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My Birthday!
Immigration Chart I am Aiden Murphy, and I was born in Clonmel, Ireland. My parents, Conor and Ava, own a potato farm. During the potato famine, I started thinking of leaving them, my brother, Dylan, and sister, Ciara. Also, I heard that America had more and better jobs. I had to leave. In 1881, I started planning, and on April 22, 1883, I left Ireland to come to America, with about 1,700,000 other Irish people. -
Coming Into America
Statue of LibertyThe journey on the boat seems to take forever. I wait for days to reach our destination: New York City. Ellis Island is where I would gain my freedom. Suddenly, I see a massive structure of a women. This is the Statue of Liberty. She is huge and frightening, but also welcoming. It gives me a sense of security. Our boat docks, and we are all whisked away into the building on Ellis Island. Right away, they examine me, in front of everyone. They push me into the main building. -
A Welcoming Party, I Guess
I finally gain my freedom in America! There are many people outside, and one man comes over to me. He says that if I vote for Boss Tweed, that he'll get me housing, and find me a job. I tell him that I will, and he wisks me away to Manhatten Island. He finds me a house, but it is very cramped. A few days later, the same man finds me a job in what they call a sweatshop. The hours are extremely long, and I only earn 10 dollars a week, but at least it's a job. -
Robbery and Racism
I start to make a living in America, but I just found out that my tenement was robbed, and all of the money I had there is gone! Furthermore, I got word from Ireland that my little sister has died. I loved her, and maybe if I wouldn't have left, she would still be with us. However, I must stay, because my little brother asked me to promise him that I will thrive, and I did. I feel down for the next few days for all of those reasons, but also because I am made fun of for being Irish. It hurts. -
Promotion?
After two years of working in the hot, crowded sweatshops, I get a new job. I start to work on skyscrapers. It is my first day on the job, and I get lifted up into the sky. I have to walk across an I-beam, and I am scared. I start to walk across, but a huge gust of wind knocks me off balance. I barely catch myself, and get on the other side. I keep working, though. After the work day, I walk to my home. On the way, I get brutaly beat up, because I am Irish. I just want it all to stop. -
Ireland is Calling, Should I Answer?
I now have a wife and two kids, and we all live in an apartment in New York. I moved out of that dirty tenement. My life has took a turn for the better, but should I stay. Ireland doesn't have as many criminals, and the folk are nicer. Should I stay? I will. My promise to Dylan, and my family keep me here. This is my home now. America wasn't any better than Ireland, but now it is. I am home.
