History

Russia is a country in northern Euroasia. Euroasia is the area of combined landmass between Europe and Asia; Russia is the only county to span across two different continents. The capital of Russia is Moscow and the official language is Russian. During Imperial Russia was the Russian Empire, which lasted from 1721-1971. During this time period the official religion was Russian Orthodox, which was a form of Christianity. Many of the people who emigrated from Russia were groups seeking freedom from religious persecution. A majority of the people who emigrated from Russia were Russian Jews who escaped Alexander III’s pogroms (violent attacks against the Jewish community) during the early 1880’s. The second wave of people who emigrated from Russia were called the White Emigre. These individuals immigrated to America, mainly the New York area around 1917-1922. These upper-class Russian immigrants fled their home country right before the beginning of the October Revolution and the Russian Civil War. However, the second wave of people who emigrated from Russia does not stop at 1922; the second wave of people who emigrated from Russia included those who left up until 1948. The third wave of people emigrating from Russia took place during the Soviet era from 1926-the late 1900’s. The people who emigrated during this time typically were suffering under the communist regime, feeling persecution for political beliefs, wishing to escape covert anti-Semitism, and some athletes who wished to further their careers. In the end, the individuals and families that emigrated from Russia to the United States left their home country in order to escape persecution and to have a better life in another country.

Assimilating to America during the first wave was considerably difficult for the Russians. The first wave mainly consisted of peasants, persecuted Jewish individuals, and groups who were seeking freedom from religious prosecution.  Before being able to travel to America the Jewish community of the Russian immigrants were first sent to Rome to go through paper work and English learning classes. Although this process was lengthy, many of the soon to be American citizens considered it to be the first taste of the west. After the process was finalized coming to America was the next obstacle because of the conditions they were put through. Finally in America, it was challenging for these settlers because each had split into smaller communities and had spread across California or New York. Being in smaller populated neighborhoods made it harder for the Russian immigrants to cope with immigrants from other countries. A majority of the Russian neighborhoods were stereotyped under poor Jewish immigrants. However, the stereotypical Russian Jewish neighborhoods were soon to be changed. The second wave of Russian immigrants had begun when a large group of skilled laborers came and turned the community around. Assimilating to American society was easier for this second influx of immigrants because they were able to join already established Russian neighborhoods. Furthermore, finding jobs was substantially easier because during this time period America was in need of skilled laborers.

Several gaps in the literature were found.  Articles discussed Jewish, Islamic, and Orthodox Russians.  Russians of other religions are excluded.  One article talked about Russian life in Seattle, but information about Russian life elsewhere in the United States was not found.  Russian Jews in Brooklyn were mentioned; however no knowledge of them in other parts of New York was researched.  An article was found about infants born from Russian immigrants, but none on the life of children or adolescents.  Society in Russia in the 1860s and 1870s and the history of Russia from 1881-1914 were discussed.  Other time periods were not emphasized.  Israel-Soviet relations were mentioned; what were the relations of other nations to Russia?  New York City was a topic of Russian American literature, but other topics were not found.  Lastly, it was mentioned that the Brooklyn Bridge had an effect on Russian immigrants.  Did other sites in New York have an effect on them?