That Was Then, This Is Now

by Anonymous

My story begins in 1988. The new wave of mass emigration from Ireland in the 1980s was a different animal altogether. Emigration was most concentrated at two ends of the class/education/wealth spectrum. Unskilled and semi-skilled workers were still leaving in droves and I was one of them.

 “The world is your oyster”, my mammy said. I had just been for a second interview as a trainee manager within the hotel industry and had been successfully. Out of the 350 people from around Ireland who applied for the job only 35 people were selected and I was one of them. I couldn’t believe it I had got the job. My whole family were so excited. I was going to Las Vegas. Although I was very excited myself, I was also a bit apprehensive as I had never been outside Ireland before and I could sense from my mam and dad, while they were happy for me they were nervous about the idea too. But they knew that opportunities like this only came once in a life time. Not only did I have a very good relationship with my parents but I was also daddy’s little girl out of the 5 children my daddy doted on me the most.

The day came for me to set off on my adventure and all my family came to the airport to see me off. I remember in particular my dad holding me in an embrace so tight I thought I was going to faint. “You take care now and be safe I love you Catherine”, he said.  My heart was breaking and I cried tears of joy and sadness.

I arrived in Las Vegas dumb struck. The place was amazing everywhere was opened 24 hours, nowhere shut. The strip at night was lit up like a great big disco ball it was fantastic. After two weeks of orientation and training we were all given our shifts to work in the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel. I had made a lot of friends and when we had time off we would go out and about exploring all the different casinos in Las Vegas. It was all so incredible and wonderful. Life couldn’t have been better!

Then one night while a few friends and I were out in a bar having a few drinks and listening to the band that was playing. I noticed the guy that was playing the saxophone; he was so handsome all my friends thought so too. We both exchanged glances and before the end of the night we were laughing and talking about everything and anything, we hit it off real well his name was Kenny. Life had just got better!

Everything was fantastic I and Kenny were going strong and I had told my parents about him too. They were so happy for me especially my daddy and he said that he couldn’t wait to meet him. My work visa had finished and I had to return home to Ireland. I was devastated on having to leave Kenny and he felt the same way too. We decided that we would have a long distance relationship as neither of us wanted to be without the other. Kenny had promised to come to Ireland to visit and I had promised that I would also go back to America on holidays.

After lots of tears and hugs I took out some of the photos I had taken and was showing them to my family. Then within that one second of having my life complete my whole world was turned upside down “Jeysus he’s black” my sister shouted. My dad grabbed the photo and I seen the look of disgust and disappointment in his face as he inspected it. “No Niger will ever step foot in my home and I will certainly not allow any daughter of mine to be seen with one” and he stomped out of the room. Silence fell around the room. My mother asked why I had not told them and I said that I didn’t think that it was relevant. I loved him no matter of his colour race or religion. And I was going to continue to be with him

The day came for Kenny to arrive. I met him at the airport and the love that we had for each other was even stronger than before. He knew that there was something wrong and asked me what was bothering me. The gut feeling I had in my stomach was wrenching I felt like I was going to vomit I broke down in tears “my father is racist” I said. I had never known this before and I had never even spoken the word before, it was all too much. “Don’t worry darling we will stay in a hotel”, Kenny said, because we had decided initially to stay with my parents. When I told my father he told me that if I stayed with him in the hotel that I was not welcome in this house again.

Having to choose between the two men in my life that I loved the most was the most difficult thing I had to do. I had never thought before now, that love could be so difficult, hard unfair and racist. I naively thought that love was equal and just among all.

We spent the next two weeks in a hotel in Dublin and Kenny did not meet any of my family as my father had forbidden it. Although I brushed this aside for the sake of Kenny there were many other incidents that occurred during his visit to Ireland that made me realise how negative people were on accepting people from other countries, and cultures into their society.

Besides all the looks and slide remarks that we got when we were out together it didn’t have any hindrance on our love for one another. One example of theses was when we were walking down O’ Connell street and two white Irish lads made a comment, saying” isn’t your own good enough for you love” my reply was “well not if there like you ignorant f….”. I was not only shocked at their racist remarks but with my own reply as I would never have talked in that way to anyone. My blood was boiling, I was outraged not only because of what the two lads had said but also because of the feelings I felt towards them I didn’t hate those two lads but I certainly didn’t like them either. This was not my character I couldn’t understand it. I’d never had such bad feelings towards anyone in my life before. 

Kenny told me although he had experienced racism before and the majority of the time it didn’t bother him he said that he felt like he was living in a time warp and that Ireland had a long way to go before we could accept that all people are the same no matter what colour, race or religion they are. That was 25 years ago and although our relationship ended because we lived so far away from each other, we still remained friends.

Kenny was the first black person I had ever met. Back in Ireland in the 1980s if you walked down O’Connell street and seen a Chinese, Japanese or black person (which was quite rare) you automatically thought that they were on holidays. Now over 500,000 foreign nationals are calling Ireland home. We have come a long way but we still have a long way to go. Even though we live in a society were multiculturalism, globalisation and cultural diversity is more customary, there will always be those slide remarks, presumptions and in cases violent behaviours that need to be overcome.

As for my father, he is now more aware of not how different people are but how different we can be in realising that we are all the same no matter of race, creed or colour.

Racism in Ireland; An Angled View Through Real Life Encounters

By John Mc Cormack

Racism was something that I once had only heard of. To me it was something portrayed on TV and in movies that how showed African Americans were once treated in America.  As a child and a teenager I believed that these encounters of racism towards blacks, often very inhumane treatments, were records of the past, and were now displayed in a form of historical story-telling that brought tension and interest for the viewer.  Soon, topics of socialization during secondary level education brought to light the realities of racism, and that racist behaviour still existed. Until this point I had still not experienced any racial discrimination on a personal level, or witnessed it inflicted on anyone else.  Having experienced bullying to a large degree, I held a degree of empathy with the hurt that can be endured by the unnecessary treatment from one person to another because of how a person looks or where they come from. The one thing I did not understand was how and why people could possess the evil characteristics it takes to do this.

Years later I travelled overseas, open to accept the ways of other nations. In doing so, I also learned that the racism I once saw in movies and on TV did not only exist as an entertaining form of history, but in the shocking reality of the present.

Two memorable incidents on two distantly separated continents remain very clear. Although both were non-direct, and part of an opinionated conversation the mentality of the perpetrators to hatefully separate humans into very different categories in such a manner shocked me.

