Fourth Grade Learns About Immigrants on the Lower East Side
by Myles
In early December 2015, the 4th grade class from Little Red Schoolhouse (LREI) met an immigrant from 1916! How is that possible? The 4th grade went on a trip to the Tenement Museum on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, so they could learn more about Victoria Confino.
The tenement museum is an old tenement building in Manhattan on the Lower East Side. Inside it was old and shabby because it supposed to look like it was in 1916. The apartments in the building were set up with artifacts from 1916 so that the people who visit could learn more about Victoria Confino’s life. One fourth grader said, “This apartment looks very, very small!”
At the museum, the fourth grade class met Victoria, who was really a person acting the part of Victoria. She had an accent and she wore an apron, so she would look like someone from the olden days.
Jett, one of 4th graders, said, “I learned that Victoria had three brothers, and she was the only girl in the family.” Another 4th grader said that she had a big family. There were six people all together. Verity noticed that, “Victoria had to do a lot of cleaning and she had to help around with chores.” The fourth graders learned that Victoria was in the house a lot because her brothers got to go to school and she didn’t.
The fourth graders also had some questions for Victoria. One asked, “Why did Victoria move to 97 Orchard Street?” Another question was “Why didn’t Victoria go to school with her brothers?” And, “Why did Victoria help her mom around the house?”
Victoria showed the fourth graders her report card. She went to school in second grade, so she knew how to read a little. Her brothers taught her how to read more. Victoria said, “I am so happy that my brothers taught me how to read.”
Victoria explained how she used the soap when washing clothes. She used a soap saver. It works by putting a piece of the soap in a soap saver. A soap saver is like a strainer. You get the soap and put in a soap strainer and then, you swish the soap strainer in the water with the clothes. Then bubbles would appear and you keep swishing the soap strainer till you think that everything is clean.
The whole fourth grade class now knows more about Victoria Confino, how she lived, and what immigrants used in the olden days. One of the fourth graders said, “We got to learn by seeing the person who actually lived in that time… even though she was only acting.”
The Great but the Bad of Immigration By Kate
Imagine, your house gets burnt down and you’re forced to move halfway around the world to a place called “The Lower East Side” in New York. You lived in a small town called, Kastori, in Turkey before. Now you live in a small tenement with about seven other people in the same space, with only one bedroom for your parents. Can you imagine? Well, Victoria Confino can.
Victoria Confino was only ten years old when she moved to America with her Mom, and her three brothers back in 1913. Just like many other immigrants who have settled in the Lower East Side, her family came to find better opportunities, jobs, and a great, loving life. Victoria lives in a small but nice tenement. The tenement has running water, a kitchen, but of course the toilet is still in the backyard. The tenements are small and cramped. Some families use broken crates, or boxes that are found on the street as a makeshift bed. “Here my brother sleeps.” said Victoria as she pointed to the crates with a cushion on top.
When Victoria first settled she was put in 2nd grade even though she was 10. Some schools would do this when a new immigrant student would come in and couldn’t speak English. Victoria didn’t speak English so she just had to figure it out as she went. When she was about 14-15 years old, she stopped attending school to work at her father’s Underwear Factory. Victoria was absent quite a few times in her early years. In second grade she was absent 12 days but was never late.
Victoria’s father came to America first in 1913 to earn enough money for the rest of the Confino family to come and live in America with him. They only could afford to travel in steerage. Steerage is the worst way or the cheapest way to travel by ship in America. It is a filthy, compacted, and smelly. Victoria’s family spent at least two weeks in the steerage compartment on their way to America.
In conclusion, Victoria’s family didn’t have a pretty ride over to America or a big or fancy place to live but they are happy with the opportunities in America. Victoria is currently living in her and her family’s apartment and doing her chores. She is still living the hectic, smelly, and bustling life of the Lower East Side. What if this was your life?
VICTORIA’S VICTORIOUS STORY
By Violet
Victoria Confino used to live in a small, quiet, town in Turkey but, her whole life changed when her house burnt down. She had to move all the way across the sea to the crowded, busy, Lower East Side where she adapted to New York City at 97 Orchard St. in 1916. Victoria had running water, which is lucky if you’re an immigrant in a tenement.
Victoria’s parents are named Rachel and Abraham Confino and she has many siblings whose names are: David, Saul, Jacob, Salvatore and Rather Confino. She lives in a three room tenement with her family. One room is the bedroom and living room, the other room is the kitchen and the last room is the parent’s bedroom and where the baby sleeps.
Victoria was ten years old when she traveled to America but she was nineteen years old when her father became an American citizen. Victoria was put in second grade even though she should have been put in an older grade. She got put in second grade because she is an immigrant and didn’t know very much English then.
Victoria was a good student in second grade because she got mostly Bs and As and was not absent a lot. Victoria did not forget to return any books either in second grade. Abraham Confino traveled before the rest of her family so that he could get a job to send money back to the rest of the Confinos so they could come to America too.
Victoria really likes movie stars such as Charlie Chaplin. She enjoys reading American books like “Alice in Wonderland” and her brothers like “The Dickens Brothers.” She goes to the bathhouse every Thursday, if she can, and likes to go the the Nickelodeon with her friends.
Victoria Confino can really struggle through the life of being an immigrant and has to live under the conditions of living in a tenement. She really looks on the bright side of America and adores her job as an apron-maker.
Looking for a Tenement?
By Ella
What is it like to live in a tenement with nine other people? In 1916, on December 14th Victoria Confino had a new Russian immigrant family visit her house to observe and ask her about the tenement she lives in. Victoria’s family moved to America because their house burned down in Turkey in a small town called Castoria.
Victoria Confino and her family live in a tenement on 97 Orchard Street. “The Confino’s tenement is not too big,” said one of the children from the visiting family. The Confinos had ten people in their family, so to have a tenement with three rooms: a parlor, a kitchen, and a bedroom, can feel crowded.
Victoria taught the visiting family how she washes the clothes and where she sleeps and cooks. Victoria sleeps on the kitchen floor. “Victoria says that she thinks that her house is very comfy,” said one of the children from the visiting family. “Victoria and her family have running water!” said another child from the visiting family. The Confinos wash their clothes with soap, that is in a soap saver, and a metal thing that is in a shape of a plunger. The Confinos wash their clothes in a sink. They first stick the clothes in, then they take the soap saver and swish that around, and then they use the metal thing in a shape of a plunger to clean the clothes. “When Victoria let us wash some of the clothes I felt excited of what living in America could feel like,” said a child from the visiting family. “I felt like a baby that was thrown into a pound to learn how to swim when I went into Victoria Confino’s tenement,” said another child from the visiting family.
“My siblings sleep in the parlor and I sleep on the kitchen floor,” said Victoria Confino. The mama and the papa would sleep in the only bedroom in the Confino’s tenement. “Papa said we would have to discuss about the tenement,” said a child in the visiting family.
“The tenement was very comfy and I didn’t want to leave. I very much agree with Victoria that we should move in! I even made up a song to tell Papa and Mama! It goes like this, “A tenement is what we need. It is small and comfy. It will have running water. And we could clean the house! All we need is a tenement. All we need is a tenement. Where I could eat, and sleep! I would sleep in the parlor with my brothers and sisters, and you would sleep in the bedroom! We would be one big happy immigrant family!” said a child from the visiting family. If you are wanting to move to 97 Orchard Street make sure to visit Victoria Confino’s tenement!
