In any situation where someone inquires about my ancestral background, the first answer that I would spurt out is "I'm Irish." I did not realize the power of my Irish roots until starting the research for this paper. Being Irish has affected where I live, the religion that I believe in, and the opportunities that are offered to me today. My Irish heritage comes from my mother's side of the family. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find any information from older generations about my family's history due to the fact that anyone that I would be able to contact is deceased. I found a number of family letters, and other official documents that aided in the piecing together of my Irish heritage. At the start of my search to find my family's history, I was faced with many seemingly unanswerable questions. But gathering information has made it possible for me to come to certain conclusions.
My relatives originally came here from Ireland for better opportunities and to seek religious freedom. I read through several documents and deeply pondered why my ancestors would go through such trouble just to become citizens of the United States. I realized that they came to this country not only to try to have a better life for themselves, but to offer future generations the opportunities and freedoms that they didn't have. Being Irish isn't simply the country that I came from, being Irish has taken on a whole new meaning about how I am able to live my life. The lack of selfishness that my ancestors showed for future generations, allowed me to gain a newfound respect for my culture. I realized that being a part of an ethnic group doesn't mean filling the stereotypes that go along with certain ethnic groups. The efforts of my ancestors have led me to feel admiration in my culture and to take pride in my family's history.
Most of family lived in an area of Ireland called Cork. Cork is one of the counties in Ireland, on its southern tip. A majority of my family lived in different areas throughout this county. Cork can be seen on the map of Ireland located below.
The first ancestor who came to the United States was my great grandfather, Patrick Brett, who left Cork to come to the United States for better opportunities. Before he came to the United States, Patrick worked on his family's farm in Cork. While working in Ireland, he became particularly fond of horses. Working with the horses on his family's farm enabled him to receive his first job when he came to the United States. After Patrick came to the United States, he worked in New York City as a blacksmith, or horseshoer. After working as a blacksmith for several years, Patrick moved to Yonkers, New York. In Yonkers, was where Patrick met another immigrant that would end up being the woman that he married. On May 28, 1913, Patrick Brett married Ellen Howeley at the Church of Sacred Heart in Yonkers, New York. On April 13, 1914, Ellen Howeley gave birth to their only child, Catherine Brett. Catherine Brett moved out of Yonkers after she married, but later returned to the original place her father settled after my mother, Katherine, was born.
Patrick Brett came to the United States at a time when the population of Irish immigrants was high. Although the exact date and year that Patrick came to the United States isn't known, I have been able to make an assumption on the time flame that Patrick enter6d the United States. Patrick Brett probably came into the country some time between 1905 and 1910. The time period lasting floml901 to 1910 displayed the peak of Irish immigration into the United States. An estimated 340,000 Irish immigrants entered the United States at this time (Concoran, 3). The Irish and their descendants make up the third largest ethnic group in the United States today ( Internet source). When the Irish came to America, they settled in three main areas. New York, Boston, and Chicago were common places for the Irish immigrants to settle (Duff, 13-22). Patrick Brett lived during a time when the Irish immigrants coming to the United States was at an all time high and growing. Patrick came during the peak period of Irish immigration into the United States.
The time frame that Patrick was in when he came to America was an ideal time. He was able to come to the United States with many of his countrymen. The growing population of Irish immigrants must have made it easier for Patrick to relate to others that were in similar positions as he was. One of the only comforts of leaving his family must have been that Patrick was surrounded by his countrymen on his journey. Brett settled in an area of Yonkers that was predominantly Irish.
Patrick Brett did not become a citizen of the United States until twelve years after the birth of his first child. His wife ,Ellen Howeley, remained an immigrant for the rest of her life. To become a citizen, Patrick had to prove that he could read, write, and comprehend the English language. Patrick officially became a citizen of the United States on January 28, 1927. Patrick's original naturalization form and certificate of literacy are displayed below.
