Final answer:
Irish workers faced discrimination through lower wages and were commonly regarded as suitable only for menial tasks, which was part of wider worker exploitation during the period of industrialization.
Step-by-step explanation:
Yes, Irish workers did face discrimination in terms of lower wages and poor working conditions, particularly during the mid-19th to early 20th centuries in the United States. During the period following the Irish Potato Famine, many Irish immigrants settled in East Coast cities and took on labor-intensive jobs. They were often seen as a source of cheap, unskilled labor for tasks like laying railroad track and digging canals. The competition for jobs with these new arrivals led to lower wages and displacement of native workers. Discrimination was evidenced by advertisements explicitly excluding Irish applicants, and attitudes that considered them suited only for the most menial tasks. These stressful conditions were part of the larger picture of industrialization and the rise of a capitalist economy, where worker exploitation and the inability to unionize were widespread issues.