Imagine you are a European immigrant to America, trying to adapt to the new life you sought. You want to share your experiences with your family back home so they will better understand.

Choose a country of origin and religious tradition:

• Country of origin
  • Poland
  • Italy
  • Bulgaria
  • Greece
  • Ukraine
  • Czechoslovakia
  • Serbia
• Religious tradition
  • Catholic
  • Jewish
  • Lutheran
  • Other Protestant
  • No religious tradition

Write a 700- to 1,050-word, first-person description of your experiences as an immigrant to America in the late 19th or early 20th century. The description should take the form of a journal entry, autobiography, or diary.

Include descriptions of the following:

• The political, social, or economic factors that precipitated your migration
• The journey across the ocean, including sleeping accommodations and available food
• Ellis Island
• The city you settle in, and why
• The racist attitudes of some Americans
• Tenement housing
• Factory conditions, hours worked, and pay
• The status your children eventually achieve