The Tenement Museum
We came into the city early to see the Tenement Museum. It was pretty cool, but a little sad. The tenements were constructed in during the mid 1800's by a Prussian-born immigrant named Lukas Glockner. During it's 80 year history, it has been modified in compliance with the times housing laws. In 1935, the landlord evicted all of the residents and sealed up the building instead of bringing the building up to code. Because it was sealed up and remained unchanged, it became sort of like a time capsule that provides us an insight into how immigrant families lived in the mid 19th century. While the tenement was in use, it housed 7,000 people from over 20 countries including Ireland, Germany, Italy and Eastern Europe. The Tenement Museum was founded in 1988 and was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1994.
The actual tenement that we saw was located at 97 Orchard Street. We began our tour on the outside patio. This is where the communal out-house would have been located and where women would do their laundry. While women were doing laundry, children would have been playing together. While we were there, the tour guide handed out some drawings. One of them really stuck out for me. The drawing was of a bunch of women doing laundry.The first woman who stands out is on the front. She is taller than the rest of the women, her blouse is open, and she seems to be involved in the community of women doing laundry. Her tall stature and physical features make her seem very masculine. This woman seems to be a tribute to the immigrant women who lived in the tenements in the 19th Century. There is another woman towards the back of the drawing. She is darker than the rest of the women in the picture, and her features are ape-like. She was supposed to represent the Irish immigrants who moved into the tenements after the other immigrants. She is depicted as smaller, barbaric, sad, and not a positive part of the community. This drawing is a great insight into the mind-sets of the community when Irish Immigrants moved into the area. They were seen as dirty and savage. They stuck out and were easily isolated from the rest of the tenement community for a few reasons. First, they spoke a different language than everyone else. Their customs, cultures, and even their music was much different from everyone else's, and they were Catholic.
We went upstairs to one of the tenement apartments. Our tour guide had us listen and watch some short film clips pertaining to what sounds may have been heard in the area. One of them was a song about an employment ad. At the bottom of the ad, it read "Irish need not apply." Another clip was a very mournful song about how family back home in Ireland held what seemed to be live funerals for family members who were going away to America. The first reason is that many of the people who were leaving for America were the young. The older family members were not healthy enough to make the trip to America and they knew they would never see their children again. So, they held funerals. The song and melody was very sad. Another clip we listened to was of a mother singing an Irish lullaby to her baby. The last clip we heard was a public announcement concerning the sale of spoiled milk to these poor people. The spoiled milk had additives put into the milk like plaster of paris, and vinegar to mask the spoiled smell. Unfortunately, the farms that the spoiled milk came from were not discovered to be bad until much later because the health inspectors were paid off the look the other way.
After that, we went into one of the small apartments in the tenement. The apartment belonged to the Bridget and Joseph Moore. The Moore family moved to the tenement in 1895. They had 3 daughters; Mary, Jane, and Agnes. The youngest daughter, Agnes, died in infancy. At this time, doctors were very expensive and only called on a need basis. Unfortunately for the Moore family, they called the doctor too late and the child died a day later. The family would have entered an extensive mourning period. The mirrors would have been covered to keep the bad spirits away and avoid the deceased spirit from getting trapped. A funeral would have been held and nearby residents would have heard songs that resembled whaling coming from the apartment. If the person who passed away was a woman's husband, she would have worn all black for 1 year and her outings outside of the house would have been limited. A few years later, Bridget herself died in childbirth. The oldest daughter was then responsible for her mother's duties. Joseph Moore never remarried. Life in the tenement was hard. It was comprised of 3 rooms; a bedroom, a living room, and a small kitchen. The lady of the house would have been responsible for fetching the water and coal in the morning and starting her daily chores. Bridget herself did tailoring on the side to supplement the family income. It was very cold in the winter. The children would have most likely slept on the floor in the kitchen next to the oven/stove. In the summer, the heat was unbearable, even with all of the windows open. Life inside of the tenement was no picnic. Even though the rent was inexpensive, I'm glad housing laws put an end to those living conditions.
The actual tenement that we saw was located at 97 Orchard Street. We began our tour on the outside patio. This is where the communal out-house would have been located and where women would do their laundry. While women were doing laundry, children would have been playing together. While we were there, the tour guide handed out some drawings. One of them really stuck out for me. The drawing was of a bunch of women doing laundry.The first woman who stands out is on the front. She is taller than the rest of the women, her blouse is open, and she seems to be involved in the community of women doing laundry. Her tall stature and physical features make her seem very masculine. This woman seems to be a tribute to the immigrant women who lived in the tenements in the 19th Century. There is another woman towards the back of the drawing. She is darker than the rest of the women in the picture, and her features are ape-like. She was supposed to represent the Irish immigrants who moved into the tenements after the other immigrants. She is depicted as smaller, barbaric, sad, and not a positive part of the community. This drawing is a great insight into the mind-sets of the community when Irish Immigrants moved into the area. They were seen as dirty and savage. They stuck out and were easily isolated from the rest of the tenement community for a few reasons. First, they spoke a different language than everyone else. Their customs, cultures, and even their music was much different from everyone else's, and they were Catholic.
