Visit the 1935 apartment of Rosaria and Adolpho Baldizzi, Italian Catholic immigrants who came to the United States in the 1920s as “undocumented” immigrants. Participants will compare their own immigration experience with that of the Baldizzis, and discuss “Who should be able to immigrate to the United States?” and “What does it mean to be ‘American’?”

Immigrants and Social Welfare

Visit the apartment of Natalie Gumpertz, a single mother who raised her children on her own during the economic depression of the 1870s. Participants learn about the various options she had at that time, and compare them with the forms of assistance available to immigrant today.

Our Immigration Histories: Telling Our Stories

In this workshop, participants go back in time to 1916 and meet a 14-year old Sephardic Jewish immigrant named Victoria Confino. Played by a costumed interpreter, “Victoria” invites participants into her home, tells them about her culture, and discusses what it is like to be an immigrant in 1916. After meeting Victoria, participants work in small groups to prepare short presentations about their own culture and immigration experiences.

Making a Living

Visit the 1897 home of the Levine family, who ran a small garment factory in their home. This type of factory, very common at the turn of the century, is considered one of the first “sweatshops” in the garment industry. The conditions in these tenement factories sparked a national debate about what constitutes acceptable working conditions, a debate which is still with us today. Participants discuss the challenges of making a living, learn how immigrants organized for better working conditions in the past, and discuss how people are addressing the problem of sweatshops today.

Housing Conditions Then and Now

In this workshop, participants discuss the question “What are acceptable housing conditions?” They learn how immigrants helped shape ideas about housing standards between 1863 and 1935 and learn about the steps they can take to improve housing conditions today. Participants take on the role of housing inspectors in the early 1900s and, using the 1901 Tenement House Act, “inspect” the tenement building at 97 Orchard Street. They are then given information about current housing laws and consider whether their own homes meet today’s standards of acceptable housing.

Health Issues in Our Communities

Visit the 1918 apartment of the Rogarshevsky family. The family is in mourning because the father, Abraham, has died of tuberculosis, which he contracted after years of living in a crowded tenement building and working in poor conditions in a garment factory. Participants will use the Rogarshevsky story as the foundation for a discussion about issues related to immigrant health and the barriers immigrants may face when trying to access health care.

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