Like many others, I agree with Elizabeth when she mentioned that capitalism is not completely to blame for the atrocities faced by immigrants in the early 20th century. I think that the problem, as Anbinder mentioned, was the government’s “Laissez-faire” mentality during that time. The concept of survival of the fittest became the government and the people’s justification to just let their own people virtually live and rot in their own filth! Government intervention is crucial to an economic system based on competition- not necessarily because of the innate greed of humankind, but perhaps because of the greed of those with too much power.
Like others have mentioned, Anbinder’s chapters as a whole were fascinating, albeit depressing and morbid. Anbinder does such an amazing job of creating a window to the past- not the romanticized version of immigration Elizabeth quoted from Foner. I sometimes go to Pearl Paint in the city, an art store that I think was built from a tenement. The building has 6 floors or so, and I have climbed up the entire staircase before. I don’t think I will ever view it in the same light again- not after reading of the immigrants’ struggle to stay alive in such buildings.
Foner’s survey of modern immigration was also very interesting, and it expanded on what piqued my interest last week. It is shocking to learn of the disparity between newcomers to the city now and 100 years ago. Like others have mentioned, these readings really help me appreciate what I have now- that running water, heat, and food on the table are things so many of us take for granted without really seeing the full picture of what our ancestors went through!
