| This dissertation focuses on images of Irish Americans as presented in various wood carvings, paintings, political cartoons, comics, film and contemporary children's picture books from 1850 through 2007. My hypothesis tests the validity of employing historical and contemporary images as acceptable identifiers of social and cultural assimilation. My research couples key historical, political and economic events of the Irish American experience with the imagery collected. My analysis compares these images to sociological theories of assimilation and multicultural measures of authenticity. My final assessment employs assimilation measurements and categorizes these images into four evolutionary stages---the Irish immigrant, the Irish American, the American Irish and the Irish of tomorrow. While images from this dissertation suggest assimilation in areas of cultural and social acculturation and civic engagement other areas of identification and behavioral/attitudinal reception show only partial assimilation. As example, American Irish have not only been able to maintain and strengthen many of their early Irish organizations and customs but they have enticed many non Irish to join in their cultural activities. As the Irish immigrant assimilated into Anglo conformity, available images reveal an American mosaic with a decidedly green tint. |
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