FROM THIS PUBLICAN'S PERCH

Chris Poh as seen in American Public House Review

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me:
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.

From the poem “NEW COLOSSUS”
by Emma Lazarus

Contrary to these words inscribed upon the bronze plaque on the interior of the Statue of Liberty, few of the groups arriving on these shores have had the benefit of that promised welcome. In almost every case each new wave of immigrants has waged a heroic struggle in order to gain their place in American society.

The Irish Catholics that came to this country during the first half of the nineteenth century, as a result of the potato famine, brought nothing but their poverty and faith. Their status was further diminished by the dominance of Protestant rule in America. So the hands which once dug the earth on behalf of English landlords now dug canals and coalfields on behalf of the ruling industrial class.

Today most Americans put aside some time to rightfully celebrate their rites of passage, cultural traditions and common ancestry; and no group puts on a better party or parade than the Irish.

We chose Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania as the focus of our first March Issue, because we felt that while many cities and towns can boast a rich Irish heritage, none reflects more perfectly the total Irish story in America.

On behalf of the editorial staff and contributors to AMERICAN PUBLIC HOUSE REVIEW – Slainte!

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