Questions:
- How did industrialization impact different racial/ immigration/ ethnic groups, and you want to describe at least 3 group experiences?
Industrialization led to the immigration of people to cities that had developed. As Jacob states it, the famous building, Fourth Ward alley, had 100 Irish, 38 Italians, and 2 German families. This is a clear indication of how industrialization in New York brought people of different ethnicities together. New York City was occupied by people who immigrated from other countries such as Italy, Russia, and China.
A significant number of Italians migrated to New York in search of greener pasture. The great immigration put pressure on the tenement in New York, resulting in the development of slums. The Italians were faced with tenement problems and robbery from at the hands of rent-collectors. The Italians work so hard to earn income. The Italian immigrants are also faced with the con-game where the banker for a mortgage promises them. However, the banker is only after their money through the 10% commission. The Italians were also faced with the language barrier problem. The Italian immigrants took a long time to learn the English language compared to the other foreigners. The Italians get into business in the ash-barrel after it was discovered to generate some good money.
The Chinese ethnic group in New York was a little different from that of Italians. The Chinese rarely adopted the American Christianity way of life. They only engage in idol worship. The Chinese live as per their traditions, and the American civilization has little impact on the Chinese immigrants in New York. The Chinese living in New York live their own life without any interruption from the American culture. The Chinese in New York engage more in opium smoking than Americans who engage in tobacco smoking. The Chinese are also different when it comes to laundry. They keep themselves presentable. The industrialization has less impact on the Chinese people in New York as most of them decide to live by their culture.
The other ethnic group is the Jews. The Jews are mostly located at Baxter Street. Their streets are crowded. The tenement of the Jews is crowded. The tenement in the Jews street is not so good. They have a high value for their money. The industrialization and search for a better life make most Jews immigrated to New York.
- According to the author, what were the origins of these conditions, and what should be done to address them?
Industrialization began with the tenement in New York. After the 1812 war, there was an increase in trade activities and the immigration of people. According to Jacob, in 35 years, New York’s city population rose from less than a hundred thousand to half a million people (1). New York City multiplied, and the few reaches took advantage of the poor by providing more residents. The few large houses available were subdivided into several small rooms. The streets of New York were soon filled with a group of people struggling to look for income. The tenant house system soon developed in New York. The crowd of people in New York led to the development of the first story house. Later, most of the homes were raised high without regarding the strength of the foundation (Jacob 1). The owners of the building were only after the rent without consideration of the tenant’s safety. The tenement building began industrialization in New York. The crowding of people in search of jobs at major ancient towns is what drove industrialization. People immigrated to different regions that had opportunities—for instance, the most significant crowding of old London. The automation and immigration in major cities led to congestion, which exerts pressure on public goods such as housing. There was also an outbreak of diseases such as cholera due to unhygienic conditions in crowded cities. The towns’ congestions led to a situation of too much labor force chasing a few job opportunities. The congestion in the cities also led to an increase in criminal activities.
Situations such as poor housing conditions and the emergence of cholera diseases led to the development of the Tenement Act in 1867. The Act aimed to protect people from the outbreak of diseases such as cholera and small-pox that affected people in crowded cities during industrialization. The Act was also aimed at improving the housing conditions in New York since the first owners never considered the tenants’ safety but just the money. Through the law, the challenge of tenement has been addressed. The health department was mandated to deal with the outbreak of diseases. The authorities also played the role of establishing sanitary regulations that helped in the management of the tenement. The law also declared it illegal for the construction of barracks that promoted congestion in city housing. Improper housing with poor ventilation was abolished. As Jacob states, the dark, stuffy rooms are a thing of the past (3). The provision of clean water was also made available to the residents of New York City. The public sediment also played a role by fighting for a healthy community.
- What did you find most interesting about this book, and do you feel that the author made a compelling argument, why? The most exciting part of the book is information on the growth of industrialization in New York and how the problem of tenement begun. The other exciting thing about the book is discussing industrialization’s impact on the Jews, Italians, and the Chinese after their immigration to New York. The reading enables the readers to understand changes brought up by the effect of industrialization in New York.
Work Cited
Riis, Jacob. ” How the Other Half Lives.” New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1890. Retrieved from www.bartleby.com