The world I have always known and the place I have called home is the culmination of a series of careful choices made by relatives who lived before me, in a previous world. I am only here because some twist of fate made them make the decision that brought them to this incredible city. My family is composed of immigrants, some first generation, some second, and some even third, but all of them put together is what created me—a born and bred New Yorker. The scope of where I’ve lived spans no further then from Manhattan to Brooklyn. I’ve gone to schools in New York city all my life, Times Square is my back yard, I talk fast, think fast, and in every other respect am a city girl.
My family, on the other hand, has a much more colorful background. My father grew up in Israel and only moved here about twenty years ago for schooling and for job opportunities. His whole family still lives there and most of them have never even been to America. My mother’s side is a mix. Her mother grew up in Brooklyn, but her father (my grandfather) is originally from Germany. He moved here when he was in his early teens and his story is what I’d like to discuss in this paper.
After the stock market crashed in Germany, when jobs were becoming scarce and making a decent living was nearly impossible, my great grandparents decided to move to New York. People were becoming more and more impoverished in Germany because of the incredible rate of inflation. My great grandmother often recounted how she would have to bring an entire suitcase of money to the market in exchange for a loaf of bread. The economy was out of control and their only solution was to find work elsewhere. They had a relative who owned a brewery in Brooklyn and because there was an already established German community in New York City, they decided to pick up everything and move here.
At first they only brought my grandfather with them, leaving their other son in the care of his aunt and uncle in Germany. They quickly got decent jobs and after a few years tried to return to Germany. They were still unable to find work in their home country and eventually were forced once again to come back to America in search of livelihood. They became chauffer and cook for the Penney family (owners of JC Penney) and saved their earnings. My great grandmother was a gifted investor and after a few years they amassed enough money to buy a house in Ithaca.
When the war broke out, it became more and more difficult to stay in contact with their family in Germany. It took a few years, but they were finally able to bring over their other son, my uncle Gunter.
My great grandparents symbolize in many ways the ultimate immigrant story. They were forced out of their home country because of economic constraints and came to America—the land of opportunity. They began with next to nothing but were able to build a beautiful new life for themselves. With hardly had any formal education past grade school, they worked hard and eventually supported their sons through Ivy League schools in pursuit of the American Dream. Both my uncle and grandfather went to Cornel; my grandfather finished with a PHD and my great uncle went to medical school.
They lived the rest of their lives in upstate New York, which is where my grandparents now live and where my mom grew up.
My mom first moved back to the city in 1979. My grandmother was in grad school at the time and my mom was there first to attend Queens College and then remained when she was offered a teaching job in the city.
This is where I come in.
If not for their hard work and pursuit of a better life, I would not be where I am today. My situation—the situation I was born into—was not haphazard. It was created by the careful planning of generations before me together with the series of events that occurred in their lives. These, combined with the decisions I have made and will make in my life are what will impact future generations and determine the world into which they will be born. They way I became a New Yorker is not my story alone. It is the story of all the generations that have come before me.
