not belligerent people as the name Fighting Irish suggests. However, an Irishman can appreciate a good barroom brawl. We are also opposed to non-Irish people who wear pins that state “Kiss me I’m Irish” around St. Patrick’s Day. It would not go over well if on Martin Luther King Day I wore a pin that said “Kiss me I’m African American.”

We are numerous, and we are everywhere. Look around, I bet you are sitting next to an Irishman right now. Now is our time to unite and throw off the shackles of oppression that have been our burden far too long. We will no longer stand the injustice, WE SHALL OVERCOME! Erin Go Bragh!

The Irish: Dartmouth's Silent Minority

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