I have been sewing at least an hour every day, and many hours over the weekend. I am done with the 'blocks' part of the mystery quilt so I haven't been posting pictures. I can post pictures as each clue is revealed to those who signed up for it. During sewing I was listening to "The City of Dreams", the 400 year history of immigrants in New York City. I've sewn during all 24.5 HOURS of the audio book.
It's so sad that we repeat history over and over. 100+ years ago the same hate and despair for Catholics or the Irish as the American culture has for Muslims today, was fueling riots, driving the political system to create new laws to abate the the amount of Catholic and Irish immigrants into New York. The Catholics and Irish were going to 'ruin America' and 'turn every American into a Catholic'.
When slaves were set free they were taking jobs from white people. Even though there weren't cars, they used a horse drawn wagon with a bomb to set off on the street. Black people were hung from the lamp posts.
It was always hardest for the first generation to come over, while their children were always ready to 'be' American. And over 100 years ago teenagers were EXACTLY as they are now. Rebellious to their parents!
Although today's political climate has me thinking most of the terrible way we treat people today as then, the book is full of fantastic stories of how life was then. Letters to and from 'back home' described their lives, their issues, their accomplishments and defeats. Many immigrants came to make money and save every cent to bring their other relatives over to America. Many years of heartache being apart and then the joyous reunions.
I thoroughly enjoyed this epic 400 year history of immigrants in NYC.
Now I'm half way through "1984".
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