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.
Product Identifiers
Publisher
New York University Press
ISBN-13
9780814740194
eBay Product ID (ePID)
96446353
Product Key Features
Book Title
My Future Is in America: Autobiographies of Eastern European Jewish Immigrants
Author
Daniel Soyer, Jocelyn Cohen
Format
Hardcover
Language
English
Topic
Religious History, Judaism
Publication Year
2005
Number of Pages
329 Pages
Dimensions
Item Height
229mm
Item Width
152mm
Item Weight
590g
Additional Product Features
Country/Region of Manufacture
United States
Editor
Jocelyn Cohen, Daniel Soyer
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