This chapter focuses on the roles of immigrant women in America both then and now. According to Foner, Jewish and Italian women in the 1900s were expected to simply follow men. They were expected to stay at home and raise the children. Luckily, today more immigrant families are adapting to America’s standards of equal gender responsibility within a family. Also for immigrant girls today it is more common to get an education whereas in the1900s, immigrant girls were forced to work in factories whereas the boys were encouraged to get an education.

What also fascinated me about this chapter was the prevalence of the man’s ego in the women’s decision to work. While some immigrant families have moved away from a male dominated family when coming to America, there are still continued traditional gender roles to uphold he man’s pride. For example, some women take lower  pay so that their husbands wouldn’t feel that they lost their superiority or masculinity to “bring home the bacon.” Men are also the ones who are more likely today to cling to these traditions despite the image of the modern women in America, pressuring their wives to stay home. This is where I believe it is important for these immigrant families to adapt American practice. Immigrant men need to understand that the American women is powerful, and capable of having a job and taking care of children.  Men also are expected to take household responsibilities. It is an equal partnership which many immigrant families should and will eventually have to adapt to.