My Future Is in America: Autobiographies of Eastern European Jewish Immigrants

by Jocelyn Cohen (Editor), Daniel Soyer

In 1942, YIVO held a contest for the best autobiography by a Jewish immigrant on the theme “Why I Left the Old Country and What I Have Accomplished in America.” Chosen from over two hundred entries, and translated from Yiddish, the nine life stories in My Future Is in America provide a compelling portrait of American Jewish life in the immigrant generation at the turn of the twentieth century.
The writers arrived in America in every decade from the 1890s to the 1920s. They include manual workers, shopkeepers, housewives, communal activists, and professionals who came from all parts of Eastern Europe and ushered in a new era in American Jewish history. In their own words, the immigrant writers convey the complexities of the transition between the Old and New Worlds.
An Introduction places the writings in historical and literary context, and annotations explain historical and cultural allusions made by the writers. This unique volume introduces readers to the complex world of Yiddish-speaking immigrants while at the same time elucidating important themes and topics of interest to those in immigration studies, ethnic studies, labor history, and literary studies.
Published in conjunction with the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research.

329 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2005

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I skipped the intro and went straight to the autobiographies. People suffered such hardships in the past and overcame incredible obstacles just to find enough food to eat and have shelter. Welcome the stranger is something we must remember. The problems many of us face today are NOTHING compared to our ancestors.