The first incident was in the U.S.A. where an employer was advising me where to find accommodation for the duration of my stay. I was advised not to buy or rent in a particular area because it was “full of n…”....” once they move into an area, they destroy it”. I questioned my employer’s view, only to receive the response that “when you live around them long enough you will know”. 

The second encounter happened in Australia, where another employer, angered by an employee not showing up said “Sure he’s only a dirty Abbo” When I also questioned this statement, the man replied “Yes, all Abbos, Aboriginals, are useless drunks, they’re primitive, they should be rounded up, given some land, fenced off, and let them live there, away from normal people, because they are not normal”.

 Although non-direct or physical, the incidents I described are clearly racial, and I use them because they were my initial encounters of very outgoing racist comments from people I knew at nearly opposite areas of the globe. In both incidents I found the people in question (victims) to be very likable and one remains a friend today.  

There is clearly racism, and discrimination joins it hand in hand. I believe both come in many forms and begin as a mind-set, progressing to a verbal stage (as the two examples) on to actions and physical behaviour. 

But is there racism in Ireland? Let me explain that in a very personal way. Discrimination falls under many categories, often not involving clear race/ethnic differences. I say this because the most outrageous and discriminating incidents I encountered were attacks on myself by fellow Irish men with enormous hatred towards me being from Dublin. The attacks were physical assaults, one causing grievous bodily harm, and the other causing property damage. Both were based on the fact that I was not from the area of Ireland where these attacks took place, and in both cases it was clearly stated that I was from Dublin and did not belong in these rural areas. ‘Jackeen’ and ‘Blow in’ are discriminative terms still used in rural areas of Ireland towards Dublin people or people not born in those particular areas.  Perhaps also here refer to the experiences of travellers? Who despite being of the same ethnicity/religion they are very much discriminated against perhaps in ways that parallel those of black Americans and Australian aborigines

The little country of beauty with some remaining primitive ways, still holding a reputation of being welcoming and friendly, may only hold valid to ‘money-spending’ tourists and certain nationalities.

In the same way that most of the world opened its doors to Irish immigrants to come and share their way of life, when Ireland became part of the E.U. it opened its doors to foreign nationals to come here share our way of life. But the famous Irish welcome may not have greeted all that came. While I did not witness any cases myself, I know there have been many cases of racist attacks due to their exposure in the media. I see good caused by the exposure of racial discrimination in Ireland and I feel there has been a certain amount of fear injected into the minds of members of the Irish public not to behave in a racist manner.

As mentioned at the start, my experience of bullying helped me empathize with the endurance of racism abroad, but now I have empathy towards people of a different race living in Ireland due to the experiences of hate I endured from fellow Irish. What I once had to travel to see, I shamefully see deeply ingrained in many of the people of my country of birth, Ireland.

Although racial acts may have decreased in Ireland, or at least that is what the media portrays, I feel that many Irish people possess the ability to hold a deep hate towards others who are not local. While I think it is great that many of the racist cases were addressed, I feel that discrimination, race based or not, need to be the main focus. I think every act that stems outside the norms of how society should treat each other, no matter who is the victim, needs to be treated for the crime it is.

Absolutely Fabulous? Absolutely Not!

by Anonymous

I was born and raised in Dublin until 1995 when my parents uprooted and moved the family to Amacao de Pera in Portugal, where I would spend the next twelve years of my life. Over there, my parents ran a successful restaurant and with that came long hours and what could have been a lonely childhood. However, I had my amazing older brother, Peter who is fabulously gay with clothes brighter than the sun. He’s amazing, always has been always will be. My week consisted of School, homework, church and the occasional swim, granted Peter would bring me. We used to do everything together just the two of us. Then Gustavo appeared on the scene. He was Peter’s boyfriend who was just as amazing he was. While my parents took care of the restaurant they took care of me.  Everywhere we went people loved them. Everyone in church knew them, my teachers frequently asked about them and my friends depended on them for fashion advice that was much needed at the time. These are the fondest memories I have from Portugal.

 

After twelve years there my father decided it was time to return home, much to my dismay. Little did I know that I was in for the biggest culture shock of my life. Upon arrival, I quickly learned of the prejudices that surround Irish culture. Walking through the airport we were getting odd looks and smart remarks none of which I got too upset about. One of the first prejudices I encountered was when I visited my Grandmother for the first time since I moved back. I was so excited to tell her all about Portugal and Gustavo and Peter. However, when I showed her pictures she let out an exasperated yelp and said ‘Oh, I didn’t realise my grandson was one of them.’ Those words still ring in my ear as it was the first time that I realised people saw my brother as different. He was classified as ‘them’ not ‘us’. It broke my heart. However, after the initial shock, I put it down to my grandmothers age and thought nothing more of it. However, over the coming weeks I began to notice a major difference in Peter. First it was his clothes. The bright colours and bold fashion statements were replaced with jeans and plain jumpers. He retrieved within himself and it got to a stage where his voice even changed to a toneless, arguably more ‘manly’ one. Suddenly, whenever I spoke about Portugal and what Peter and I did I was shushed. Gustavo, Peter’s boyfriend was known as ‘Emily’ Peter’s girlfriend to friends and extended family and everyone carried on as if it was normal. In school, I was judged when I told my ‘friends’ about my brother and his boyfriend. I was met with taunts with words I had never encountered in Portugal such as ‘queer’ which I had an extreme hatred of. Suddenly, my world was turned upside down. Something that I saw as normal was now a secret and to my understanding, in Ireland at least, was wrong. I couldn’t understand it. The entire meaning of being a homosexual was drastically different in Ireland, that was a mere two and a half hours away from Portugal. I soon learned to go along with my families lies and continued to refer to Gustavo as ‘Emily’ not because I was ashamed but because it was what peter wanted. I’m not sure what was worse, the fact that society in Ireland on a whole felt homosexuals were different or that Peter now felt like he was different.

 

It’s four years on now and not much has changed. Peter is now happily engaged to his fiance Ross however, I am the only one who knows. Peter is too ashamed to openly tell his family and friends and Ross is an entire different story. His family disowned his brother in 2009 for coming out and he is too afraid to tell his friends as he fears he will be seen differently in his profession.  

