I arrived in Ireland, like many American college students before me, in wide-eyed anticipation of rolling emerald green hills, long summer days and cold pints shared in old pubs with new friends.
While I found all of this (except, perhaps, for the summer days) I also found something I did not expect: a markedly diverse society in the midst of cultural transformation. For the last eight weeks I have been in Dublin as part of a programme launched by my college in the United States, Duke University.
The Duke- Engage initiative aims to provide undergraduate students with the opportunity to participate in so-called ‘civic engagement’ projects either in the US or in a country of their choosing.
The goal of the project in Ireland was to examine how a small country which has historically been a nation of emigrants is adapting to the challenges presented by a multicultural society. Each day at our respective offices, my colleagues and I were eager to discover new and emerging issues surrounding immigration and multiculturalism. One of our strongest impressions is that there appears to be a high correlation between the health of Ireland’s economy and the country’s attitude towards immigrants.
One student researching for Spirasi conducted a public opinion survey and found that “they [the Irish] will at first tell you that they are tolerant, etc. but when you probe further they complain about abuse in the social welfare system, [and] not enough jobs and housing for the Irish themselves.” This view seemed to contrast starkly with what one American student experienced in the United States, “where much animosity toward different groups is based, very ignorantly, on skin colour and notions of racial supremacy.”
This is not to say that blatant racism is completely absent in Ireland, but merely suggests that we as young Americans have more hope for the resolution of anti-immigrant sentiment here than in our own country. I must admit that what attracted me and my colleagues to Ireland initially was not its fascinating journey towards a multicultural society, but rather a combination of its beautiful landscapes and friendly reputation as the ‘land of a thousand welcomes’.
But what truly captivated us while we were here was the sense that Ireland is in a period of dynamic change. Not 10 years ago, Ireland was still a relatively homogeneous population. Today, taking a stroll down Capel Street on Dublin’s northside, one sees a plethora of cultures flourishing.
From the perspective of a student interested in immigration issues, Ireland is a special case among other European countries because of its recent history of relatively liberal immigration laws, and the rapid rate at which those have changed in recent years to become more restrictive.
As my time in Ireland comes to a close, I have no answers to these challenging questions raised by Irish society. I have, however, learned an immense amount about the difficulties and rewards of embracing multiculturalism. I hope Ireland continues its history of constructive social debate as it forges a new identity and accepts new communities. I intend to take the information I’ve gathered back with me to the States where I will think critically about my country’s experience with immigration, using a newly broadened global perspective.
