Ireland’s Catholics were a colonially constructed racial caste before emigrating

Evidence

Eighteenth-century Ireland presents a classic case of racial oppression. Catholics there were known as native Irish, Celts, or Gaels (as well as “Papists” and other equally derogatory names), and were regarded, and frequently spoke of themselves, as a “race,” rather than a nation. The Penal Laws imposed upon them a caste status out of which no Catholic, no matter how wealthy, could escape. … Although the special place accorded the Church of Ireland excluded Dissenters (who made up the majority of non-Catholics) from the ruling group, “the most worthless Protestant,” as Lecky observed, “if he had nothing else to boast of, at least found it pleasing to think that he was a member of a dominant race.” — Noel Ignatiev, How the Irish Became White, 130

Categorization

• XREF: Direct parallel to how racialization precedes and can export with a migrating group; connects to reader’s treatment of category reclassification drivers. — connects to: Religious identity racialized Irish Catholics as a separate inferior race; The Irish were the prototype white servants later absorbed into a white racial identity; Racial categorization first targeted Ireland through internal colonialism — , Stephanie B. Martens - Civilization and…, 26 (+11 more)

Broader Connections

• Religious identity racialized Irish Catholics as a separate inferior race #expands (0.95)
• Ireland was Britain’s first colony and the Irish its earliest racialized group. #corroborates (0.90) — Stuart Hall, Essential Essays, Volume 2, 325
• Racial categorization first targeted Ireland through internal colonialism #corroborates (0.88) — , Stephanie B. Martens - Civilization and…, 26
• Racism against Europeans like the Irish predated color-based slavery #corroborates (0.87)
• English racialism predated and shaped the proletarianization of the Irish #corroborates (0.85) — Cedric J. Robinson, Black Marxism_ The Making of the Black…, 18
• The Penal Laws made Irish Catholics an oppressed race in Ireland. #exemplifies (0.85) — Noel Ignatiev, How the Irish Became White, 127
• Catholics and Jews were historically racialized as non-White through their religious beliefs. #expands (0.83)
• Irish and free Blacks shared a common lowly culture before the Irish became white #corroborates (0.82) — Noel Ignatiev, How the Irish Became White, 34
• The Irish moved from an oppressed Irish race to an oppressing American race #expands (0.80) — Noel Ignatiev, How the Irish Became White, 31
• Race was co-constituted with religion in European history. #expands (0.80) — Nasar Meer, Racialization and Religion, 31
• The Irish were the prototype white servants later absorbed into a white racial identity #qualifies (0.78)
• British policy toward Ireland shifted from racial to national oppression after 1800 #complicates (0.78) — Noel Ignatiev, How the Irish Became White, 136
• Irish national identity was forged in emigration before national integration was complete #qualifies (0.75) — Cedric J. Robinson, Black Marxism_ The Making of the Black…, 266