Hi my name is Sarah Marx. I am 14 years old and I am from Finland. I have a twin sister

named Nikki Marx. I also have two older brothers named Jack and Maks. I have a older sister named Zoe and a younger sister named Esmay. I also have a younger brother named Bruce. I get along with my twin and the rest of my sisters really well just not my brothers sometimes. I have a mom and a grandmother who lives with us but I don’t have a father. Our mom is named Lilly and our grandmothers name is Jane. Now I should tell you more about my personality. I am brave and I love animals. I also love adventure, my mom sends me outside sometimes to do some chores. I live in a tenement and our tenement is pretty small. I live on the third floor. When we first moved to America we were looking for a place to stay. Then me and my family remembered that we had a friend who lives here, her name was Talia and she lived in a tenement. She told us that there was a empty floor that nobody lived in. Me and my family moved in to that floor and we moved on the fourth floor.

After we settled in to our tenement my mom told me and my siblings to look for a job. Me and my sister Nikki found a job at a sweatshop. My job in the sweatshop was a clipper so was my sister Nikki. When me and my siblings went home we told our mother that we found jobs. Our mom was proud that we found jobs in one day. I sometimes missed finland but the reason why we came to America was because we needed jobs and we did not have a lot of money to buy food. The next day in the sweatshop my sister and I had to get to the sweatshop early. In the sweatshop building there was a lot of people working. Later on the day like at lunch time we still had to work till night. When the sweatshop closed me and my sister went back home. When we went in to the tenement my mom looked worried, she said, “Where have you been it is almost bed time”. I said “We were working”, and my sister said “The forelady said we had to stay late at the sweatshop and work”.  I said “The sweatshop was horrible  and there was bad conditions.” My sister said “Everybody kept on getting hurt from the machines and the forelady always locked the doors”. My mom said Well it time for bed now and we can talk about it tomorrow.”

I wish I can go to school, sometimes I see other kids getting ready and going to school with their friends. One time I asked my mom if I can go to school, she said no because we had to get more money and “thats” the reason why we came to america. My older brothers go to school which I think is no fair.The rest of my sisters think it’s no fair too but I can understand why they don’t work at a sweatshop. They don’t work at a sweatshop because the bosses of the sweatshop look for little girls that have nimble fingers which means small fingers. My older brothers don’t have nimble fingers they have big fingers.

Here is more about myself and about my life and family. My mom Lilly is a little bit worried all the time but she is also a really good cook. She is probably the best cook I ever knew. Now about my grandmother. My grandmother Jane is really nice, but she could get tired easily so sometimes we don’t really see her that much when we go somewhere. Now something about my brothers. My brothers can get a bit aggressive but they are pretty nice sometimes. Now some things about my sisters they are really nice and supportive and they love to play not aggressively.

In the streets with my siblings I saw someone waving a hand to me and my siblings she called out “hei ,” that means hello in finnish. When she came a bit closer it was my cousin Teagen. She said that she lives here in the Lower East Side. She also said that she lives in our tenement on the fourth floor. I asked “Do you live with alone or with your family?” She said “I live with my older brother Max”.  When me and my siblings went back to the tenement  we told our mom that we saw our cousin Teagen and  my mom was really happy to hear that. She said “I am so glad that we have some family members here”.

The next day me and my sister Nikki went to the food carts to get some food. It was noon and we were walking home until we heard barking from a alleyway. We went to see what it was and it was a stray puppy. I said “we shouldn’t just leave the dog here”, and then Nikki said “ you’re right he looks hungry and cold , we should bring him home”.  When we got inside the puppy was barking. Mom heard and ran to us she said “where have you been”?  As she keeps talking the puppy comes out and jumps on our mom. I say “ we were walking home until we heard barking and then we saw the puppy”, and then my sister said “besides when we saw him he was hungry and he was cold too.”My mom said okay. So we kept the puppy and we named him Willie. We go to Teagen’s floor and tell her we got a  dog Tegaen says “cool”. Me and my sister walk the dog and come back home just in time for dinner. It’s time to go to bed so me and my siblings go to bed and Willie sleeps with us.

In the morning Willie gets of the bed and barks at me and my sister Nikki. We get up and notice that Willie is hungry. We get up and give him some bread and some water. Later on the day we walk the dog and we see Teagen walking her dog. We yell out “koira on niin söpö” (your dog is so cute.) “What his name?” Nikki asks, Teagen says “korran”. “Thats a cute name” I say. “My brother found him in the streets after work” Teagen says. “Wow” I say, “we found Willie in an alleyway after work”.

Okay now more about my job I work at a factory where we make clothes. I am a clipper and my sister is a clipper. My other siblings work somewhere else where I don’t know, but anyway I am a clipper who works in a clothes factory. During work me and my sister speak Finnish sometimes cause it’s the language we know best then english. At the factory we have a forelady she is really mean and strict. She only lets us have a 2 min break and we have to work till night time like at 7:00. After work is over we get home late and then our mom gets worried. One day at the factory we were clipping clothes. My sister said “ työskennellä nopeammin” (work faster) , and I said “En voi sain leikata” (I can’t I gotta cut.) Then we started talking in english. My sister said “okay well that makes sense why you are working so slow. But I don’t think you can get a bandage here, the forelady wouldn’t let you.” I said “you’re right I should keep working and not stop so we can earn our wages.”

