Second Immigration
"I want our next child to be born under the stars and stripes" (Keane, Mary).
The Keane Family passport picture when re-entering the United States
A Baby Away From Citizenship
Although Michael had an uncle in Hartford, CT at the time, they were still worried about obtaining citizenship. By "coincidence" Mary and Michael were expecting their fifth child. This gave them a strict timeline. They were planing to have this child, who would be Thomas Keane, father to Kevin Keane, as an anchor baby. Mary said that she wanted "her next baby to be born under the stars and stripes."
The way an anchor baby works is that a couple aligns their pregnancy with their immigration time. That way, the baby is born in the U.S., and becomes a naturalized U.S. citizen. That way, they are born an American citizen and the parents and family can get citizenship through the newborn baby.
As Mary and Michael wished, Thomas was born under the stripes and stars and the Keane family once again became Untied States citizens - only this time, in Hartford CT.
Thomas Keane's notice of birth
The Death of Mary
Michael's wife, Mary, died of breast cancer when Thomas (Kevin Keane's father) was barely two years old. Mary had noticed a large lump on her breast. When she went to the doctor, she was told that she was "kicked too hard by a horse" and that it would go away "the same way that it came" (Kevin Keane).
When Mary died, the widowed Michael was being swarmed with questions regarding what orphanage he would send his children too. After all, that was the norm. Men were meant to provide for the family and women were meant to raise the children.
But Michael was a family man. He left his home the first time to build a legacy in the United States. He put aside his own longing for Ireland and moved back to the United States to support his kids. Michael only had an uncle in the United States. His kids were everything to him - and he knew that is what Mary would have wanted. So he kept his family intact.
The Power of Music
The most heartwarming part of Michael's story is how he connected his family. When Mary died, he was determined to not lose his family. He said that he was going to raise his family by bonding over singing. Every night, the family would gather in the small den and sing songs together until the last child was asleep. Through song, the Keane family was able to stick together through ups and downs such as poverty, homesickness, and the loss of their wife/mother.