Have you ever heard of the San Patricios Brigade?
These were the Irish immigrants who had arrived in the United States during the 1840s and were drafted to fight in the Mexican-American War, only to desert the American army and join the Mexicans in their fight to retain their land.
As you probably know, the Irish were not welcomed warmly into the United States. They were considered inferior. They were compared to apes. They couldn’t even find work because of signs that said, “No Irish need apply.”
And they were accused of trying to turn the United States into a Catholic nation, loyal only to the Pope.
So when they were drafted into the army to fight against the Mexicans, they quickly realized they were fighting an enemy much like themselves. They shared the same religion and the same oppression.
After all, the Irish had been oppressed for hundreds of years by the English before coming to the United States and getting treated the same way. The last thing they wanted was to become oppressors.
So they deserted the American army and joined the Mexican army, where they became the Saint Patrick’s Brigade.
To the Mexicans, who revere the Irish to this day, and even dedicated a national holiday to the soldiers, they were known as the San Patricios.
Made up of about 800 deserters, the San Patricios also included Catholic immigrants from other European countries. But the bulk of the brigade was Irish as was their leader, Captain John Riley from Galway.
The Mexicans lost the war, of course. And the San Patricios were captured. Those that deserted before the actual declaration of war against Mexico were branded with a “D” on their forehead and sentenced to the stockade. Those that deserted after the declaration of the war were executed.
Meanwhile, the Irish immigrant was eventually able to overcome the oppression in the United States. And they gave us one of the greatest presidents in the history of our country. A man so great they had to kill him.
And if JFK were president today, I wonder how he would address the immigration situation.
http://www.vivasancarlos.com/patrick.html http://www.irishargentine.org/sanpatricios... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick... EDIT: To fix bad link.