 

With all of these thoughts running through my mind, the secrets, the lies, the stares and the taunts something clicked in my head and my eyes were wide open to the extent of Ireland’s prejudices. I began to think, if this is how the Irish culture views Irish people from their own land based on their sexual orientation, what sort of discrimination do they place upon other races in this country? Was I discriminated against in Portugal? Was I seen as a foreigner that should ‘go back to their own country’? Everyday, everywhere I went I saw people from various ethnicities; African, Chinese, Spanish, Korean, French and an overwhelming feeling of disappointment came over me. All this time I had worried about my own experience that I neglected to see the racism that surrounds Ireland in everyday life. You wouldn’t have to sit long in an Irish pub before you heard someone complaining that ‘they took our jobs’ or ‘they should go back to their own country’. These comments are taken lightly everyday by the Irish, however how does it make people from those countries feel? People who consider Ireland a home are being constantly told that it isn’t and that they should go back to theirs. Racism in Ireland is a topic that I feel a lot of the population is ignorant of due to the light heartedness towards most comments made. It needs to change. United, we can make magic. If we keep letting our differences separate us, we will never progress.

 

Ireland, in my eyes has a long way to come with regards to LGBTA rights something that I feel very strongly about but we have even further to go to combat racism in this country. I do not understand how people from one socio cultural group think they have the right to deem another group different due to their own differences from them. I believe being different makes a difference and that is why I encourage anyone who is reading this to get out there and vote yes to marriage equality in the upcoming referendum. We can combat discrimination together, one step at a time.

The Irish Jewish Community: From the Holocaust to Ireland

by Emer Mooney

As an Irish citizen I have personally never experienced any negativity towards my own race or cultural identity. I would like to feel that Irish society has changed a great deal in the last 100 years in terms of tolerance to cultural difference.

Now when I reflect as an adult, I really appreciate the choice my parents made to place me in a non-denominational primary school. As child I never knew what religions my friends were: those who made their communion with me or those who stayed in school whilst we practised our prayers in the local Catholic Church. To me it was never something I questioned when looking for a friend to play chasing at break time and it was their absence that I noticed when they weren’t there to see my pretty dress on my communion day, but that didn’t matter to me, as I could show them photographs and tell them all about it.

When I made my First Holy Communion my Grandmother attended the ceremony and was without my Grandfather at the time. I was so overwhelmed with the whole day that I didn’t question his absence. It was only when my Mam told me when I was a bit older that my Granddad was Jewish and my Granny was Catholic and told me about how they met that I realised my Grandfather was different by religious definition to my Grandmother. This however as a child represented to me that it didn’t matter what religion you are, you fall in love with whoever you fall in love with. 

When I made the huge jump from primary to secondary school there were major changes and my priority was making friends. People who I spoke to from different primary schools seemed so similar to me, they were my age, they liked my new shoes and they shared the same music taste as me. In secondary school we took religion and history.

 In Religion class I first learnt about other religions and found out more about mine. All I had known previous is that I sometimes went to church at Christmas time but my family were not religious. In religion class we had discussions and I discovered just how many religions there are worldwide and in my own class, it fascinated me.

In History class we studied the Holocaust and it was my first experience of learning of how humanity can selectively choose a race and feel hatred towards them. It was a completely alien feeling to me, no two people are the same so why encourage similarity and exclude difference? Further in to study, I explored the obstacles the Jews faced with being prohibited from being practising doctors, journalists and other such professions amongst other prohibitions that we are entitled to by human rights and charged right out of their homes. 

As 1933 continued, even grandchildren of Jews were sent to the ghoulish prison camps, this fact really resonated with me. That could have been me if I had lived during the 1930’s, what would I do without my family or worse still if I had to bring up my younger sister in a prison camp without my Mam or Dad? Back then I thought: “At least I’m in Ireland and a horrific injustice would never happen in this country.” Little did I know that previously in Ireland laid Anti-Semitic views and violent behaviour towards Jews. 

For my Grandfather I can imagine Ireland was an extremely different place. My Granddad was born in Dublin after his family emigrated from Russia. Born in 1919 the Jewish community took his family in. By this time Dublin’s Jewish population was rising over 4,800, South Circular Road became a popular place to live for Jewish immigrants and had 6 surrounding synagogues for prayer. The 1911 census shows how out of 1,185 householders,329 were Jewish, like my Grandfather over 80-90 percent of the Jewish population surveyed in the 1911 census had come from the Russian Empire. South Circular road soon became known as: ‘Little Jerusalem’

They were not allowed to feel at home for long as in the 1940’s Irish anti-semitic views became broadcasted with Fine Gael TD Olivier Flanagan expressing that it was time that we ‘rout the Jews out of the community.’ This is a fine example of how another country’s definition of a community: the Germans on the Jews affected the majority of Europe.

The Dreyfus affair sent waves of fear and resilience of Jews across Europe; this included the Irish Jewish community. Most of this anti-Semitic thought was published and spread via propagandists in the Irish media. In 1933 DeValera rose to power in Ireland and Hitler in Germany, through the interwar years the Irish Jewish community blossomed and prospered with the number of Jewish immigrants rising along with the clothing market boom with the help of the Jewish tailors.

My Granddad was one of the lucky ones who had escaped being detained in a prison camp but he still faced discrimination in the country he had made his home in and raised his family. When he died at the age of 93, I think back at everything my Mam has told me about my Granddad and his family and what he must have gone through during those 93 years of his life: related to the memory foam mattress bedding business of Kayfoam Woolfson which by the year of 1987 was regarded as the biggest mattress company in Ireland.

I hope that he felt at home in Dublin because without his parents, my great grandparents, making the decision to emigrate to Dublin in the 1920’s, I wouldn’t be here today. Family are family despite any differences; be that opinion or race. When I have my own children someday I will tell them about their great grandfather and how despite being different to some; him and the Irish Jewish community overcame discrimination and choose and succeed to thrive in Ireland.

Do The Movies Fuel Racism?

by Ailish Logue

One cannot not deny the important role which media plays in relation to racism. Media plays a huge role in the representation of different cultures in societies;which can portray different cultures in either a positive or a negative way. I have learned from an early age throughout my education in Ireland that racism is wrong and we are all equal regardless of the colour of our skin, or our religion or whatever biological differences we hold. Ireland is becoming more and more of a multicultural society and teaching Irish citizens we are all equal is key to ensuring peaceful co-existence between people of all cultures and most importantly ensuring equality for all. But a question which has been on my mind is how is this possible when we are allowing films which hold a deep racist content to be shown? This question has been in my mind after seeing the recent blockbuster American Sniper. Ireland is a multicultural country, but how can this be if we allow films like this to be shown which totally disregard the Arabic culture? Should we as Irish people stand up to this?

