The history of Corned Beef and Cabbage is the story of immigrants. In the 1800’s, at the height of the potato famine, Irish immigrants set sail for the United States in search of a better life and in hopes of being free from British Rule. They started first in cities in the East from Philadelphia to Boston, settling in poor immigrant neighborhoods commonly sharing space with their Jewish neighbors. 

On St. Patrick’s Day, it was common for the Irish  to celebrate with pork or bacon cooked with potatoes, carrots, cabbage and other cheap root vegetables. Pork was cheap and readily available in Ireland at the time. In their new American home, pork was expensive and eaten by the wealthy. Most Irish families couldn’t afford it. 

Jewish butchers sold a cheap salted kosher beef called corned beef. Irish immigrants, wanting to celebrate and hold on to their culture, cooked the beef with cabbage and potatoes the same way they had used pork in Ireland. 

The dish, often mistaken as a traditional Irish dish, became a staple of Irish-American culture and we still cook it on St.Patrick’s Day 200 years and many generations later. 

From 1820-1930, it is estimated that more than 4.5 million immigrants came to the United States from Ireland, a couple of my ancestors included. They lost their homes, their language, their culture, and took a huge risk when they left. 

I don’t have any direct ties to islands and culture of my ancestors anymore, but this day is a reminder to me of their story. I think about how scary it must have been to walk away from everything they knew and board a boat for a place they’ve never been. My ancestors didn’t have money, so I know, for many of them, things were bad enough that stepping on that boat felt like the last and only choice. It was a step full of hope and fear and courage. It was a step driven by desperation and survival. 

I may be a few generations in to being on this land, but I will never forget their story and their sacrifice. I will not take for granted how lucky I am to be here. I will also always understand all immigrants and value their sacrifice, their courage, and their humanity, no matter where they started and when they got here. 

As you are celebrating this day, whether you are Irish or not, I hope you take a moment to remember this immigrant story and it stirs some sense of empathy for fellow immigrants as you consider the stories they have that tell the journey that brought them to this land. For it is no more my land than it is theirs or yours and I welcome them to this place and pray they find the peace they are hoping for.  Sláinte!