State visits by American presidents overseas are primarily a function of U.S. foreign policy, targeting important allies or countries of particular strategic or economic significance to the United States. So why has Ireland, a neutral country of minimal strategic or economic importance to the U.S., warranted visits from six of the last ten American chief executives? The answer lies not in realm of foreign policy but in the arena of domestic American politics. This presentation will examine how and why several U.S. presidents, from John F. Kennedy to Barack Obama, have used Ireland as a stage for addressing the issue of immigration and its role in shaping American identity.