LETTERS FROM A WEALTHY FRENCH-AMERICAN IMMIGRANT
Dearest Maman,
It hasn’t been long since I’ve last seen you and you can’t even begin to fathom how much I already miss you and our home back in Paris. Our trip from l’Angleterre to New York was barely two weeks long, but it felt like it would last for an eternity. To be stuck on a vessel in the middle of the rocky ocean is something that I will never look forward to again. If it weren’t for my interest in Papa’s architectural commission in New York, I wouldn’t have had to go through such an experience. There were far too many people on the ship—it was to the point where I could hear the cries and whimpers of children from the steerage. I’ve heard that many others have gotten sick too. Even your friend Madame Louise, who occupied the cabin next door, fell ill almost immediately after the ship set sail.
During that time, I’ve gotten acquainted with Madame’s nephew, Thomas, who happened to be my age. Together, Thomas and I decided to explore the open deck of the ship to get some fresh air and to escape from the suffocating conditions in our cabins. When we arrived, we didn’t expect so many other people to be there too. People of all ages took refuge on the floor of the deck, covered in blankets to shield them from the heavy wind and the sweltering sun that stared down at them. It was unbearably uncomfortable on the deck, so we left soon after, but I couldn’t help but wonder what it was like in the steerage for the people to rather sit in those conditions than in the ship.
We only went to the deck once more during our trip, this time accompanied by Papa, and that was when we finally saw land. I don’t even know how to describe the relief I felt when I finally laid eyes on la Liberté éclairant le monde. She really is as magnifique as Pépé had described (though it’s more of a blue-green than a dark copper color like he mentioned).
When our ship was finally docked, we were greeted with a three-hour long wait at Ellis Island. The establishment was filled to the brim with people who looked absolutely dreary from all the waiting they’d done. Compared to the other people aboard with us, I think we had a fairly short wait at Ellis. When Papa told the officers his name and his credentials, we were allowed to skip the entire health check that others seem to have to do. Perhaps, it could've been because they knew who Papa was. Before we left the island to be greeted by Papa’s coworkers, I saw families weeping by the exit. Each of them seemed to be missing a member or a few. What do you think happened to those families?
That’s all I have for this letter. Papa promised that we will go architecture-seeking once we settle down, so I shall tell you all about the adventures and everything I see here in New York soon. Je t’aime, Maman. Please send all my love to darling Lottie as well. I will be patiently awaiting your reply.
Elisabeth Helene Laurent
French-English Translations:
Le 6 julliet 1919 = July 6, 1919
Maman = Mom
L'Angleterre = England
Papa = Dad
Madame = Madam
La Liberté éclairant le monde = The Statue of Liberty
Magnifique = Magnificent
Pépé = Grandpa
Je t'aime = I love you
Affectueusement = Affectionately
Ma très chère Maman,
I’m so glad to have received your reply to my last letter. Today, I am writing this letter to you from the comfort of our temporary lodgings in what Papa told me was the Upper East Side of Manhattan. While it is nothing compared to our French estate, it is a beauty nonetheless. It’s been a month since we arrived in New York and it has been a unique experience, to say the least.
As mentioned in my last letter, Papa has gone through with his promise to take me architecture-seeking in the city. From the Metropolitan Museum of Art to the Flatiron Building to Monsieur Andrew Carnegie's mansion, we've been exploring many buildings to help Papa understand the existing architecture in New York. This will definitely help Papa design the most magnifique building in the city for the commission given to him.
Besides that, the things that I've seen in this place are nothing like what we're used to in Paris. There are buildings here that house a dozen families in a single flat, can you believe that? Papa says that they're called tenements and they primarily house immigrant families who cannot afford better housing. We were allowed inside one of those buildings on Orchard Street and never in my thirteen years have I seen anything like it. Even Papa, who studied at l'École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, has never seen anything like this. Papa talked to a widowed woman living in that building with six kids and only three rooms in their apartment. There was so little space in their area that some of her kids would have to sleep in the kitchen on the ground. To make matters even worse, some of the rooms in each flat had no natural light or ventilation at all because they were settled in the space between other rooms. If I were an architect, I would've never designed a building as inhumane as this. It's almost as if these people were living in cages, not homes!
Speaking of children, while riding through the city in our carriage, I've seen so many kids wandering alone during the day. Do they not attend classes? Most of them seem to be wearing dirtied clothes, some even without shoes, and playing along the streets, even though there was a heavy storm the day before. Other children simply sat at the corner of the streets looking absolutely desolate. I wish I could've helped them somehow, but I didn't know what to do. I wanted to give them any spare change that I had, but Papa stopped me before I could. He said he didn't want me to get so close to them. I couldn't believe he said that. When I grow older, I'll be sure to help those I see even if Papa disapproves.
I'll be sure to tell you more about our stay in New York as I discover more about the city. Until our next letter exchange, Maman! Please take care of your health. I'm always thinking of you even an ocean away.
Elisabeth Laurent
French-English Translations:
Le 9 août 1919 = August 9, 1919
Ma très chère = My dearest
Monsieur = Sir
L'École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts = The National School of Fine Arts
Bisous = Kisses
Citiations:
“97 Orchard Street.” Tenement Museum, 20 July 2022, https://www.tenement.org/explore/97-orchard-street/.
Boys, Post author By Bowery, et al. “A History of New York City in 100 Buildings (Nos. 51-100).” The Bowery Boys: New York City History, 14 Jan. 2015, https://www.boweryboyshistory.com/2010/03/history-of-new-york-city-in-100_15.html.
I. Genesis of the Tenement. Riis, Jacob A. 1890. How the Other Half Lives, https://www.bartleby.com/208/1.html.
“Overview + History: Ellis Island.” Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island, 26 Sept. 2022, https://www.statueofliberty.org/ellis-island/overview-history/.
IMMIGRATION-MIGRATION NARRATIVE GALLERY
