Irish Woman Immigrant

October 23, 1890
Dearest Mother:
When I arrived on the shores of the United States, I was naturally apprehensive about the stories I had heard about signs proclaiming “No Irish Wanted.” Fortunately, things have changed a great deal since my cousin Barney emigrated here thirty years ago. There are many Irishmen and women in respectable positions. Many Irish also fought in the American Civil War and attainted positions in government afterward. Being Irish is no longer a shame.
I counted myself very fortunate to find a position as a maid in the house of Mrs. A. I was able to secure my position through the use of an employment, or intelligence agency, and was told I was very lucky to be employed by as wealthy a family as the As, because my duties would be comparatively lighter than a girl in a family who could afford only a few servants. However, I have found that it is true that servants here work much harder than they do in Ireland. The expectation is that the house and clothing of the family will be spotless, and servants will make the house run as efficiently as clockwork. Irish servants are in much demand in America, and we are called Bridgets, even though Mrs. A knows that my given name is Kathleen.
It is said that native-born American girls have too much pride to work as household servants, in positions which offer them little hope for advancement. However, it is a comfort to know I have a clean place where I may lie my head, and regular meals. I have heard of other girls who have also come from county Cork, Sligo, and other areas near where we live who do not have it nearly so well, and must sleep in the worst of conditions, several to a bed, in the foulest sections of the city. I am glad I do not have to work in a factory, for I have heard the labor is dangerous and the conditions airless and unwholesome.
The little attic room where I stay is cold in the winter and hot in the summer, but at least I share it with three other girls, all Irish, whose character can be vouched for. Mrs. A is very insistent that her girls be of good reputation, and although the life can be monotonous, at least I am safe and can put aside my wages each week. This is one reason why I try so hard to make sure I am above reproach, never flirting with any of the tradesmen and always scurrying to do my duties and making sure I am busy every hour of the day. I know that there are many from whence I came and Mrs. A could simply speak to Mr. A and have me out on the street, if she so desired.
I admit that the work can be hard. I would never have believed that a household could produce so much washing. As fine a home as the As house may be, the city is very dirty, and the children and callers are forever tracking in dirt and muck from the streets. The heavy carpeting and furniture seems to produce dust in a never-ending fashion. The family also eats a very varied diet, much more than the potatoes, vegetables, and bit of meat and tea that was our fare back home for most of our meals.
I try to send home as much money as I can to you and the rest of my sisters. I hope someday we may be reunited, God willing. Mrs. A is a Protestant, but I pray nightly to God to help me through this trial of solitude, and I am daily reminded of how my plight earning money could be much worse. Now and then I am asked by my fellow servants if Catholic worship the Virgin Mary, but for the most part I am treated well. The fact that I speak good English and can read and write has earned me a great deal of respect.
Your dearest,
Kathleen
Work Cited
Lynch-Brennan, M. (2009). The Irish Bridget: Irish immigrant women in domestic service in America, 1840-1930 (Irish Studies). Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press.