 

For many typical successful blockbuster films, there's a role of a protagonist and an enemy. For many years these enemies in Hollywood films were portrayed as Russian spies; take for an example the famous James Bond film 'From Russia with Love'. During the period of the Cold War it was socially acceptable to allow a Russian character to be portrayed as the typical villain in films, as they were seen as an enemy of the United States of America. Due to the end of the Cold War, the typical enemy is no longer the predictable Russian villain; since 9/11 a new villain emerged in films which are the Arabs. American Sniper endorsed the idea of the baddie in the film being portrayed as Arabic. This stereotype of Arabic people being the 'baddies' in films is beyond damaging to the reputation of Arabic across the world and this disregards all the beauty of their culture.  Through films like American Sniper, negative stereotypes in people's minds are therefore created and once these stereotypes are engrained it is very hard to remove. These films and television shows can help create the perception that Arab countries are the enemy of the United States; this is modern day propaganda which is in endorsed by Hollywood. Through this propaganda, Islamophobia is created; a growing problem which must be stopped immediately. This can be seen as a 'direct result' which media have helped create. A question which was on my mind is are we helping to create the increasing problem of Islamophobia by watching films like this?

 

I was unsure of the synopsis of American Sniper before I went to see it in the cinema, but it was not long into the film I realised this film was endorsing Islamophobia. The protagonist Chris Kyle is portrayed as an all American man, with a passion of guns from an early age. The enemy is viewed as Iraqis. Kyle joins the SEALS in order to become a sniper and fight in America's war on terror and shortly after completing training he was deployed to Iraq. Kyle's colleagues quickly learn he has a good aim at shooting, praise given quite frequently throughout this film creating the perception that he is heroic and a legend . This film starts with some horrific scenes; take for an example a child being shot. A child being shot in films is horrific and extremely hard to watch for most people, but I did not hear total awe in the cinema like I expected, as this child was viewed as an enemy of the United States of America. This is influence of propaganda. I found this film to portray a lot of propaganda; take for example Chris Kyle is known as a hero because he has 160 confirmed kills (although he could have killed more). If an Iraqi man shot 160 American citizens, including women and children he would not be viewed as a hero; he would be viewed as one of the most dangerous terrorist America have ever seen. Throughout this film a clear message was portrayed 'Americans lives are worth more than an Arab's life'. There was competition throughout this film between characters to see who killed the most Arabs. Little regards is shown to the Arabs in general, as throughout the film they are known as ''them''. Films like American Sniper are adding to the increasing social problem of Islamophobia as they are portraying to us as viewers that Arabs are bad people and killing 160 of Arabs, including children, is okay and a heroic act because 'these people' are enemies. How can we in Ireland learn to be acceptant of all cultures when films like this are shown?

 

The role of media plays an important role in our societies; subconscious to many. Many films can show struggles which African-Americans faced, one can think of such movies like The Help or Twelve Years a Slave which were two very successful films which showed the African-American struggle of slavery and civil rights. This is a positive way in which the role of film can be used, as it allows us to see the harrowing struggles African-Americans went through. But the example of  American Sniper has a negative impact as once a negative stereotype is engrained by watching a film it is very hard to remove that stereotype. This film promoted the Arab culture in an appalling way and placed the value of an Arab life below the life of an American. This film was a huge success in Western countries; does this mean Western countries accept this? It is beyond worrying that films like these can become blockbuster sensations. Do we as Irish think Arabic lives are less important than those who are American? As Irish citizens we should stand up against racism in films and promote equality.

The Other's

by James Keogh 

Growing up in 90s/00s Ireland from a racial point of view was an easy task for me. I went to a white Catholic school with all of my white friends. I lived in a white neighbourhood with all white families. Everyone looked more or less the same. Everyone talked the same. Everyone had the same accent (well, expect for me and my Anglo-Irish voce, but that’s besides the point). We were all the same and as kids we knew no different. Sure, there were black people on TV. There were Asian people in movies. But those were American movies and American TV shows. They were another world away.

 

So whenever the kids at school saw or heard someone from another background there could only be one reaction: laugher. Something so innocent, something that’s meant to make everyone feel happy made me so uncomfortable. Now, I’m not saying I’ve got some white saviour complex and that I was the champion of the foreigners, but I felt for them. I understand how it feels to be looked at as something other than normal. That’s another story, but even as a kid I knew treating someone as the “other” wasn’t ok.

 

My most vivid memories of this kind of subtle racism are simply the times when one of the few Asian kids in our school would come from another classroom to deliver a message. And out of the blue, you could hear the sniggers. Not because he had said anything out of the ordinary, not because he was a comical genius, but because he was a different race. And I don’t think this notion of subtle racism amongst my generation was ever addressed. Was it only present in boys? Did the girls in the school across the way laugh when a black girl walked in the room? I couldn’t say. But I do know why they laughed. I remember still even into my teens when a video would be showing in class and the presenter of that video was a different race, the guys would just laugh. It was so unfathomable.

 

It all comes down to the notion of “the other” in Irish society. We are so built up in our Irishness that a lot of the time the others get the runt of the blame. I don’t know how many times throughout the recession the Polish were to blame. ‘The damn Poles are taking our jobs and it’s 100% their fault.’ We get so invested in ourselves as Irish people that it totally alienates everyone else. Delving into my thought process further this subtle racism doesn’t only stop at skin colour. It extends into xenophobia. The attitude that all English people were scum resonated heavily in kids when I was young (and still they’d go off and support Man United or Liverpool or whatever else). Kids who were taught in schools that the English oppressed Ireland for 700 years weren’t given any sort of moral standing when it came to English people in modern society (You know, the ones who haven’t oppressed a nation once in their lives). The education always stopped at “We kicked the English out of 26 counties”. There was such an inconsistency in reasoning.

 

And of course we all adhere to preconceived ideas about a person based on their ethnicity. Even now as an adult, when I meet someone of a different race, I don’t automatically assume they fit their racial stereotype, but I do have my subconscious preconceived notions. It’s not any fault of mine, it’s a by product of growing up amongst solely white people with media that only portrayed different races as their stereotypes. And of course I do everything in my power to fight these notions and base my judgement of a person on their actual attributes.

