A Letter To My Dear Friend
September 16, 1900
Dear Patrick,
It has been two, long, exhausting months here in New York City. I am beyond home sick, and wish I had the option of staying in my home country. You of all people would know how the famine created so much poverty, and many of my relatives have already left because of the lack of jobs in Ireland. At least in America I can basically start a new life considering I am only fifteen years old, and my cousin Siobhan already got me a job working alongside her as a domestic servant.
The journey over from Ash Keaton took me a full nine days, and cost me $30.00. Do you know how long it took me to save up that $30?! And let me tell you, the conditions were far from comfortable. Because I was in steerage, all we had to eat was stringy beef, herring, boiled potatoes, black bread and soups that were barely warm. I was squished with hundreds of other immigrants in rooms located toward the bottom of the ship. It was dirty and the waters were rough. I felt extremely sick the entire time. Once I got off the ship, I had to go on a barge to Ellis Island for a medical exam, and to make sure my papers were in order. I was so scared that I wouldn't pass the physical, or that my papers weren't all there and in order. If either of those got messed up, I would be sent back to Ireland. The whole process took several hours, as if I wasn’t exhausted enough! I was dragging along my duffle bag filled with the most basic essentials, and whatever other belongings I could cram into the only bag I brought. At this point I just wanted to meet up with my mom and cousin who were already living in New York City.
After Ellis Island, I got on a bus to head to where I would be living; 247 3rd Avenue in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. It’s kind of funny the way the neighborhood feels. Although I’m no longer in Ireland, everyone in my neighborhood is from back home. It gives me a feeling of comfort, even in the most uncomfortable of times. My tenement is full of many different families, about a dozen people crammed into 2 rooms. It isn't the cleanest place to live, but anything is better than the streets. Occasionally there are rodents running around, but I didn't have high expectations for the place when I came, and I'm basically grateful to have a roof over my head.
I work very long hours, cooking and cleaning for a family of five. They have three, small children that I also look after. I make on average $1.75 per day, but they feed me at the house which I work at, allowing me to send money back home. The usual plate served to me is our traditional ham with cabbage and potatoes. My uniform for work is a long, dark dress with a white apron over it, and my hair must always be tied back, neatly. At work my nickname is,"Biddie", which is short for Bridget. Apparently this is what they call all of us Irish domestics.
For fun, everyone in my neighborhood gathers around in one of our apartments and we sing the songs we all remember from back home, and we all reminisce about our stories from Ireland.It's very comforting and helps us all feel less lonely. My favorite thing about America so far is the amount of opportunity and hopefulness there is for a better future. Don't get me wrong, that is not the only better thing about America. The weather is incredible compared to back home. The sun actually comes out here!! It for sure isn't always overcast and cold. Along with the good always comes the bad. My biggest disappointment since being in New York is the prejudice I'm faced with on a daily basis. I see help wanted signs posted saying, "Irish need not apply." It is just assumed that all of us from Ireland are illiterate drunks. I guess America isn't all that I expected it to be. I expected there to be so many more jobs available than there actually are, and I definitely didn't expect the people to be this unaccepting. The negatives of America haven't discouraged me though. I'm still hopeful that as time goes on, people will become friendlier and life will get better. Even with all of the prejudice I face, it is still a better quality of life here than in Ireland. I really hope you make it over here soon, I love and miss you. Please write back quickly, I really look forward to your letters.
Love always,
Mary O’Brien
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Citations
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Burstein, A. N. (n.d.). RESIDENTIAL DISTRIBUTION AND MOBILITY OF IRISH AND GERMAN IMMIGRANTS IN PHILADELPHIA, 1850-1880. Retrieved from https://repository.upenn.edu/dissertations/AAI7603156/
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Turner, L. L. (2019, January 10). Were New Immigrants Discriminated Against in Late 1800s & Early 1900s? Retrieved from https://www.theclassroom.com/were-new-immigrants-discriminated-against-late-1800s-early-1900s-14075.html
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(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www1.assumption.edu/ahc/irish/overview.html
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Irishnet, & *, N. (2018, April 5). Best Historically Irish Neighborhoods in New York City. Retrieved from http://irishnetwork-nyc.com/best-historically-irish-neighborhoods-new-york-city
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Irish - Joining the Workforce - Immigration...- Classroom Presentation: Teacher Resources - Library of Congress. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/immigration/irish4.html.
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