Coming to America

Snow on the lower east side

We recently returned from a family visit in the beautiful "garden state".  That's New Jersey for those of you who don't know.

We had a great time baking cookies, preparing and sharing an awesome Thanksgiving meal with family and friends, decorating the Christmas tree, and watching Hallmark Christmas movies. I discovered if you've seen one you've seen them all. And even though they all strongly resemble each other, you can't stop watching.They're like a train wreck, you can't look away. But I digress. We also did a little shopping, attended the town Christmas tree lighting and dined in a cozy pub.

Aside from the biggest perk of NJ (family), there is another and that is the opportunity to "go into the city." New York City that is. The Big Apple.

Although we missed our train into Manhattan, had to reschedule our tour time of the Tenement Museum, got pelted in the face with sleet, and perhaps, worst of all, had to ride the A train at 4:30 in the afternoon, we had a great time!

We were in between the end of Thanksgiving week-end and the beginning of Christmas decorating and the city was an energetic, crowded, diverse, and mesmerizing place to visit.

The highlight of our city jaunt was a visit to the Tenement Museum on the lower east side of Manhattan. We had heard good reviews about it and we were not disappointed. There were several tours to choose from and we chose the "shop life" one. With our knowledgeable guide, we entered a rather small area (perhaps 15 feet by 20 feet) that in the 1870's was a saloon. The family that owned it were immigrants from Germany.

Leaving the saloon area we stepped into another room that served as their back office, dining area, and "gathering area" or living room. The next room was the kitchen which included a coal fired stove, shelves of dishes and supplies and not much else. The third room was the bedroom.
We were told that the parents, their one child, and their saloon, kitchen helper all slept there. These three living spaces each measured approximately 10 feet by 10 feet.

The only heat came from the coal fired stove and light came from lanterns that burned oil. Oh, did I mention there were only two outside windows and those were at the back of the apartment. There was no opportunity for cross ventilation, but I guess they were able to get outside air when they went to haul all of the water they used in from the well or when they went to use the communal outhouse. Their life was not easy.

These were some brave and determined folks for sure. Makes you have a whole new perspective about immigrants. Makes you think about how your own ancestors came to America (and why) and it makes you think about how your own immediate family came to be where they are today.

If you have ever moved, and let's face it who hasn't moved at least once in their lifetime, you know it can be quite the task. Packing, loading, unloading, unpacking, changing your address, trying to hook up utilities and if you have children, trying to enroll them in a new school. Perhaps beginning a new job, finding a new place of worship, and making new friends can also add to the stress.

If you are a child, moving can be a scary process. New sounds, smells, language, customs, lack of resources, and worrying about making friends or being accepted by your peers can weigh heavy on little shoulders.

The following is a list of picture books addressing this issue.
While some are a little long in text for the very young, they are just about right for the four, five, or six year old in your life.

My Dog Is Lost by Ezra Jack Keats and Pat Cherr.
Juanito was miserable. Only two days before, he and his family had arrived in New York all the way from Puerto Rico. Now he was in a new home, with no friends, and he only spoke Spanish.
To make things worse, his dog was lost!
Juanito sets out to find his dog and receives much help from the Spanish speaking clerk at the bank, a brother and sister in Chinatown, from people in Little Italy, Harlem, and even a policeman along the way. He is finally reunited with his dog and discovers that New York is not so bad after all.

A Piece of Home written by Jeri Watts and illustrated by Hyewon Yum is a child-friendly story about the trials and triumphs of starting over and making new friends, while keeping family and traditions close. This family has made a move from Korea to West Virginia.

Faraway Drums written by Virginia Kroll and Illustrated by Floyd Cooper is the story of Jamila Jefferson who wonders what to do when the nighttime sounds of her family's new neighborhood startle and frighten her little sister, Zakiya. Then she remembers the stories that her great-grandma told her, stories about Africa, and uses those to create a magical world for her sister and herself.

Bitter and Sweet written by Sandra V. Feder, illustrated by Kyrsten Brooker tells the story of Hannah's family. Her grandmother tells her how she herself felt leaving the old country--it was a change that was both bitter and sweet. Hannah feels only the bitter at first but then soon discovers that sweetness can come from unexpected places. There is an accompanying note on the concept of bitter and sweet in Jewish culture included in the book.

That's it for now.
Check back later!