We went upstairs to one of the tenement apartments. Our tour guide had us listen and watch some short film clips pertaining to what sounds may have been heard in the area. One of them was a song about an employment ad. At the bottom of the ad, it read "Irish need not apply." Another clip was a very mournful song about how family back home in Ireland held what seemed to be live funerals for family members who were going away to America. The first reason is that many of the people who were leaving for America were the young. The older family members were not healthy enough to make the trip to America and they knew they would never see their children again. So, they held funerals. The song and melody was very sad. Another clip we listened to was of a mother singing an Irish lullaby to her baby. The last clip we heard was a public announcement concerning the sale of spoiled milk to these poor people. The spoiled milk had additives put into the milk like plaster of paris, and vinegar to mask the spoiled smell. Unfortunately, the farms that the spoiled milk came from were not discovered to be bad until much later because the health inspectors were paid off the look the other way.
After that, we went into one of the small apartments in the tenement. The apartment belonged to the Bridget and Joseph Moore. The Moore family moved to the tenement in 1895. They had 3 daughters; Mary, Jane, and Agnes. The youngest daughter, Agnes, died in infancy. At this time, doctors were very expensive and only called on a need basis. Unfortunately for the Moore family, they called the doctor too late and the child died a day later. The family would have entered an extensive mourning period. The mirrors would have been covered to keep the bad spirits away and avoid the deceased spirit from getting trapped. A funeral would have been held and nearby residents would have heard songs that resembled whaling coming from the apartment. If the person who passed away was a woman's husband, she would have worn all black for 1 year and her outings outside of the house would have been limited. A few years later, Bridget herself died in childbirth. The oldest daughter was then responsible for her mother's duties. Joseph Moore never remarried. Life in the tenement was hard. It was comprised of 3 rooms; a bedroom, a living room, and a small kitchen. The lady of the house would have been responsible for fetching the water and coal in the morning and starting her daily chores. Bridget herself did tailoring on the side to supplement the family income. It was very cold in the winter. The children would have most likely slept on the floor in the kitchen next to the oven/stove. In the summer, the heat was unbearable, even with all of the windows open. Life inside of the tenement was no picnic. Even though the rent was inexpensive, I'm glad housing laws put an end to those living conditions.
Chinatown
After walking through the tenement museum, Mike sent us on a scavenger hunt through Chinatown. The first wave of Chinese Immigration occurred when the US and China established diplomatic relations in 1868. The Chinese immigrants came by way of California or they worked on the transcontinental RR. A majority of the immigrants were unmarried Chinese men between the ages of 20 and 50. Most of them had original intentions of only staying here long enough to earn money and return to China. Many of them ended up staying permanently. The ratio of Chinese Men to Women was approximately 200 to 1. As a result, many Chinese men married Irish women. In 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act paused immigration from China. The law was repealed in 1943 and a small amount of immigrants were allowed to enter the US. In, 1965, the Immigration Act increased Chinese immigration significantly. With the first wave of Chinese immigration, Chinatown was established around Mott Street and was originally 7 blocks. After the Immigration Act of 1965, Chinatown grew to be a 55 block area.
The first thing on the scavenger hunt that we had to locate was the Eastern State Buddhist Temple. From the outside, it looks really small, but inside is absolutely amazing. There are statues of Buddha all over the place. In front of the larger statues, you notice food. At first, I spotted a container of chinese food. I initially thought that someone so rudely left it there, but then I realized it was an offering to the God. Among other offerings, there were fruits, vegetables, money, and flowers. In the middle of the temple, there was a large Buddha statue with a little fortunes bound by tiny rubber bands. For a $1 donation, you could take a fortune.
The last thing we had to find was a place called Vivi Bubble Tea. I bought a strawberry coconut bubble tea. I thoought it was going to be amazing, but I've actually had better. It was bubble tea none-the-less, so I drank it. We had to find other things in the market like Chinese ice cream, so we found them and crossed them off the list. We also did some shopping. I will be going back in the future. The prices were really good and an hour is not remotely enough time to shop.
It was also interesting to see that even American places of business such as Chase Bank had Chinese next to the name. This demonstrates how important the language is in the area that even American Businesses have adapted to and embraced.
The first thing on the scavenger hunt that we had to locate was the Eastern State Buddhist Temple. From the outside, it looks really small, but inside is absolutely amazing. There are statues of Buddha all over the place. In front of the larger statues, you notice food. At first, I spotted a container of chinese food. I initially thought that someone so rudely left it there, but then I realized it was an offering to the God. Among other offerings, there were fruits, vegetables, money, and flowers. In the middle of the temple, there was a large Buddha statue with a little fortunes bound by tiny rubber bands. For a $1 donation, you could take a fortune.
