"What are you saying? Those Irish were illegal immigrants, therefore it's OK for Mexicans to also be illegal immigrants.
Those Irish were not illegal immigrants!"
I said nothing of the kind. Merely correcting the oft-mistaken claim that particular groups of immigrants (in this case Irish Catholic potato famine types) came through Ellis Island, which didn't open until 1892.
Those Irish immigrants started coming in the 1840s, long before Ellis Island. As I understand, we had no laws restricting immigration. Those Irish immigrants were "legal," along with any others who came prior to 1892.
Don't put words in my mouth. I don't claim to know all about the history of immigration. The point of the article was that the Irish were looked down on, very much, yet did assimilate and move up the economic ladder.
It therefore implies the same could be expected from illegal immigrants' offspring in the future. I take no position on that.
Fine. I mistook your comment for one that is commonly made: that since people immigrated here pretty much unrestricted (no immigration laws) at one time, that it's OK for Mexicans and others to do it today.
" Those Irish immigrants started coming in the 1840s, long before Ellis Island. As I understand, we had no laws restricting immigration. "
"Prior to 1890, the individual states (rather than the Federal government) regulated immigration into the United States." ellisland.org