Photographs and text document the experiences of five individuals who came to live in the Lower East Side of New York City as children or young adults from Belarus, Italy, Lithuania, and Romania at the turn of the twentieth century.

Coming to the golden land -- Tenements: shutting out the sky -- Settling in: greenhorns and boarders -- Everyone worked on -- On the streets: pushcarts, pickles and play -- A new language, a new life -- Looking to the future: will it ever be different?