Reaction #2

Question: "It’s 1892 and you, Esther Klein, are a 17-year-old textile mill worker in the American northeast. You are new to the country and to industrial work, having worked previously on your parents’ farm in the old country. As much as you longed to come to America, your life as a poor Jewish industrial worker in the United States makes you have second thoughts. And life at the mill—why you and some of the other girls dream of organizing and standing up to the mill owners, but what you’ve seen of other labor organizing worries you. So tell me, Esther, what are the sources of your dissatisfaction as a poor woman, a worker, and a Jewish immigrant?"

Response:
As a poor woman I have a very difficult time finding a job due to sexism. And being a woman, no one listens to me. We still don't have the right to vote. Poverty is everywhere and the gap between rich and poor is growing even more.

As a worker I am having to work under the worst conditions. Due to industrialilzation, I have a boring monotonous job with potential hazards everywhere. These machines can rip your arm off if you're not careful. And now there is less personal contact between my employer and I. I'm forced to work long hours with no actual break and very low pay.

As a Jewish Immigrant I came to America because my country was struggling and we all heard the wonderous rumors of the prosperous"Land of the Free" and now, steamships allow less expensive and safer travel. But now that I am here, I see that it was all a lie. We're working harder than ever to provide for ourselves. And due to Nativism, we face discrimination on a daily basis.

Me and the other girls from the factory want to say something. We want to stand up for ourselves and refuse to allow such outrageous working conditions and low wages. But i've heard of what has happened for workers trying to change working conditions. They were fired and replaced by people who were willing to work for less. How can we compete with that? There's nothing I can do but continue to deal with these horrible conditions.