As I read Tyler Anbinder’s chapters on immigration I noticed that some of the characteristics she described were still prevalent and applicable to more recent immigration.
One example is the concentration of ethnic groups in certain areas that she describes. People tend to live with people who are similar to them. It provides a sense of community. Especially when just arriving to a strange new place, being with people who share the same background as you can be very comforting. These ethnically concentrated neighborhoods still exist in New York City. Two examples are Little Italy and Chinatown.
Anbinder says, “it is vital to appreciate the immigrants’ experiences before they arrived in the United States to understand the world they made in Five Points.” This doesn’t just apply to Five Points and immigrants of the past. Although upon arrival in America the immigrants still struggled and didn’t have ideal living and working conditions according to most standards, they were still better off in Five Points than they had been at home. Today, many immigrants take low-paying jobs or jobs that many others wouldn’t be willing to do. They work hard and endure many struggles all to create a better life for their family. The opportunities and chances they have for a better life outweigh the exhaustion and the hard work they have to do. Back in their homelands, most wouldn’t even have the chance to be as well off as they are in America.
One final point I want to focus on is the idea of the streets being paved with gold. This is a very commonly used expression that people associate with coming to America. The Irish coming from the potato famine didn’t expect the streets to be paved with gold. Almost anything would be an improvement from the terrible conditions they were experiencing in Ireland. They were even thankful for the ships their landlords put them on. Anbinder says for the Italians “even Five Points streets seemed to be paved with gold.” So for both groups, the conditions in their homelands made them thankful for all America had to offer.
Overall, the immigrants’ view of Five Points was greatly impacted because of where they came from, reiterating Anbinder’s idea that understanding where the immigrants came from is important in order to understand the neighborhood of Five Points. Today, I think it’s still important to keep this in mind to continue to understand why people continue to immigrate to America; people come here for a better life, better opportunities, and a better future that is only made possible by leaving their home countries.
