How Irish Americans shaped SF's early identity
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People with Irish ancestry comprise roughly 7.5% of San Francisco County's population, but that percentage will seem a lot higher this weekend as the U.S. celebrates St. Patrick's Day.
Why it matters: Irish people's presence in the Bay Area dates back as far as the Gold Rush. They quickly became a backbone in the local community; now, there are nearly 64,000 Irish Americans in San Francisco.
Flashback: Immigration to the U.S. from Ireland surged in the mid-1800s amid the potato famine and economic depression. Many came to California in search of striking it rich.
- By 1880, about one-third of San Francisco's population was of Irish descent, according to historical archive FoundSF. Alongside Chinese immigrants, they made up a bulk of the workforce on the Transcontinental Railroad, often risking their lives for little pay.
- Despite facing bigotry due to their cultural differences and religion, they quickly centralized their political capital to gain power in the unions, often wielding it to fuel discrimination against Chinese workers whom they saw as competition for jobs.
- Irish immigrants also founded Irish Hill in the 1860s and turned it into a working-class neighborhood that housed single men who were industrial laborers, though it was later destroyed via quarrying.
Zoom in: As the largely undeveloped San Francisco began to grow, they secured jobs in the police and fire departments, resulting in leadership roles in public service and business.
- Notable figures include the city's first mayor John W. Geary, its first chief of police Malachi Fallon, its first foreign-born mayor Frank McCoppin and educator, suffragist and labor leader Kate Kennedy.
- It was also an Irishman, Jasper O'Farrell, who designed the city grid.
- At the same time, Irish people coalesced around the Catholic Church to build community. Mission Dolores soon became a predominantly Irish church after an influx into the neighborhood in the early 1900s.
Yes, but: The Irish led many anti-Chinese campaigns in a bid to deflect prejudice. Dennis Kearny, leader of the Workingman's Party of California, famously coined the rallying cry "The Chinese must go!" in the 1870s.
- They also participated in violent race riots in a bid to drive out Chinese immigrants.
State of play: From dance traditions to live piglet protests, Irish people have plenty of history in San Francisco and have played key roles shaping the city's early identity.
- Today, institutions like the Phelan Building and United Irish Cultural Center of San Francisco continue to pay tribute to their contributions.
- Their heritage is etched into the heart of the city with landmarks like Hibernia Bank, Downey Street and Buena Vista Cafe.
- Venture beyond San Francisco and you'll still find even higher concentrations of people with Irish ancestry in counties like Sonoma and Marin.
What's next: You can find tons of ways to celebrate the community this weekend as St. Patrick's Day festivities kick off.