The last thing we had to find was a place called Vivi Bubble Tea. I bought a strawberry coconut bubble tea. I thoought it was going to be amazing, but I've actually had better. It was bubble tea none-the-less, so I drank it. We had to find other things in the market like Chinese ice cream, so we found them and crossed them off the list. We also did some shopping. I will be going back in the future. The prices were really good and an hour is not remotely enough time to shop.
It was also interesting to see that even American places of business such as Chase Bank had Chinese next to the name. This demonstrates how important the language is in the area that even American Businesses have adapted to and embraced.
Congee Village Restaurant
After completing the scavenger hunt in Chinatown, we stopped for lunch at Congee Village Restaurant. I have never eaten at a resaurant like that in my life. The food was delicious. Even the table and seating arrangement was new to me. When you sit down, you are arranged in a spherical seating arrangement. The table has 2 layers. The bottom layer is a regular layer that is sturdy. The smaller diameter top area is where all of the food is placed, but it spins so that all of the food can be passed to each person. This was awesome. I normally don't like Kale, but I had it at the restaurant and it was delicious. I also tried something new. It was snowpea leafs. They were cooked in a garlic and soy sauce. Delicious. Congee was also passed around. It didn't look so appetizing and the tour guide mentioned it was very bland, so i reserved in tasting it. Overall though, one of the most delicious lunches I have ever had.
The Lower East Side
After lunch, our NYC tour guide Jeff briefed us on a small history of the Lower East Side. The LE Side is historically a working class area. It is located on the southeastern part of Manhattan. The Lower East Side was originally composed of 3 separate farms belonging to the Rutgers Family, The Delancey Family, and the Stuyvesant Family. After the arrival of the trains in the 1830's, it grew, developed and became one of the most densely populated areas in the world.In the 1850's German and Irish immigrants moved into the community. Also in the 1850's, Ashkenazi Jews from Russia and Eastern Europe and Sephardic Jews from Spain and North Africa swarmed into the area. A majority of them moved to the LE Side. Between 1880 and 1924, two and a half million Jews came to the US. Even within the community, they formed clans and clicks, each having it's own language, customs, and traditions. When families became more financially stable, they moved out of the tenements and moved to either the Upper West Side of Manhattan or across the East River to Williamsburg.
We walked a while. Our first stop was at Economy Candy. Economy Candy was established in 1937 and is thought to be the largest candy store in the US. When I went inside, I couldn't even walk through the whole store. It was so crowded and the aisles were very narrow. I saw one of my favorite childhood treats; Astronaut ice cream. It's freeze dried Ice cream that is packaged and can be stored for a long period of time.
After that, we walked for a long time. We saw Synagogues, bath houses, and Jewish businesses. On the way we saw apartment buildings with balconies. Jeff told us that any apartment buildings with a balcony were most likely built by a modern Jewish Architect for the reason that balconies are needed for Jewish rituals.
Next, we stopped at Henry Street Settlement. Settlements were established on the thought that instead of giving the poor food, clothing, supplies, or money, the best way to help the community was by moving into it and providing members of the community with education, improving housing, and aiding people in employment. Eleanor Roosevelt herself taught dancing at Settlement University. The settlement that we visited was the Henry Street Settlement that was established by Lillian Wald.
We walked a while. Our first stop was at Economy Candy. Economy Candy was established in 1937 and is thought to be the largest candy store in the US. When I went inside, I couldn't even walk through the whole store. It was so crowded and the aisles were very narrow. I saw one of my favorite childhood treats; Astronaut ice cream. It's freeze dried Ice cream that is packaged and can be stored for a long period of time.
After that, we walked for a long time. We saw Synagogues, bath houses, and Jewish businesses. On the way we saw apartment buildings with balconies. Jeff told us that any apartment buildings with a balcony were most likely built by a modern Jewish Architect for the reason that balconies are needed for Jewish rituals.
Next, we stopped at Henry Street Settlement. Settlements were established on the thought that instead of giving the poor food, clothing, supplies, or money, the best way to help the community was by moving into it and providing members of the community with education, improving housing, and aiding people in employment. Eleanor Roosevelt herself taught dancing at Settlement University. The settlement that we visited was the Henry Street Settlement that was established by Lillian Wald.
Conclusion
Overall, it was a nice day. My favorite attraction today was the Tenement Museum. It is so interesting to see how people lived in the late 1800's and the early 1900's. It's amazing to see how Immigration from all different countries at all different times in history have influenced the development of the different neighborhoods and made them the cultural centers that they are today. Chinatown was cool, but the time allotted to us to explore it didn't seem enough. The tour of the LE side was cool because our tour guide Jeff is pretty cool, but I still like the Tenement Museum better. Thanks to Jacob Riis and his investigative reporting, conditions in the tenements and the community changed for the better.