 

This goes too for reinforcing positive stereotypes. For instance, we all have the subconscious idea that black people are this race of people at one with the soul train whose dance moves are unrivalled. The Irish even do it to themselves, priding themselves on being excellent drinkers when this is just simply not true.

 

I feel this is something we, as the 90s generation just have to deal with. Stereotypes are so ingrained in our minds at this stage that we need to just deal with it and just do our best to be kind to everyone, regardless of race. We need to try not to privilege others or put others at a disadvantage because we grew up in a society where there was just us.

 

It’s only fair to assume these days with an increase in multiculturalism in Ireland that kids no longer laugh at the Asian kid just for existing. I wouldn’t be able to tell you if the xenophobia against anyone not born in Ireland has stopped. I can tell you now that as adults we’re all a lot more comfortable around English people, like decent human beings. Yes, we all have that one friend whose entire repertoire of jokes consists of racial stereotypes, but there will always be that guy.

 

In conclusion, the “Others” are all around us; we are no longer a white Irish nation. We must embrace multiculturalism, and in doing so, try our best to not let the ideas we forged as children determine our relationships with others. We are no longer the kids who laughed at the Asian. We are adults and we are so much better than that.

Racism in Ireland: It's Not a New Phenomenon

by Rachel Martin

As an Irish national, I haven’t personally encountered any racism towards my own race. I’m currently in my final year, studying cultural studies, I feel that the topic of ‘Racism in Ireland’ is an issue which needs to be addressed. As someone who works in a hotel, my colleagues as well as the customers are different nationalities and I have never experienced any negative incidents. I feel that working in the Irish tourist industry has expanded my cultural experiences. I would hope that Ireland is a welcoming place for both the non-nationals living here and tourists visiting. I wish I could say that racism doesn’t exist in Ireland but when I witness blatant verbal attacks on non-nationals, I have to disagree.  In my opinion, it is clear that racism is an increasing social problem within Irish communities.     

The majority of my family are Irish and from Dublin. However, my grand-father has extremely sallow skin and is often mistaken for a non-national. In the early 1990’s, my grandfather was waiting for my grandmother to finish her appointment in Holles Street Hospital. Normally he would walk through Merrion Square but on this day he took a shortcut and walked through some apartment block. As he was walking through the apartment blocks, he noticed four youths standing outside a small shop. The teenagers began shouting racial slurs in his direction, presuming he was a non-national and referring to him as Pakistani. Firstly, my grandfather didn’t realise that these racial remarks were targeted at him then he began to feel nervous. As the teenagers became more aggressive, using strong language as well as common racist phrase such as ‘Don’t be taking our jobs’ and ‘Go home to your own country’. It wasn’t until my grandfather spoke that they realised he was Irish; he walked faster through the apartments and felt threatened in his own city. As an Irish national, my grandfather had never experienced racism at this level. He thought of what it would have been like to be treated like this every day. He was shocked to experience the other side of racism in Ireland but they gave him a perspective that he was lacking.

Recently, I was on Dublin Bus on my way home from college and I witnessed a similar incident. Three youths approached a young black man, who was sitting quietly on the bus, and began antagonising him with racial slurs. Although there were other empty seats on the bus, it seemed that they deliberately pinpointed this black man. They began by speaking loudly in a fake African accent, what I believe was a deliberate attempt at getting his attention. However, the man carried on reading his book whether he was oblivious or choose to ignore these comment, I’m unsure. The man remained quiet and was clearly uncomfortable. They began using strong language and telling him ‘to go home to his own country’. I didn’t know what to do, I glanced over at a woman beside who looked equally as uncomfortable. I wasn’t sure whether to say something and risk the abuse being directed at me or just put my earphones in and distract myself. I’m ashamed to say I chose the latter. I was conflicted by the whole situation, part of me wanted to do the right thing and stand up for the young man but I felt that this might fuel their anger. The three youths got off at the next stop and I asked the young man ‘Is he was ok?’. I felt I should apologise for their behaviour as it gave a negative impression of Irish people. However, I didn’t say this as I didn’t want to draw more attention to him. The man carried on reading his book and looked completely un-phased by the incident. I was left with a horrible sick feeling in my heart. It was difficult to watch a group of people who believed they had the right and responsibility to say hateful things to a stranger, based on race.            

As I compare my grandfather’s experience in the early 1990’s to the incident within the last few weeks, it is my belief that racism still exists throughout Ireland. I found it worrying to discover that many of these incidents are often in daylight hours and unprovoked attacks. Why is it that these people feel that they have the right to attack a stranger? These attacks whether physically or verbally, are unjustified. Often the hard-hitting and most negative experiences come from blatant verbal abuse, but racism does not need to be overt. It is clear that these experiences leave a mark not only on the people they are targeting but the people who are watching. In my opinion, it’s difficult for Irish people to face the problem of racism as it isn’t a part of their everyday life. The sooner we begin to recognise it, the bigger the difference we can make.           

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Ireland Against Racism : Breaking Past Pre-conceptions

by Flavia Woulfe

I was born in Wexford, Ireland where I grew up and my family still resides. My mother’s family is “Wexfordian” as far back as we can trace and my father’s family hails from a small town in Co. Cork. I received a Catholic education in both primary and secondary school, where I struggled with Irish grammar and faked foot injuries to avoid playing Camogie. I associate St. Patrick’s Day with bacon and cabbage and Good Friday with house parties. My skin is fair and littered with fading freckles and my hair, when undyed, is black. Although I don’t know all of the words to the Amhran na Bhfiann, the sense of patriotism when its sang, strikes me as much as the next Irish person. I can say with certainty that I am Irish, through and through.

My name, however, is another case. Flavia, my first name, translates as “blond” in Latin. My second name is Woulfe, which derives from Norman times and is popular in central European countries such as Germany. On introduction, the majority of people question where my name come from. I chalk it down to eccentric parents with good taste and although most agree, some remain dissatisfied with that answer. In some cases further explanation as to my Irish past fulfils their enquiry, but in other cases, an unfamiliar feeling of distrust is formed. It’s as though I’m hiding something, and this makes me sometimes feel as though I am. 

