The social impact of immigrants in Scotland

• The Irish and Lithuanians fought with the Scots in the battlefields of World War One, where many friendships were formed
• Italians socialised with Scots in their cafes which led to better assimilation
• Lithuanians changed their surnames to Scottish ones to fit in better with Scottish society
• Employers welcomed the hard-working Irish immigrants as they could pay them less that Scottish workers and the Irish worked longer hours
• Irish immigrants who were Protestant integrated well into Scotland – often were skilled workers and were descendents of Scottish settlers in Ulster
• Irish immigrants who were Catholic developed a distinct identity and embraced the Catholic faith in Scotland
• Some Irish immigrants combined well with Scottish workers in the trade union movement and were often involved as leaders
• Some Scots recognised that peaceful Irish settlers were attacked because they were Catholic