ikely’s Reviews > Erin's Daughters in America: Irish Immigrant Women in the Nineteenth Century > Status Update

what r u learning so far

Gabriella wrote: "what r u learning so far"

The majority of Irish immigrants were women. The development of the American middle class created a demand for domestic labor. The stereotype of the Irish maid was a clumsy stupid girl who loved her catholic saints. You probably know the Amelia Bedelia books-- those were based on that stereotype which I didn't know.
It was frowned upon in Ireland for close male-female relationships but brothers and sisters were often close and that was fine. But there was a weird letter from a brother to a sister and you literally couldn't tell it was written to a sibling and not a lover. That sort of threw me for a loop.