The Life of Immigrant Children In New York Essay - 1344 Words

The Life of Immigrant Children In New York By the late nineteenth century the economic lines in America between the upper and lower class were quickly widening because of the boom of urban industrial expansion. Moreover, during the 1800s, America witnessed an influx of immigrants coming from many parts of the world, they made tenement houses in New York’s lower East Side a common destination. One person witnessing the living conditions of these tenements was journalist Jacob A. Riis. For several years, Riis, with camera in hand, tooked a multitude of photographs that depicted the atrocious working and living conditions in the New York slums. Riss reported that the tenements were severely overcrowded, unsanitary, and a breeding ground†¦show more content†¦Riis’s photograph titled: Twelve-year-old boy (who had sworn he was sixteen) pulling threads in a sweat shop, about 1889† substantiates the poor working conditions that children were exposed to in tenement sweatshops in which Riss’s text as serts (99). Riis’s photograph depicts a young boy sewing a garment while he is sitting in a chair with a cushion. He is wearing a white cap and appears to wearing a pajama top possibly signifying he had to go straight to work not even allowing him time to get dressed. Next to the boy is a pile of garments to show the amount of work to be done. In the background of the photograph, five men are standing behind the boy all in a line. The photograph also reveals the unsanitary working conditions in tenement sweatshops that Riss’s text points out on numerous pages because the floor has shreds of dirty rags lying about, and it is filthy. The boy is looking straight into the camera lens as if he is posing for a family portrait, but the expression of the boy’s face conveys gloom. The boy’s eyes appear to be saying—take me away from this awful place. Additionally, the boy’s face appears black and soiled, which matches the cushion he sits upon, but oddly, his hat is entirely clean. Perhaps, someone rubbed some dirt on the boy’s face in order to draw additional compassion from observers. On the other hand, one of the men in the photograph does not seem concernedShow MoreRelatedThe Life Of Immigrants During The Gilded City Of New York954 Words   |  4 Pages The life of immigrants in the gilded city of New York. As the cities of New York grew rapidly through the advancement of industrialization and urbanization, the wealthier exploited the many immigrants settling in. Rapid urbanization made life for immigrants challenging because of the cheap and poor constructions of the tenements, and as well as overcrowding. 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