Racial Formation In The 19th Century US

Nineteenth century United States in perspective of a foreigner was a utopian society where one can be liberated from the oppression of their home country. For other individuals, this country was a land filled with new opportunities. These perceptions encouraged individuals to leave the (dis)comfort of their homes to explore and develop new lives in a country unknown. With a massive immigration occurring from Western Europe to the slave trade, America was becoming more diverse. This diversity led to racial conflicts that developed a social construct of “racial formations” that contributed to the racialization of all groups in the United States. This “racial formation” was crucially evident in 19th century America with the arrival of many diverse

Omi and Winant explain that racial labels all have their own individual origins, but the repercussions after being implemented are catastrophic with these racial labels being challenged and destroyed by racial groups. The destruction of these identities allows for the cycle to be reborn, and soon new racial identities are established within that specific group because this is a living cycle that is still evident in today’s society. A prime example is the Irish because upon their arrival in the 19th century, their racial formation was developed in comparison to Anglo-Saxons. Soon the Irish would be the ones to destroy and revolutionize their racial

With the interaction of class and labor the Irish were able to deconstruct this perception of being “Irish.” Finding a job in the United States was difficult for an Irish immigrant because majority of the positions open to them were cheap and dangerous labor with low wages accompanying it. However, the Irish were willing to take on these jobs in order to make a living, but with these jobs it created competition between the Irish and other racial groups specifically among black people. Being racialized as a lower class, “many of Irish immigrants promoted their whiteness” (143). This promotion of skin color allowed many employers to choose an Irish immigrant over an African individual because of how similar in skin tone an Irish was to an Anglo-Saxon. Using this sense of whiteness benefitted the Irish because through this they were able to gain acceptance in society. Being seen as white, the Irish were able to prosper and gain jobs of higher labor and wage. For the Irish to gain acceptance into society they had to degrade the “others” in the process and ultimately believe that whites were the superior race in 19th century