Said- Walker: The conditions under which they (the Irish) had been- born and brought up were generally of the most squalid and degrading character. Their wretched hovels. thatched with rotting straw. scantily furnished with light. hardly ventilated at all. frequently with no floor but the clay on which they were built. -were crowded: beyond: the bounds of comfort. health. or. as it would seem to us. of simple social decency . their beds were heaps of straw or rags . their food consisted mainly of buttermilk and potatoes. often of the worst. and commonly inadequate In amount. their clothing was scanty and shabby. Are any class of immigrants coining here now who areworse off than that? Why were these- Irish poor? Ah. that is the question. Why are these Immigrants coming now poor? That is the question. Is it the result of slothfulness. of indolence. of vice. of inherent disposition to be of the lazzarone. or is it because oppressions Iron hand has closed. the door of opportunity in their faces?
Identified stereotypes
The Irish were born and brought up in squalid and degrading conditions.