When me and my sister go home it is really quiet in the Lower East Side, until we get inside the tenement. Inside the tenement my brothers are playing and my sisters are talking and the dog is barking. Also I can hear Teagen talking to her brother and their dog barking too. Soon it is bedtime and we go to bed and everyone is relaxed including upstairs. Also tomorrow we have a break from work and get to stay home or go explore in the Lower East Side. In our tenement it gets super loud when it’s night time. Also in our tenement it’s not like the best shelter to live in but it’s a shelter. Our tenement is in good conditions and bad, for example the tenement does not have very good light in the hallway. A good part of the tenement is that water runs in the tenement.

When I wake up I remember that I have a break today from work. I say do my siblings “Nouse meillä on tauko tänään” (get up we have a break today.) My siblings wake up and we run to the living room. Me and my siblings are already dressed so we can explore the lower east side. Me and my siblings go outside and we smell smoke…

We smelled smoke and it was coming from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. My I said “ why are there people in the factory if its a break?” My brother said “ because some factories don’t take breaks. Then my sister said “why are you not panicking “Theres a FIRE!” Then me and my siblings saw the fire truck come and they were going fast but they did not success that well. When we ran back home my mom and grandma said “what happen”, and you know my mom she was worried. Nikki said “ there was a fire in the triangle shirtwaist factory and was burning fast”. My mom said “oh my god really” my brother said “ya they’re even selling the newspaper about it” and I said “really that fast!”, my brother said “ya that fast”. Teagen came in with her brother and they had the newspaper. Me and my family were scared and people died in the fire. But luckily it was not one of us.

After the fire was over some people were still talking about it but anyway it was over. Also after we have settled in the lower east side a lot of things have changed because of the fire. Like in the sweatshops our forelady does not lock the doors anymore so we have better conditions here. The reason why we now have better conditions because of the fire is because the forelady saw how the conditions were in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory.

Now my family and life was great. I told you a lot about myself and my family too. My life is actually fun just hard  and one more thing hei hei (bye).

My sketch is about stray dogs in an alleyway looking for food. There are also rats that are running away from the dogs. This sketch takes place in the alleyways of the Lower East Side.

Milei: Hi. Thanks for sitting down for an interview with me. Tell me about your life on the Lower East Side.

Sarah: You’re welcome. This should be fun. First of all, as you know, my name is Sarah Marx. I am 14 years old and I am from Finland. I have a twin sister named Nikki Marx. I also have two older brothers named Jack and Maks. I have an older sister named Zoe and a younger sister named Esmay. I also have a younger brother named Bruce.

Milei: How is your relationship with your siblings?

Sarah: I get along with my twin and the rest of my sisters really well just not my brothers sometimes.

Milei: Do you have any parents who live with you or do your older sibling take care of you?

Sarah: I have a mom and a grandmother who lives with us but I don’t have a father. Our mom is named Lilly and our grandmothers name is Jane.

Milei: What is your personality like and what do you like?

Sarah: I am brave and I love animals. I also love adventure, my mom sends me outside sometimes to do some chores and thats like an adventure.

Milei: Where do you live, and how did you find a place to live when you came to the Lower East Side?

Sarah: I live in a tenement and our tenement is pretty small. I live on the third floor. When we first moved to America we were looking for a place to stay. Then me and my family remembered that we had a friend who lives here, her name was Talia and she lived in a tenement. She told us that there was a empty floor that nobody lived in. Me and my family moved in to that floor and we moved on the fourth floor.

Milei: After you settled in the tenement what kind of job did you find and get and when you finally settled in the Lower East Side did you ever miss your old home?

Sarah: Me and my sister Nikki found a job at a sweatshop. My job in the sweatshop was a clipper so was my sister Nikki. I sometimes missed finland but the reason why we came to America was because we needed jobs and we did not have a lot of money to buy food.

Milei: What were the conditions like at the sweatshop?

Sarah: In the sweatshop building there was a lot of people working. Later on the day like at lunch time we still had to work till night. When the sweatshop closed me and my sister went back home. When we went in to the tenement my mom looked worried, she said, “Where have you been it is almost bed time”. I said “We were working”, and my sister said “The forelady said we had to stay late at the sweatshop and work”.  I said “The sweatshop was horrible  and there was bad conditions.” My sister said “Everybody kept on getting hurt from the machines and the forelady always locked the doors”.

Milei: did you ever want to do something else and not work at a sweatshop?

Sarah: I wish I could go to school, sometimes I saw other kids getting ready and going to school with their friends. One time I asked my mom if I can go to school, she said no because we had to get more money and “thats” the reason why we came to america. My older brothers go to school which I think is no fair.The rest of my sisters think it’s no fair too but I can understand why they don’t work at a sweatshop. They don’t work at a sweatshop because the bosses of the sweatshop look for little girls that have nimble fingers which means small fingers. My older brothers don’t have nimble fingers they have big fingers.

Milei: What was it like at your job?

Sarah: Well I am a clipper and my sister is a clipper. My other siblings work somewhere else where I don’t know, but anyway I am a clipper who works in a clothes factory. During work me and my sister speak Finnish sometimes cause it’s the language we know best then english. At the factory we have a forelady she is really mean and strict. She only lets us have a 2 min break and we have to work till night time like at 7:00. After work is over we get home late and then our mom gets worried.

Milei: Were there any special events that happen in your life?

Sarah: Well one day we smelled smoke and it was coming from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. Then After the fire was over some people were still talking about it but anyway it was over. Also after we have settled in the lower east side a lot of things have changed because of the fire. Like in the sweatshops our forelady does not lock the doors anymore so we have better conditions here. The reason why we now have better conditions because of the fire is because the forelady saw how the conditions were in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory.

Milei: Thank you for your time and telling us about your life.

Sarah: your welcome I am glad you enjoyed my story bye.