Hester Street Film Analysis

Religious influences derived from T.M Rudavsky’s “Gender and Judaism” will differ in effect on the individuals as to either reject or integrate their Jewish identities with American liberties. The articles focusing on diverse theories of assimilation being a natural element in the immigration process such as Milton Gordon’s “Assimilation in America: Theory and Reality” which will contribute the concepts “Anglo-conformity” and “cultural pluralism” as they assist Yezierska’s and Antin’s directive of assimilation in America. “Spatial Patterns of Immigrant Assimilation” written by James P. Allen and Eugene Turner will propose the significance of “cultural assimilation” constructing Sara’s and Mary’s identity through a culture that expresses a wealthy lifestyle with archiving an education in terms of success. These theories support the literary strategies of fiction and realism as their differences in external influences and personal decisions highlight the similar outcome of an incomplete assimilation integrating Jewish

Throughout the history of America, there has always been a influx of Jews from Europe. Even though Emma Lazarus wrote her poem after the massive immigration of German Jews to America, her poem can be used to describe the Jewish Immigrants. Many German Jews arrived in New York " tired ... poor... [and] yearning to breathe free." While New York City was still a hub for German Jewish immigrants, some had also moved to Atlanta and more Western states. Several of the German Jewish families who immigrated to America will forever have their names etched into her history, through their central role as entrepreneurs in America's expanding clothing industry. They began from humble careers and worked their way up the proverbial food chain. Once

Jewish immigrants have been treated very harshly, but somewhat “fair” in the 1800’s when Judaism became really popular. Jewish immigrants started migrating to different countries. Jews began migrating to America since 1820 all through today and still continuing, but in the 1600’s about 23 adult spanish-portuguese jews came to New Amsterdam where they had arrived. In 1655 more jews came from Holland. Nine years later, the British came and attempted to take over New York, but failed in the process of doing so . Although, making less than 1 percent of the population, they still made a pattern of Jewish life in America. They lived in the main port cities and had many leaders of the jewish religion who had impacted America positively. America then

New York was at the forefront of Judaism in America, and they were the ones who really began creating a large, stable community. Because New York was a very diverse society, it was easier for the Jews to blend in and grow their own society. Originally when New York was owned by the Dutch, the Jews were only accepted because they would be helpful economically, even though the other citizens protested their arrival. However, once the British took over, the Jews became a true part of the society and were able to build public, synagogue based communities. Over time, they grow drastically into the biggest Jewish community, and were the basis for the rest of Jewish development across

The main reason that Jewish people left Europe was “the lack of economic opportunity,” (“Washington State History”). From the beginning, Jewish settlers “fully participated in the social and economic life of the region,” (“Washington State History”). Many of the immigrants came to Washington for relatives, friends and it increased the growth of the Jewish community in Washington State. In early 20th century, “many of these immigrants practiced crafts bought from their homeland” and it created more opportunities for their own businesses to grow in Washington (“Washington State History”). The last major immigration of “Eastern Europeans Jews took place during the first World War, when thousands made their way to Seattle,” (“Washington State History”). “Jews in Washington have continued to seek out ways to establish both economic, social networks” and politics in Washington (“Washington State History”). From early 20th century to 1945s, Jewish people have dominated for organizing events in towns, and cities to keep people connected and socialize easier. The Jewish immigrants left a mark in the history of Washington. They helped made politics more organized, created more available economic jobs in Washington and became more social with friends and family that searched to be

Nancy Foner compares two distinct waves of immigration to New York, from 1880 to 1920 and from 1965 to present, to illustrate how immigrants have positively contributed to the city’s sociohistorical development. In her comparative studies of New York immigration patterns, she highlights certain trends shaped by immigrants throughout these two eras. For centuries, different immigrant groups have enriched the city’s multicultural landscape and developed its commercial and industrial infrastructures. Firstly, Asian immigrants have fueled economic growth with their professional training while Jews have strengthened the economy with their artisan skills. Secondly, non-European immigrants have made New York more culturally diverse by settling through

In the late 1800s to the mid 1900s, population in New York City was ever increasing. The stories of the “American Dream” and the magnificent new town of New York reached Europe and stirred a plentiful amount of people to move to the new land. While the new world economy was thriving, many Europeans faced great hardships as a result of it, such as, “Crop failure, resulted in loss of jobs and famine” and “Religious and political freedom” which led them to see that “New York City was a haven for all people from all religions and all nationalities” ("IMMIGRANTS IN 1900's NEW YORK CITY - Why They Left Home."). These immigrants recognized the danger of leaving all they had known and all they had for a possibility of a new life in New York, but they had hope. Hope is what brought them to this new world and hope was the first thing they saw in

