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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsRace is a social construct.
Last edited Mon Mar 9, 2026, 08:12 AM - Edit history (1)
Important edit for clarification: I am new to the website and had in my personal note that I googled whenever the Irish were actually legally considered white people. That's my fault though, regardless and I'll keep the post up for integrity's sake
Very strong title for this joke post lol. I just learned that Irish people weren't considered white until the 50s off of an Instagram reel and thought that was silly 🪿
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UpInArms
(54,834 posts)On March 25, 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Company factory in New York City burned, killing 146 workers. It is remembered as one of the most infamous incidents in American industrial history, as the deaths were largely preventable–most of the victims died as a result of neglected safety features and locked doors within the factory building. The tragedy brought widespread attention to the dangerous sweatshop conditions of factories, and led to the development of a series of laws and regulations that better protected the safety of workers.
Working Conditions in The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory
The Triangle factory, owned by Max Blanck and Isaac Harris, was located in the top three floors of the Asch Building, on the corner of Greene Street and Washington Place, in Manhattan. It was a true sweatshop, employing young immigrant women who worked in a cramped space at lines of sewing machines. Nearly all the workers were teenaged girls who did not speak English and worked 14 hours a day, Monday through Friday and eight hours a day on the weekends.
In 1911, there were four elevators with access to the factory floors, but only two were fully operational and the workers had to file down a narrow corridor in order to reach it. There were two stairways down to the street, but one was locked from the outside to prevent stealing and the other only opened inward. The fire escape was so narrow that it would have taken hours for all the workers to use it, even in the best of circumstances. And, in fact, it collapsed during the fire under the strain of extreme heat and weight as people were rushing to get down.
… much more at link …
TheEnlightenedBiglet
(44 posts)I tried saying that I did research it and figured out that 1950 was kind of a stupid number for that reel to pull out. That's my fault though and I appreciate the lesson, it was very informative
ms liberty
(11,180 posts)It's only water, in a stranger's tear
Looks are deceptive, but distinctions are clear
A foreign body, and a foreign mind
Never welcome in the land of the blind
You may look like we do, talk like we do
But you know how it is...
"Not One of Us" Peter Gabriel, Peter Gabriel (Melt) 1980
TheEnlightenedBiglet
(44 posts)Cool reference, read my other replies for my explanation as to why this post isn't great though, in my opinion. I won't take it down for integrity's sake tho
Norrrm
(4,823 posts)Actually, it was quite serious. The Irish and Italians were not considered genuine white as they were immigrating into America.
TheEnlightenedBiglet
(44 posts)I thought that my personal notes served as a header and that y'all could see those 😭 I included in that note that I googled whenever they were actually considered white. That's my fault though I should have been more clear.
Norrrm
(4,823 posts)What race/ethnicity were the Ancient Romans?
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1joz3i/what_raceethnicity_were_the_ancient_romans/
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Were Romans white?
Tough question. Several answers.
https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf=ALeKk02B881UknZd7MF4Xt8ztaR-NC1xCg%3A1599451591106&source=hp&ei=x7FVX7PlA7OxytMP4Z6vuAU&q=were+romans+white&oq=were&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQARgBMgQIIxAnMgQIABBDMgUIABCxAzIFCAAQsQMyBQgAELEDMgUILhCxAzIFCAAQsQMyBwguELEDEAoyBQguELEDMgUIABCxAzoICAAQsQMQgwE6CwguELEDEMcBEKMCOgUIABCRAjoECC4QQzoICC4QxwEQrwFQigxY1BJghDFoAHAAeACAAcABiAGcBZIBAzAuNJgBAKABAaoBB2d3cy13aXo&sclient=psy-ab
Norrrm
(4,823 posts)How can I say this? Because the concept of whiteness didn’t exist yet. Since the beginning of recorded history, humans have always thought in terms of tribes or nations (as in the Cherokee nation or Navajo nation, not a modern nation-state), but the idea of race is a fairly new concept.
2naSalit
(102,166 posts)There is one race, the human race. We have variations but we are all human, any other distinction is a human construct.