Chapter 10 touches a little bit on relationships between African Americans and Irish Americans. Marger mentions the 1970s controversy over busing in Boston as well as the riot in 1863. I think the busing in Boston controversy is really important in studying race and ethnic relations. When the school board attempted to make schools more equal by re-defining the lines of school districts, Irish Americans acted in outrage when their community in Southie was about to be integrated with the African American community of Roxbury. I think this is a really shocking example of how the Irish of Boston tried to assert their position in society. While both neighborhoods were on the poorer spectrum, the Irish still tried to assert a higher status.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/eyesontheprize/story/21_boston.html
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