During my time as a waitress, it was mandatory for all staff to wear name badges. The hotel industry in Ireland is formed by an eclectic mix of staff from different nationalities so amongst colleagues, my name was “average” to many. The formally unfamiliar feeling of distrust that I experienced from time to time began to frequent my life more often while working with the public. “Why won’t you just tell us where you’re really from” “Are you embarrassed?” “But your name is definitely not Irish, so…?” were some of the questions that arose. Other times people would speak very sl-ow-ly and cl-ear-ly so I could understand what they were saying. And in one extreme case, one woman “preferred to wait for the Irish girl” to serve the table to “save time”. I vented my frustrations to my fellow staff. Their reactions ranged from empathy to laughter because, little did I know, this was an everyday occurrence for them. To be made feel like a piece of gum on somebody’s shoe was normal to my colleagues, but how could this be in little old Ireland? 

Us Irish, for the most part, tend to think of ourselves as an accepting bunch who value equality with those who choose to share our country with us. In terms of governance in Ireland, there is little tolerance for racism in that there are no discriminatory laws in place. There are also no representatives for people of colour serving in Parliament. Racism, many Irish believe, extends as far as having a laugh at the British under whom we were colonised for so many years. But it is the more subtle racism that is damaging to Ireland and impactful on its children. The off-hand comments about the “blacks” in the nightclub bathrooms or the “Pakis” that run the shop are the remarks that people view as OK to make. The normalisation of these terms, and worse, is rampant in Irish society. Many people know someone of an older generation who is notorious for making racist slurs, which are memorised and repeated by youth. Although some claim to repeat these derogatory terms in order to highlight the generation gap between “us” (the youth) and “them” (the old), the fact that the youth, with knowledge that times have changed in the past 50 or so years, choose to normalise this language is not acceptable.

A common discrepancy is that because somebody doesn’t understand your language, you are smarter than them. Language is just one of the foundations for communication but when two people can’t converse in the same phonetics, issues can arise. Frustration and a sense of hopelessness can form while trying to utilise broken language/ signals and the result can often be miscommunication. When I built relationships with the longer serving staff in the hotel that I previously mentioned, I soon realised that pre-conceptions are dangerous to forming relationships. Naively I believed that my fellow staff were mostly working in the hotel because of either a lack of qualifications or a passion for the hospitality industry. I would estimate that 70% of the foreign national staff working in the hotel had degrees that they obtained in their home country. Fields such as law, nursing and teaching were popular amongst the staff but, because of differing regulation and practices in the workplace, they couldn’t work in their area of qualification here. On speaking to these people further I gained great insight into a side of emigration that I had never previously thought about.

Although my experience with racism wasn’t actual “typical” racism, it was more presumed racism, the feeling of worthlessness and anger is still the same. To be judged by what you look like, your name or your job is unacceptable in the 21st century. The media plays a role in the way society perceives immigrants because the media is our language provider. Only covering immigration stories and negative news about non- Irish nationals leads the way for society to normalise discrimination and associate minority groups with negative news. It’s time the Irish media began to celebrate the growing diversity of Irish society. “To be” is an arbitrary state, and much like I am Irish, I would like to see multinationals joining me in being Irish too, by facing racist intolerance in solidarity.

Barriers to Communication

by Ciara Campbell

 

 

Ireland is celebrated as being quite a welcoming, inviting and open country, this is our national identity. Home is the foundation of many Irish people's lives and something that, when abroad, we love to acclaim. Our 'mammies' are the heart of the family and our red hair brings happiness to many of the tourists' faces, so the stereotypes say. However, what tourists do not see is the prejudice that some Irish people feel towards foreign nationals living in Ireland. It is not something that makes me proud to be Irish and is something that I witness on a weekly basis. Incidents that I have personally witnessed include foreign taxi men being openly ignored because of their race, Muslim girls being stared at and talked about in school because of their hijab and people under the influence shouting slurs at innocent foreign people passing them by. Although the majority of Irish people are open and welcoming, it is the people who continue to strive for marginalisation that hinder our positive multicultural attitudes.

 

An incident that I have witnessed that affected me greatly was when I was in secondary school. A new girl was brought into my class in second year that was originally from Poland. She had very little English and also suffered with autism. The majority of my class were around the age of thirteen and so we had not been informed about autism and what effect it has on a person. There was no special needs assistant or helper to guide the girl through the year at school which says a lot about Ireland's stance on special needs in schools, however that is an entirely different problem altogether. Due to our young age, we had very little education about multiculturalism, culture shock, adaptation and the many other things that this girl was going through because of her new home here in Ireland. Multiculturalism within Irish primary schools is a relatively new thing and when I attended primary school, there were few to none foreign kids in attendance. This and the lack of education about multiculturalism led to this girl having a very difficult time during her secondary school years. She was not given the assistance she needed to cope in this new school and she was bullied. I am certainly not using a lack of education as an excuse for the girls who bullied her because they did so out of ignorance and stupidity but it would have made a huge difference if we were taught about different cultures in primary school. Cultural diversity is something that is becoming more and more relative to daily life. Every day we are engaging with people from different origins and the education system needs to take this into account in order to keep up to date with Ireland's ever growing multicultural community.

 

There were huge barriers to communication for this girl. Firstly, she had very little English which meant that she now had to adopt a new culture and learn a new language. This would have been incredibly difficult for a girl at thirteen. The girls in my year had already spent first year together and the new girl had to figure out a new class with little English and her communication disorder. Upon reflection, I regret immensely not stepping in to help her through that year. I was not one of the people who bullied her but because of my lack of education on the matter, I also did not know how to communicate with her. Her ethnicity should have been celebrated and taught to us but instead highlighted her difference. Multiculturalism needs to be taught from a young age in order for Ireland to even begin to consider itself as a diverse country because what is the point in having a diverse range of nationalities if people are being marginalised. Our nature may be welcoming but with racist incidents continuing to rise, something needs to change.

 

My father has travelled around the world during his adulthood and he considers himself to be quite rounded and well educated on cultural diversity but my mother is the complete opposite. She would not understand the implications of being different, she is not naïve, but she was never in a situation that forced her to open her eyes to what other people go through due to their ethnicity. This comparison is the basis for many Irish people. Some people like to be oblivious to the harsh realities of foreign nationals living in Ireland but the high number of immigrants means that this attitude needs to change. Nationalism is a great thing to have but if it is being used as a way to block out different cultures, it may not be something to celebrate. The Polish girl that was in my year was dropped into a new school and forced to adapt straight away with no help at all. She was set up to fail when she should have been given the necessary tools to help her settle in. It takes effort to separate oneself from similarity and open oneself to difference but that is what many people in Ireland need to do. There is a lot of space for diversity in Ireland but the mind set of people who continue to marginalise needs to change. For the girl in my year, education about multiculturalism could have made her life a little bit easier but the acceptance of difference also needs to be encouraged.

