Dockworkers Quote by Kay S. Hymowitz
““If the port made New York, the Irish made the port,” writes James T. Fisher in On the Irish Waterfront.15 Many of the dockworkers were refugees from the Great Hunger that immiserated the island between 1845 and 1849, a famine so cataclysmic that nearly 1.5 million people were willing to risk voyage to America on the too aptly named “coffin ships.”16 Most of the workers were desperately poor and more than willing to take the dangerous, miserably paid, erratic jobs on the piers of Red Hook and near the Navy Yard. Some of the earliest arrivals had dug the Erie Canal; nearly 500 of those following them built the Atlantic Docks, and many more simply did the more forgettable work of unloading cargo, repairing masts, and braiding ropes.17 Like urban migrants everywhere, the””
About This Quote
Source Book: On the Irish Waterfront, 1990
Irish immigrants built New York’s ports despite extreme hardship, showing resilience and contribution of refugees.
In simple terms: Irish built ports despite famine.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the value of migrant labor.
Themes
migration
resilience
labor history
Mood
thoughtful
respectful
Type
historical
educational
When to use this quote
- urban development
- policy making
- heritage preservation
Key Concepts
economic migration
social integration
Questions to Reflect On
- What modern parallels exist?
- How can societies honor such contributions?
A Different Perspective
Historical narratives often overlook migrant contributions.
