A favorite caveat of many white people when confronted with historical racism is to blurt, "But the Irish were persecuted, too!" While it's certainly true that many recent Irish immigrants had trouble finding work in the United States during the early 19th century (because they were poor, uneducated, and had extremely silly accents) the degree to which these immigrants were actually discriminated against in America has been hugely exaggerated by history.

One of the most iconic representations of Irish persecution in America is the "No Irish Need Apply" sign, which according to popular legend, used to be posted all over the damn place, making it impossible for Irish people to find jobs. Actually, though, there is absolutely no record of signs like this ever being posted by business owners anywhere at any time in the nation's history, except in frat bars during the second half of the 20th century. Seriously. Get over yourself, Irish-Americans.