 

Being different should not mean that you are open to being ridiculed; it should be something that is taught and celebrated. Ireland is a country that prides itself on nationality but we are also home to many different cultures. Education and understanding about these cultures is what needs to be promoted for marginalisation to stop. Barriers to communication could eventually disappear if people open their minds to difference. Not only would it prove that Ireland is the welcoming and open country that it seems to be but it would also encourage people to be more open about their ethnicity and culture.

Of Ireland and Beyond

by Bronagh Catibusic

Twenty years a-changing – Ireland has gone from boom to bust in less than a generation. Our leaders have the gall to tell us it’s because we all ‘partied’ through the Celtic Tiger era. I suppose the patriarchal powers deem juggling work and children a right old rave… Reality, however, is more sobering. Most people never revelled with the bons vivants. Yet we’re still paying dearly for their extravagance. Though, apparently, this small country is in recovery mode. We’re courting multinationals again – the cranes are back on the skyline. Progress, some would say.

It depends on what you value, how you rate a nation’s assets. Often we don’t notice the true wealth we’ve accrued over the last two decades. It’s visible on our streets, in schools, workplaces, shops, on transport systems. A worldwide range of faces, the many languages and cultures that now enrich our land. But do we appreciate this priceless treasure? Sadly, not enough. Racism, both overt and institutional, blemishes a place that prides itself as the home of ‘céad míle fáilte’. We boast of the warm welcome we offer tourists. However, at the same time, Ireland exploits migrant workers and treats victims of persecution to the inhumanity of ‘direct provision’.

According to the prevailing narrative, we’re living in a ‘pluralistic’ society. Though, sometimes, it seems our notion of diversity is limited. Is it merely the substitution of one, sanctimonious, indigenous elite for a similar, if less ‘God-deluded’, clique? For when it comes to responding to cultural difference, interest appears to wane. Especially within official circles. Beyond occasional tokenism, there’s little commitment to fostering integration as a dynamic, immigrant/native joint production. Yet this kind of process – based on co-operation and equality – could help to create a vibrant Ireland.

Instead, we have expert consultations. Reports are commissioned but few positive shifts in policy emerge. Speaking for the marginalised has become the stuff prestigious careers are made on. Ministers stand over injustice as, on a daily basis, their procrastination allows the state to violate the rights of those in search of refuge. Intermittent platitudes are issued. But when asylum seekers dare to protest against the conditions they endure, who bothers to listen?

In the media, in the Oireachtas, where are our culturally diverse voices? As a people, are we as tolerant as we claim to be? Or is it safer for immigrants to assimilate and keep their mouths shut? Recently, for example, when Muslims expressed concerns about portrayals they found offensive, public reaction was largely hostile. But in today’s world, more than ever, we need dialogue. Views must be shared, challenges overcome. Interculturalism can’t be just a bland appropriation of ‘ethnic’ commodities, while expecting those classifiable as other than ‘white Irish’ to blend silently into the population.

We brighten our national festival with a bit of global pizzazz. Colourful floats and displays represent our ‘new communities’. But what comes after the parade? For me, St. Patrick’s Day is a time to remember. The anniversary of my first date with a lad who hailed from bombed-out Sarajevo. Starting from a refugee centre in Dublin, the journey we’ve taken since 1995 has brought both pain and joy. Above all, though, it’s blessed us with three Bosnian-Irish daughters. And, like thousands of kids growing up in Ireland, their heritage is deeply infused with elsewhere. Minarets and church spires mingle as, in their memories, Balkan sunshine breaks through Atlantic rain and the steep mountains of Bosnia sweep down to the Irish Sea.

The diverse identities of children from immigrant backgrounds could hugely benefit Ireland. Enabling these girls and boys to maintain and develop their home languages could enhance this country’s pool of linguistic resources. Recognising and respecting their experiences and beliefs could also nurture mutual understanding. In this regard, intercultural education is essential. It’s vital in the fight against racism. And, as a catalyst for social harmony, it deserves prioritisation and investment. That is, if we’re serious about cherishing all who belong to this nation. So that we can proudly say – each in our own unique way – we are ‘of Ireland’.

To read more of Bronagh's work, check out her blog https://bronaghcatibusic.wordpress.com/  and you can also find her on twitter @BiHIrishCoffee https://twitter.com/BiHIrishcoffee

Abolish Direct Provision

by Bernadette D'Arcy


Introducing cosmetic changes to the Direct Provision system will not be tolerated by the the people in DP nor by their supporters. The whole system stinks and is held together by corruption as the pockets of lots of catering companies and building owners are lined every year. I am hazarding a guess that not one center owner has ever spent a week living in a room in their own room under the conditions that the people living in DP have to suffer. Prisoners get early parole for good behavior from prison and DP is a prison so I think the residents should be freed for their exemplary good behavior. Children should not be residing in these prisons which the government calls “HOME”Child of female prisoner


17. (1) A child, of less than twelve months of age, of a female prisoner may be admitted to a prison and remain with the mother to facilitate breast feeding until the child has reached twelve months of age.


(2) In the case of a prisoner who gives birth to a child during the term of her imprisonment, the child may be admitted to a prison and remain with the mother in prison, until the child has reached twelve months of age.[220]


I am not saying separate families. What I am saying is abolish DP and bulldoze down every building so that they can never again be used in such a fashion for financial gain by so few from the suffering and misery of so many




To read more of Bernadette's work check out her blog https://berehichioya2.wordpress.com/  You can also find her on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Speaking-From-Experience/389776217846597

Traveller Ethnicity Should be Recognised

by Aisling Twomey

We are obsessed with race. From the moment that first person decided to subject others to his will as a result of their difference, race has compartmentalised, segregated and fragmented society. We are defined by our differences, despite the fact that all people are human and we’re all made of the same essentials.