The history of Jews in the United States of America is a long and arduous one. This relationship began in the first week of September 1654, when 23 Jewish immigrants landed at New Amsterdam, the Dutch colony ( Now known as Manhattan), and was immediacy ask to leave by the then governor Peter Stuyvesant, for as he said they should not be allowed to infest the new colony,(Schappes 9). The Jews immigrants refused and was later granted permission by the Dutch West India Company to stay , travel and trade. However, the major migration of Jews to the United States of America took place in three waves mainly known as the German period of immigrants1850-1870,

Many Jews stayed without jobs for some months at a time. Cohen recalls, “I stood a while, then I walked away from the shop, ‘Where next’, I wondered” (Cohen 132). When Jews were able to secure jobs, they faced problems such as twelve-hour workdays. This meant that their lives consisted of nothing but work, eat, and sleep, which was repeated all seven days of the week. The days were long and the working conditions were harsh. Often, Jews had to attend work deathly ill or unable to physically function. Cohen recalls when she first arrived how much her father had to work and how he was hardly ever home, working to establish himself and his family in America. “When he went away in the morning it was still dark, and when he came home at night the lights in the halls were out” (Cohen, Pg. 74). By telling her story, Rose reveals the different economic obstacles Jews faced in the work force in America.

They brought across the seas their religion and traditions. [1]. This means establishing and maintaining a comfortable distance from the synagogue but participating in some of its events and services. Only 6% of the Russian-speaking Jewish population considers religion “very important,” and another 35% “somewhat important” yet many, including very secular people. They helped established many synagogues in the East Coast spreading across the country. They helped many other people around them have an interest or in a way a conversion to Judaism due to the way the believed in and the way the truly were very holy about it, [2]. “For many others, the strict religious practices of Orthodox Judaism required that they live near an existing Jewish community. Around the turn of the century, nearly one-half of the Jewish population of the United States lived in New York City. There, they would create a world unlike any other in the annals of American immigration”. Also they received a negative side as well from Christians and they were upset thinking they were persuading the people into something bad for not believing the same things they do.

In the 1920’s the city of Boyle Heights a city in which a type of ethnicity such as jews lived in. During this year many Jewish community immigrants and their families move into Los Angeles who made Boyle Heights the biggest Jewish community. Not only them but hispanics also played a big role in the 1920’s. There is two other ethnicities who moved there which were Asians and african americans. By the mid 1930’s, Jews accounted for 35,000 of Boyle Heights population. Who shared their community with increasing numbers of mexican americans, along with pockets of african americans, and Japanese Americans. In Boyle Heights all these different ethnicities is what makes up the different cultures.

Ever since the early 17th century, the Jews in Philadelphia have been striving to become an important part of the American society, while staying true to their roots. Although the Jews faced exile from their homelands of Portugal and Spain, they were able to build and sustain a strong Jewish community within Philadelphia and pave the way for future generations through extensive actions throughout the community. They built hundreds of Jewish schools, Community Centres, synagogues and established many congregations. They became strongly involved in the American society and paved the way for many of America’s moral codes (Telushkin). There are currently 275, 850 Jews in Philadelphia, making it one of the strongest Jewish communities in the United States (Levine).

The Jews could not tolerate any more of this oppression and immigrated to the United States in large numbers. They saw the freedom that they had been searching for and perceived the United States as their gateway to success.

As Immigrants would come through Ellis Island and other places with a gleaming amount of hope, they would experience something totally different on the other side. Inside the US was this feeling of Anglo-Saxon superiority and therefore immigration was frowned upon in may areas. An immigration officer from this time period cited “early economic opportunity came to an end” as one of the major things that affected immigrant life. They [immigrants] were left to find day jobs working at the first opportunity that presented itself and then return to the tenement. Out of this pattern grew an extreme feeling of isolation. Immigrants lived in their own communities, socialized with their own, and slept with their own. Nativist feelings from the american-born community were real and present and ultimately the belief was to sleep, eat, and work for someone else and be content.

From the information we can understand that in the beginning of the 20th century large numbers of immigrants came to New York City searching for more desirable life for themselves and their future generations, the American middle – class dream. In addition, these people believed that if they work hard and have faith in themselves, they will be able to achieve a great life full of satisfaction.