Patrick had to worry about the criticism that he was facing because he left Ireland. Patrick Brett often received letters from his family back in Cork. His nephew wrote him frequently inquiring about whether Patrick could do anything to get him into the country. Patrick Kelly, the nephew of Patrick Brett, stated in his letter of how he wanted to come to America and to travel the world. Kelly's exact words were, "Uncle, I have written you this letter inquiring if there is anything that you can do to get me into America, I want to come to America and then possibly travel the world." Kelly stated in his letter how many of the men in the family began to grow tired of their trade. It is a possibility, that certain areas of Ireland were experiencing drought conditions. The potato famine that lasted between 1845 and 1847 crippled the potato crop and many thousands of Irish people died (Internet source). The letter was worded in a way that one who reads it would think that the family didn't have much contact with Brett until one of them needed him for something. By reading this letter, you can sense the feelings of guilt that Patrick had to deal with. He later was able to sponsor his nephew in order for him to become a citizen of this country. Soon after Patrick Kelly arrived in the United States, he enlisted in the army. The time period that he entered the army was when the United States engaged itself into World War II. In a letter to Brett, Patrick Kelly stated how he felt it was his civic duty to enlist in the army because this country had given him an opportunity for a better life. Patrick Kelly and another nephew of Patrick Brett are shown below before they were sent off to war. Patrick Kelly is the man on the left.
Due to the violence and hatred between religions in Ireland, another factor that played a role in coming to the United States was religious freedom. Ireland has traditionally been a country that has taken the Protestant religion as its national religion. The members of my family were Catholic. The Irish immigrants found it hard in the early nineteen hundreds to find jobs in the United States. The Irish Catholics seemed to be hated more because to others they were the worst of both worlds. Their religion and ethnic culture caused hardships like trying to find jobs. They were free to practice whatever religion they wanted, but they were often under verbal assault from others. The persecution that they faced led the Irish Catholics to have a firm loyalty in their religion. Priests became noted figures in communities because people fond refuge in their religion(Murphy and Driscoll, 17-18).They were free to practice any religion that they wanted to but many places of business wouldn't hirer Irish people, or Catholics. So my family found it twice as hard as any other person to find a job. Presently in Ireland, the issue of religion causes controversy. The conflict between Northern Ireland and the rest of Ireland has taken thousands of Irish lives because of conflict between the two areas. Even if Ireland is united or if Northern Ireland becomes an independent country, the conflict between the Catholics and Protestants will most likely continue to result in bloodshed.
I have learned that my life today is the way it is because of my Irish heritage. My family currently lives in Yonkers. Yonkers was the first place that a family member settled for a significant amount of time. The neighborhood that I live in is not the same as the one that my ancestors lived. When Patrick Brett first came to Yonkers, he lived in a neighborhood that was made up of Irish immigrants only. In the present day it is unlikely to find a neighborhood strictly of a specific ethnic background.
Another factor that plays an important role in my life is my religion. The catholic religion was carried out throughout many generations of people in my family. I admit that I am not as much of a die hard practitioner as other relatives in my family, but I try to follow the beliefs of my religion. I can see why the older generations in my family are die hard practitioners because of the troubles that were faced when coming to this country. My ancestors did a lot of backbreaking work when they first came to the United States. Being a blacksmith involved very long hours. I couldn't begin to imagine working sixteen to seventeen hours a day. Spending my day working with horses and making the shoes in front of flames all day. I imagine what it must have been like to leave work drenched with the sweat from slaving over an open flame all day. I realize now that many of the things that I have today were given to me because of the hard work of my relatives. I don't have to live the lifestyle that they lived because there are better opportunities for the younger generation of my family now that the older generation paved the way for us.
Researching my family's history made me realize that my relatives didn't come to this country because of selfish reasons to better their lives. My ancestors came here to better the lives of the later generations that wouldn't have the difficulties that they had. My ancestors encountered difficulties in all aspects of life when they came to America. Such things that current generations take advantage of, like religion and employment, the older generation that came to America faced persecution in the everyday aspects of life. Doing this paper gave me the chance to have a stronger sense of who I am, and to be able to have some knowledge and meaningfulness behind me when I simply state" I'm Irish."