People often talk about Traveller ethnicity; it’s been a popular topic in the news for the past few months as Minister Aodhán Ó Riordáin seeks to have Traveller ethnicity effectively recognised by Government. This decision comes after years and years of various UN bodies recommending that Ireland recognise Traveller ethnicity, which was recognised in the United Kingdom in the case of O Leary v Allied Domecq in 2000. So, why the delay?

Countless years of Government policy and endless online comments say that Travellers are white Irish people, that they’re the same as settled people- except that they ‘don’t pay tax’ and ‘they steal’.

Of course, the prolific number of ‘settled’ Irish people who have demonstrated great capacity in dodging tax and stealing (Charlie Haughey? Martin Cahill? Bono?!) are vastly forgotten in the course of the argument, but there is no denying that Travellers are white and Irish, right?

Here’s the thing. Since when can we only be two things? I’m white and Irish, but neither of those two things tells you a damn thing about me. You don’t know what my parents are like (totally awesome), you don’t know that I love dogs more than people (fact) and you don’t know where I come from in any real sense. You don’t know how I view myself and my place in the world. You don’t know anything about my identity.

A white, 25 year old Irish Traveller woman has experienced a life that is vastly different from mine.

She speaks a different language, knows a different type of home, marries younger, has children younger and finished school at least four years before I did with less qualifications. She is six times more likely to die by suicide than I am, and I will likely live ten years more than her. In school, she was treated differently; less was expected of her. She is denied entry to pubs, restaurants and shops.

Those things don’t make her a Traveller, but she experiences them because she is one. People are more than willing to categorise her as one when it comes to letting her into a bar- but when it comes to helping her achieve and attain and strive, they refuse to acknowledge that she is different.  

For decades, we have segregated Travellers, desperately impacting on their outcomes- and then blaming them for those outcomes we imposed on them in the first place.

Those who actively contest that Travellers aren’t an ethnic minority because they’re white and Irish are wrong. Travellers fulfil the requirement to be recognised as an ethnic group; they have their own language, history, beliefs, culture and traditions. Sure, they’re White and Irish- but they’re not the same White and Irish that I am. That should be very clear. Continents, countries and regions contain different ethnic groups- and ethnic groups sometimes have nothing to do with lines drawn on a map and the colour of your face.

If we recognise Traveller ethnicity, we can stop trying to make them more like settled people. We can aim to help Travellers get through education, get into employment, challenge discrimination and thrive. We can aim to make their health outcomes better and we can demand and expect the involvement of the community in all of that. Why do we oppose improvement in the lives of others?

Today, we acknowledge that ‘race’ alone is a dodgy concept, based on physical attributes as opposed to a sense of identity. Race has long been used to impose requirements and characteristics on others, without hearing what they have to say. Ethnicity as a concept is gaining more traction, and along with it the understanding that the people we are, where we come from, and the places that we occupy are much more than the colour of our skin.

Your life isn’t mine to make decisions on. Traveller ethnicity is something the government should recognise, because it’s a reality and denying it needlessly devalues people who have been devalued for long enough.

I have no right to stand in front of you and tell you who you are- and that’s the whole point.




You can find out more about Aisling on twitter @taisling https://twitter.com/taisling  You can also check out her website www.aislingtwomey.me 
Aisling also works with Pavee Point which is a great organisation that celebrates Traveller Culture and works towards getting equal rights for the Traveller community, you really should check out their website  www.paveepoint.ie. 

Trapped in Direct Provision

By Michelle Mitchell

It is a well known fact that there is a serious housing crisis in Ireland at the moment, and as a result rental properties are becoming increasingly difficult to obtain and monthly prices becoming less affordable. The issues in relation to housing in Ireland are ones that seem to have affected people through all of the social class divides. Nevertheless whilst I do acknowledge that the housing crisis has had a profound negative affect on people from all walks of life, it has to be stated that the consequences of these effects vary and there are some social class groupings in society that have suffered far greater than others.

I would like to therefore draw you attention to the matter of asylum seekers in Ireland and how this scarcity of rental properties has affected their quest to find a home here after being granted Irish citizenship.  Firstly I would to state my reasons as to why I have chosen to highlight this issue above all else in relation to the housing crisis. I believe that it is an area for concern on a human rights level that we as a nation have chosen to ignore. When we think of the property market at the moment we tend to think of people losing their homes and rental increases, however what the Irish media has failed to do was to adequately provide information and draw attention to our new citizens that we are silently keeping suppressed and technically homeless by forcing them to live here under direct provision.

In the Irish Times this week, it was announced that after the Irish government granted over 600 asylum seekers citizenship in Ireland they are now unable to secure rental properties thus having to remain under direct provision once more.  Currently the Irish Refugee Council are actively campaigning to end direct provision for asylum seekers in Ireland as they feel it is a system that leaves people languishing for years. However the government have described their willingness to allow asylum seekers to remain on direct provision as an act of humanity. However asylum seekers disagree and are vigorously imploring with the Irish government to end this system of institutionalised living which results in people having no where to call home. It sees thousands of people including children, existing in our society instead of living in a country which held of the promise and the hope of a chance of at improved living conditions for them. It refuses them the opportunity to integrate and assimilate into Irish society and thus in many respects it denies them an identity that they so truly deserve. Having to rely on direct provision restricts them in becoming active and concerned members of society and hence they remain alienated from the environment around them. This in effect allows xenophobia and prejudice to being to develop.  Direct provision also confines the extent to which asylum seekers can flourish in Irish society as without a home and a decent living wage, asylum seekers are limited in their choices surrounding their involvement in society.

Although I have just merely touched on some of the many negative implications for asylum seekers living under direct provision, I believe the problem of not being able to secure rental property despite being granted citizenship in Ireland is that of a major concern. It is a matter of equality and basic human rights. If this problem is not dealt with as a matter of priority by the government we are effectively giving these people a life sentence in limbo. We are denying them to be fully active Irish citizens that other Irish people enjoy. We are subjecting their children to a life of insecurity and confinement which will undoubtedly result in a social divide amongst their peers and needless to say severe emotional issues. All of which have been mentioned in interviews by individuals relying on direct provision.  Therefore I would  like to conclude this piece by reiterating a previous point I made; the government must act now to allow rental properties to become more obtainable for people on low incomes or social welfare payments. Whether this is in the form of reviewing the rent allowance welfare policy or making more houses available on the social housing scheme, the solution is there and must be found promptly and dealt with accordingly.




You can learn more about shelly on twitter @ShellyMitchy https://twitter.com/ShellyMitchy