Aisling Irish Community Center Oral History Collection: Aisling Irish Community Center Oral History Collection: NYU Special Collections Finding Aids

Call Number

AIA.035

Date

2006, inclusive

Creator

Aisling Irish Community Center

Extent

1 Linear Feet

1 full-sized letter manuscript box, 1 CD box

Language of Materials

Materials are in English

Abstract

This collection of oral histories and the resulting publication, "When Mem'ry Brings Us Back Again" describe life for newly arrived immigrants in New York City in the 1950s and 1960s. The impetus for the project was a creative writing class run at the Aisling irish Community Center.

Historical/Biographical Note

The Aisling Irish Community Center is located in Yonkers, New York. Established in 1996, the Center serves to assist Irish immigrants moving to the United States, much like the Emerald Isle Immigration Center in Woodside, Queens. The Aisling Center also provides services for the elderly Irish and Irish-American community in Yonkers and Woodlawn. This project of recording memories evolved from a program at the Center for Seniors called "Young at Heart." Staff member Frances Browner initiated a creative writing class which focused on different themes and memories of the participants. From the exercise the idea of recording the stories and creating the narrative was formed. The result is the book While Mem'ry Brings us Back Again.

The participants tell of coming to America, the different ships they took, their impressions of New York - the weather, the tall buildings, navigating the subway, electricity and indoor plumbing - their first jobs, their friendships and social activities, and their homesickness. For many, leaving to come to America was also the first time they had ever been out of their hometown. Some came voluntarily; others were chosen or sent by a family member.

Arrangement

In 2025, interviews from the folder "Miscellaneous extracts compiled for "While Mem'ry Brings Us Back Again", or, Fran Browner's Creative Writing Class 2006" were separated and organized alphabetically by individual's last names.

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of interviews conducted with Irish immigrants by Frances Browner in 2006 for the book "When Mem'ry Brings Us Back Again." A copy of the book is included with the collection. Interviews are recorded on compact disk, also included in the collection. Oftentimes, the recordings were made in public places such as restaurants or bars, and the clarity has been compromised because of the background noise. The interviews were transcribed into narratives which comprise the book.

Interviewees describe their trips to America, usually by ship; sometimes by airplane. First jobs, for the women oftentimes at Shrafts, a restaurant chain in Manhattan, the telephone company, with mass transit, for B. Dalton, a department store, as a professional musician and employed by wealthy families as domestic workers are discussed as are reminisces of social activities and outings.

When available, duration of interviews is recorded and is included as a note at the file level.

Interview extracts are included for some interviews, with portions of transcriptions, subject keywords, and short biographical narratives.

Subjects

Genres

Oral histories (literary works); CD-ROMs.

Topics

Immigrants -- United States.; Oral history.; Irish Americans -- New York (N.Y.); Irish Americans -- Social life and customs.

Access Restrictions

Open for research without restrictions.

Use Restrictions

Permission to publish materials must be obtained in writing from the:
Archives of Irish America, Tamiment Library
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012
Phone: (212) 998-2630
Fax: (212) 995-4225
E-mail: tamiment.wagner@nyu.edu

Preferred Citation

Published citations should take the following form:

Identification of item, date; Collection name; Collection number; box number; folder number;
Archives of Irish America, Tamiment Library
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012, New York University Libraries.

Provenance

Transcripts and copies of original audio recordings along with a copy of the resulting publication "When Mem'ry Brings Us Back Again" were donated to the Archives of Irish America in 2006.

Custodial History

The archived website was migrated from the California Digital Library's Web Archiving Service to the Internet Archive's Archive-It Service in November 2015. The link to California Digital Library was removed in October 2017.

Related Material at the Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives

Missing Title

Ireland House Oral History Colletion AIA 030
Jane Conlon Muller Oral History Collection AIA 012
Miriam Nyhan Oral History Collection AIA 036

Collection processed by

Rebecca Altermatt

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2025-02-11 13:59:39 UTC.

Language: Description is in English

Processing Information

In 2014, the archived websites were added as a series.

In 2025, individual listings for transcribed interview extracts and/or access copies were added to some interview subjects in the inventory. Some interview subjects and their relevant interview extracts were also added to the inventory.

Revisions to this Guide

February 2025: Edited by Madeline Baird to add individual listings for interview extracts and/or access copies for some interview subjects in the inventory. Some interview subjects and their interview extracts were also added as new entries.

Repository

Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives