Like the crocuses, the stereotypes and tropes that defame our Irish heritage appear every March. Perhaps it’s a remark in the workplace from a friend, a late-night talk show host making jokes over their ignorance in being able to pronounce an Irish guest’s name or see it splashed across some green-clad novelty t-shirt each March. “Lighten up,” they say. “Have a sense of humor.”
But it’s not just a joke. It never has been.
Stereotypes about the Irish may wear a thin veneer of humor, but they carry the weight of centuries. They echo the disdain of colonial powers, the prejudice of landlords, and the scorn of “No Irish Need Apply.” Worse, when we allow these depictions to persist — when we laugh along or say nothing — we give them validity. We are complicit in promoting the very lies that attempted to reduce our ancestors to second-class citizens and continue to marginalize the dignity of our heritage today.
It saddens me that when the AOH issues a statement on the Irish being defamed, we can count on some to give one of three responses: “It’s just a joke.” “We’re bigger than this.” “We’re not hypersensitive like some other groups.” It is even sadder when these statements come from Hibernians who took an oath not to “countenance anything that may reasonably be determined as caricaturing or debasing the Irish people.”
It is not “Just a Joke.” Stereotypes about the Irish — like the myth of the drunken buffoon — weren’t born to amuse; they were tools of exclusion. During the waves of Irish immigration to America, these depictions weren’t harmless; they were strategic. In the mid-19th century, satirical cartoons by figures like Thomas Nast presented the Irish as ape-like and brutish, unfit for decent society. They depicted the Irish as drunkards and thugs to justify discrimination in hiring, housing and politics. These images seeped into the collective consciousness, shaping how entire generations saw the Irish.
This is not something to be celebrated with laughter. When we laugh, we don’t challenge this history; we reinforce it. A joke about drunkenness isn’t just a jab — it’s a shadow of the arguments that once barred our people from workplaces and public life. It says, even now, that being Irish is not to be taken seriously.
“We’re bigger than this” sounds noble — almost Christian — to rise above the petty insults of others. But consider what it means in practice. Being “bigger” often becomes a convenient excuse for inaction. The gospel doesn’t tell us that “If someone slaps you on your right cheek,” stand there and take it; it says to take action and “turn the other cheek as well.” There is a reason why St. Matthew specifically specifies the right cheek because in a majority right-handed world, to strike someone on the right cheek means to be backhanded and grievously insulted. When St. Matthew tells us to turn the left cheek, it is an act of defiance, not timidity.
Finally, the fear of being perceived as “too sensitive.” No one wants to be accused of overreacting or being humorless. But let’s not confuse hypersensitivity with self-respect. Remaining silent while others speak up doesn’t make us strong or noble — it makes us appear indifferent. Worse, our passivity risks validating the very stereotypes we should oppose. If the Irish won’t take their culture seriously, why should anyone else?
Standing against stereotypes isn’t overreaction — it’s about having the dignity to say, “This is who we are, and we won’t let the world distort it.” If we dismiss these tropes as harmless, we send the message that Irish identity isn’t worth defending. And that’s not sensitivity — it’s lack of self-respect. Worse, it risks teaching the next generation that their culture is a punchline — not something to celebrate, defend, and pass on with pride.
As members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, we bear a special responsibility. We are not “honorary Irishmen” or “plastic patties [sic].” Our mission isn’t just to honor Irish heritage; it’s to safeguard it. We need to set the standard. If we won’t defend the dignity of Irish identity, who will?
