Rebecca Fried has guts. At age 14 she challenged the research of Richard Jensen, a historian and former University of Illinois Professor, who claimed that anti-Irish discrimination in America was a myth. He said ‘No Irish Need Apply’ signs and newspaper ads were almost non-existent in the 1840’s – 1920’s. Rebecca proved him wrong.
She poked around on the web and discovered job ads and signs in storefronts saying *Irish need not apply.* Digging deeper, she found they appeared in cities across America, and she had the data to prove it.
Turns out Protestants were holding some bias against Irish Catholic immigrants.
She published a scholarly article on her findings and it’s now being read and referenced by American historians.
We love when Americans of all types are given a platform to challenge authority when they smell a rat. Jensen might be a lil’ embarrassed, but it’s important to keep the record real.
Everyone deserves to know the truth. Big ups to Rebecca for dropping the knowledge.
Éirinn go Brách!
